Winona State University's Common Book for 2008-09 is Dr. Robert Morris’s

The Blue Death: The Intriguing Past and Present Danger of the Water You Drink.

In The Blue Death, author Robert Morris follows the quest for the cause of and cure for cholera, initiated by John Snow and ending with Robert Koch who finally convinced the scientific community of its transmission through water. He then takes his readers through the birth of modern water and sewage policies in America, the virulent outbreak of crytosporidiosis in Milwaukee in 1993, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Revealing the dangers of waterborne disease and calling for vigilance regarding water treatment, Morris exposes the complexities involved in obtaining and maintaining a safe water supply and calls attention to the most essential but often overlooked of human resources: water.

Dr. Morris is scheduled to visit WSU October 22-23, 2008, and again in March, 2009. Events for the first visit include:

• Lecture Presentation: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7:00 pm, WSU Performing Arts Center
• Interview with Dr. Morris: Thursday, Oct. 23, 10:00 am, WSU Performing Arts Center
• Panel Discussion - Interdisciplinary Perspectives on The blue Death: Thursday, Oct. 23, 1:00 pm, Stark Auditoruim

The Common Book Project brings together a large community of readers, including students in a number of different course, in the discussion of a single work. More information about The Blue Death is available from the author’s website. A short reader's guide is available (as a .pdf file) here. Contact Dr. J Paul Johnson at pjohnson@winona.edu for a copy of the teaching materials packet prepared by the English Department.