This book was a delightful surprise to me. I had read Bacigalupi's previous novel, "The Windup Girl", and really enjoyed it. But while "The Windup Girl" is rather deliberately paced (actually rather slow in spots), "The Water Knife" is action-packed. It paints a picture of a near future where environmental change has wreaked havoc on the land and on society. Water is a scarce commodity, and its absence from some areas of the southwest causes massive migrations of refugees into areas that still are able to glean water from the dwindling rivers and reservoirs further north. Much conflict arises from this situation, aggravated by the titular "water knives", men and women who "cut" water from circulation to areas downstream and redirect it to benefit their employers. Despite the overall theme of the impending disaster that climate change may cause, there is very little preaching about environmentalism in this book. The characters in the story have, by and large, accepted their fate, and have no hope or illusion that it can be changed. The message, however, does get through due to the excellent, vivid prose of Bacigalupi. This reminded me of the very best of William Gibson at times, highly recommended.