By Rodney Hsu

Although living in coastal BC, the complexity of the Great Lakes has often made me curious. After attending a lecture in 2000 regarding this subject, I was eager to find out more about the history of this body of water. In the recent month, I have been reading through Barbara Spring's new book The Dynamic Great Lakes and learned a tremendous amount of history and facts.

The Great Lakes are made of several large bodies of water that were formed during glaciation in eastern North America. These bodies of water include Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It is the largest freshwater system on this planet that are interconnected by waterways and rivers. These lakes are so large that they behave like a small ocean.

Barbara Spring is a resident of the Great Lakes and she has observed and done extrensive researches on this complex ecosystem. She is an artist who sees the beauty of the Great Lakes, and a very vocal activitist who is determined to fight against pollution and other threats to preserve this beauty.

As the name implies, The Dynamic Great Lakes describes the changes that these lakes undergo overtime. Reading through this book is like taking a journey through time. Spring introduces you to the major historical events that took place at each lake and the unique characteristics that they possess today. It is a biology lesson and a history lesson that is taught through storytelling by a knowledgeable local. Unlike most scientific publications, one does not have to be a diehard biologist to understand the scientific concepts that are written by Spring. She has written in a language that readers of all ages and education levels can appreciate it.

Spring also addresses the major issues that have been taking place in the Great Lakes during the past few decades. She stresses the devastation of pollutants such as DDT and dioxin have caused in the Great Lakes. She also inspired me by giving examples of how these effects can be reversed when residents are determined to make a difference.

To an angler, this book can be a helpful guide if one wants to understand the dynamic system of a lake. I also enjoyed reading through many biological facts of fish species that were brought up throughout the book. Although my background in limnology is fairly broad, I found that the amount of knowledge that I have gained after reading this book was plentiful. If you are looking for a book that can help you grow as an angler, a scientist or an environmentalist, pick up The Great Dynamic Lakes now.