The UF Dean of Students Office revealed "When the Rivers Run Dry: Water - The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century" as the book incoming freshmen must read as part of the second year of UF's Common Reading Program.
The announcement was made Friday afternoon at a ceremony on the Plaza of the Americas.
Copies of the book, by Fred Pearce, will be distributed to students during Preview this summer. They are expected to read the book before attending fall classes.
The book was chosen by a 20-member committee of students, faculty and staff, said Gene Zdziarski, assistant vice president and dean of students, during the ceremony.
Leslie Hahn, chairwoman of the committee and assistant director of UF's New Student Programs, said the author is excited that his book was chosen.
"He's thrilled," Hahn said after the ceremony. "It's kind of catching fire."
Pearce is an environment and development consultant at New Scientist magazine and has researched water issues for more than 20 years, according to the book.
Last year's book, "Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World," written by Tracy Kidder, was the No. 1 book used by colleges across the nation in related book-reading programs, Zdziarski said.
He said that he only knows of two other colleges that are using this book as their common reader.
"This year, instead of being a follower, we wanted to be a leader," he said.
Aside from being an enjoyable read, the criteria for the book was that it had global significance, was interdisciplinary and was a recent text to provide for "rich dialogue" among students and the community, he said.
"When the Rivers Run Dry" describes the grim state of the world's rivers and details the consequences of a world-water crisis in several different fields.
UF Provost Janie Fouke said Pearce would speak to UF students in October.
The author of last year's chosen book came to UF last October, and more than 900 students attended the Phillips Center lecture, Hahn said.
Zdziarski said the author was chosen not only for his book but also with his ability to interact with students.
Fouke said the subject of water is important for sustainability, and it is a local issue that will appear on the election ballot for the rest of students' lives.
"I want educated voters," she said.
