By Dave Dempsey

On the shores of the world's largest lake, a slick Chicago developer and a home-grown, small-town Michigan lake advocate collide over his proposed Superior Shores resort. She thinks he's ruining nature; he thinks he's showcasing it. Their differences generate a controversy that reverberates across the lake -- and sparks of another kind.

Dave Dempsey is the author of four nonfiction books, including two about Great Lakes protection. He is also co-author, with David Lubbers, of Waters of Michigan.

The Waters of Michigan

By Dave Dempsey & David Lubbers

Foreword by Governor William G. Milliken

Water: A look at Michigan's greatest resource through the lens of a camera. One cannot think of Michigan without the image of water. Water as vast as the Great Lakes, as serene as the inland lakes, and as long and lazy or sleek and fast as the numerous byways that run between and among them. Waters of Michigan is a tribute to this treasured resource of Michigan. Combining the vision of internationally renowned photographer David Lubbers with the stewardship focus of environmentalist Dave Dempsey, this collection presents a truly unique view and understanding of the waters of Michigan. Waters of Michigan is a call to all who know the state of Michigan to re see this wonder that is ours and to realize how precious and fragile it is.

Great Lakes for Sale
From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps

By Dave Dempsey

A must-read book from a renowned environmental writer
about one of our most precious natural resources

Great Lakes for Sale is a book for anyone interested in saving the Great Lakes, a huge fresh-water system that contains an estimated 6 quadrillion gallons of water and about twenty percent of the world's fresh surface water. The book poses---and answers---important questions about the export and diversion of Great Lakes water. Not only does Great Lakes for Sale examine past and present water-diversion practices; it also shows readers what they can do to save this natural resource.

It's difficult to understate the importance of the Great Lakes water system---economically, environmentally, or from a public-health perspective. The Great Lakes support year-round sport fishery, they provide a route for commercial and recreational navigation, and they supply many communities with drinking water. Water means jobs and life in the Great Lakes region. And, while residents of this huge region revel in a seemingly limitless quantity of fresh water today, it's likely that the future will see that same fresh water grow ever more scarce as well as become a source of contention between thirsty communities---and corporations---further afield and those who live in this giant watershed.

Great Lakes for Sale is an important part of the effort to remind people why commercialization of Great Lakes water is a dangerous threat. It's not simply a matter of how much water in the short term is removed; the long-term threat is control of water and the possibility that non-Great Lakes interests will assert ownership of the very substance of the Great Lakes.

Now on Audiobooks

William G. Milliken
Michigan's Passionate Moderate

By Dave Dempsey & David Lubbers

Foreword by Lana Pollack

Named a 2007 Michigan Notable Book