Way to go, Des!! Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a gathering that honored my long time friend, Des Lawler. His book, WATER QUALITY ENGINEERING, was named one of the top four books published this past year by faculty in all departments at the University of Texas at Austin. Des holds an endowed chair in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering. He is widely published, recognized as an outstanding teacher, and has spoken often at universities throughout the world. Our families are very close and I am very proud to call all the Lawlers dear friends. The authors of the other three books were also very impressive in presenting the results of their extensive research. It was a memorable event.