I'VE BEEN thinking a lot lately about how poorly the left communicates our ideas. Stuck in the left brain, we seem to think that facts, figures, and good arguments will persuade people. The political right, on the other hand, understands the power of a good story. (Think of how effectively they use stories to justify the completely ineffective "war on crime" or the equally ineffective "war on terror.")

So it was with particular pleasure that I picked up Varda Burstynâe(TM)s eco-thriller Water, Inc. Burstyn is an old friend and comrade of mine who has been active in both the women's and environmental movements.