"Invites paddling around until you discover something fascinating, which you do, often. And of course, there are the illustrations. Kaufmann's watercolors shimmer with delicacy and drama."--Peter Fish, San Francisco Chronicle
"Obi Kaufmann dives fearlessly and joyfully into the maelstrom that is The State of Water in California. Luscious illustrations reveal that joy, accompanied by text that faces historic challenges and a troubled future head on. This is not a book with a political agenda, other than 'to point out our agreements over our differences, ' yet Kaufmann's concern for moral integrity points toward better ways we might compete for out limited water resource. With words and images the book affirms that 'water is life.' Let's lift a glass of the precious stuff to the hope that every Californian will read The State of Water."--David Carle, author of Introduction to Water in California and Water and the California Dream
"Equal parts pragmatism and whimsy, this exploration of water in California by the artist-naturalist Obi Kaufman is a delight from start to finish. A kind of scientific wonder cabinet, this splendidly illustrated reference manual has something for anyone interested in water in the Golden State. From sturgeon and river otters to vernal pools and diversion dams, The State of Water offers fresh new ways of thinking about California's waterscape that replenish and revitalize the groundwater of our aquatic imagination."--Michael Kowalewski, Lloyd McBride Professor of English & Environmental Studies, Carleton College
