The Bookshelf: Oct. 22, 2014

Trib+Water is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of water studies. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

THE LAST BEACH

by Orrin H. Pilkey, J. Andrew G. Cooper

A clarion call for a change of policy that prioritizes the preservation of beaches over property rights. ... They explain how the natural relationship between sand and ocean waves — countervailing processes of erosion and reconstruction of sand dunes and beaches — is already being hindered by sea walls and jetties constructed to protect human activity. The authors cite projections that by the year 2100, due to climate change, global sea rise will likely exceed 3 feet, and all beachfront development will stop unless it is “protected on all sides by massive seawalls.” The cost would be prohibitive for what would be a temporary fix, since the naturally flexible dynamic of resanding would be disrupted, and sand transported from other locations would deplete beaches elsewhere.

For full review, visit kirkus.com