If you work with – buy it without hesitation. If you need a modern, balanced desalination text covering RO and renewable integration, pair this with "Seawater Desalination: Conventional and Renewable Energy Processes" by Micale & Cipollina (2009) or the more recent "Desalination: Water from Water" by Kucera (2019).
In Fundamentals of Salt Water Desalination , El-Dessouky demystifies these processes. The book does not simply describe how an MSF plant works; it explains why it works through the lens of energy balances and entropy. Fundamentals Of Salt Water Desalination By H T El Dessouky
(for its intended niche – thermal desalination) Rating: 6/10 (as a general desalination textbook in 2025, due to outdated RO and missing new tech) If you work with – buy it without hesitation