Death and Life of the Great Lakes

“Suspenseful, superbly informative, crucial.”
- Louise Erdrich

“Fascinating and brilliant… Egan’s narrative often moves like a thriller.”
- Vicky Albritton and Fredrik Albritton Jonsson, Los Angeles Review of Books

“Easy to read, offering well-paced, intellectually stimulating arguments, bolstered by well-researched and captivating narratives.”
- Lekelia Danielle Jenkins, Science

“Dan Egan has done more than any other journalist in America to chronicle the decline of this once-great ecosystem.”
- Judges’ citation, Grantham Award of Special Merit for Environmental Beat Reporting

“A compelling chronicle of the many, many (many) man-caused hazards that have threatened the largest source of accessible freshwater in the world.”
- Susan Glaser, Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A marvelous work of nonfiction, which tells the story of humanity’s interference with the natural workings of the world’s largest unfrozen freshwater system.”
- Anne Moore, Crain’s Chicago Business

“Important.… Egan’s book serves as a reminder that the ecological universe we inhabit is vastly connected and cannot be easily mended by humility and good intentions.”
- Meghan O’Gieblyn, Boston Review

“Egan’s knowledge, both deep and wide, comes through on every page, and his clear writing turns what could be confusing or tedious material into a riveting story.”
- Margaret Quamme, Columbus Dispatch

“Brings the Great Lakes’ decline―and moments of rebirth―to life.… Firsthand tales from the people directly involved in the Great Lakes’ unfolding ecological drama drive Egan’s brisk narrative forward.”
- Danielle S. Furlich, Nature Conservancy magazine

“A literary clarion call.… Egan’s narrative reflects a nuanced understanding of history and science, which is matched by his keen perceptions about public policy.”
- National Book Review