Water: A Biography
- Downloads：7700
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-17 03:41:35
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Giulio Boccaletti
- ISBN：0525566007
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Spanning millennia and continents， here is a stunningly revealing history of how the distribution of water has shaped human civilization。 Boccaletti， of The Nature Conservancy， "tackles the most important story of our time: our relationship with water in a world of looming scarcity" （Kelly McEvers， NPR Host）。
Writing with authority and brio， Giulio Boccaletti--honorary research associate at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment， University of Oxford--shrewdly combines environmental and social history， beginning with the earliest civilizations of sedentary farmers on the banks of the Nile， the Tigris， and the Euphrates Rivers。 Even as he describes how these societies were made possible by sea-level changes from the last glacial melt， he incisively examines how this type of farming led to irrigation and multiple cropping， which， in turn， led to a population explosion and labor specialization。
We see with clarity how irrigation's structure informed social structure （inventions such as the calendar sprung from agricultural necessity）; how in ancient Greece， the communal ownership of wells laid the groundwork for democracy; how the Greek and Roman experiences with water security resulted in systems of taxation; and how the modern world as we know it began with a legal framework for the development of water infrastructure。
Extraordinary for its monumental scope and piercing insightfulness， Water: A Biography richly enlarges our understanding of our relationship to--and fundamental reliance on--the most elemental substance on earth。
Writing with authority and brio， Giulio Boccaletti--honorary research associate at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment， University of Oxford--shrewdly combines environmental and social history， beginning with the earliest civilizations of sedentary farmers on the banks of the Nile， the Tigris， and the Euphrates Rivers。 Even as he describes how these societies were made possible by sea-level changes from the last glacial melt， he incisively examines how this type of farming led to irrigation and multiple cropping， which， in turn， led to a population explosion and labor specialization。
We see with clarity how irrigation's structure informed social structure （inventions such as the calendar sprung from agricultural necessity）; how in ancient Greece， the communal ownership of wells laid the groundwork for democracy; how the Greek and Roman experiences with water security resulted in systems of taxation; and how the modern world as we know it began with a legal framework for the development of water infrastructure。
Extraordinary for its monumental scope and piercing insightfulness， Water: A Biography richly enlarges our understanding of our relationship to--and fundamental reliance on--the most elemental substance on earth。
Reviews
Mallwitz
，
An amazing book， which gives a perspective changing account of the history of water。 I wish all people discussing climate change were aware of the last chapters especially。Unfortunately this book can be a bit dry （especially when describing American foreign policy） as another reviewer put it。
Caleb
，
The premise is interesting。 The history of the world as seen by water， mainly fresh water， and mainly rivers。 The author traces a history of the world through this device。 It works better in some places than others。 Some cultures are ignored altogether （Mayans and others in Mesoamerica， for example）。 You learn a lot more about Po Valley hydropower than you might need in life， and the author is perhaps not coincidentally Italian。 Living in Colorado and having read several books about our misuse o The premise is interesting。 The history of the world as seen by water， mainly fresh water， and mainly rivers。 The author traces a history of the world through this device。 It works better in some places than others。 Some cultures are ignored altogether （Mayans and others in Mesoamerica， for example）。 You learn a lot more about Po Valley hydropower than you might need in life， and the author is perhaps not coincidentally Italian。 Living in Colorado and having read several books about our misuse of water in the American West， the author here doesn't hammer that point home and at times seems to trumpet it。 I don't know a whole lot about the TVA but it's framed as here as one of the seminal points of the 20th Century。In sum， some good points and some ones that missed。 The book could have used a sharper edit。 Some words （dialectic is one） are overused。 The first third also drags along。 Still， an interesting take that is interesting once it hits the modern world。 。。。more
Scott Martin
，
（3。5 stars） A unique look at the role that water and human usage of it has evolved over the course of civilization。 We can’t survive without water， and some of the biggest， most costly projects in human history involved access and usage of water。 This work looks at many examples， especially some of those massive projects in the late 20th century， many of which did not come to the ends that the designer intended。 Water projects have also led to some of the greater disasters and calamities in huma （3。5 stars） A unique look at the role that water and human usage of it has evolved over the course of civilization。 We can’t survive without water， and some of the biggest， most costly projects in human history involved access and usage of water。 This work looks at many examples， especially some of those massive projects in the late 20th century， many of which did not come to the ends that the designer intended。 Water projects have also led to some of the greater disasters and calamities in human history。 It is a unique take on water’s role， but it can’t completely cover everything。 Sometimes， the work does get bogged down in technical minutia and design。 Still， a take worth a read/review。 。。。more
Valerie Lindholm
，
dry - I'd expected more dry - I'd expected more 。。。more
Kerry Cutler
，
I give this book only three stars not because of any inherent quality of the book， but because of my inability to absorb and comprehend it completely， which I am sure is not fair。 This may be the kind of book that may need several more readings， but it attempted at first to be comprehensive but in actuality was limited in scope to a handful of western civ examples of human water projects。 There were a few interesting factoids I gleaned from this book but I failed to develop a deeper perspective I give this book only three stars not because of any inherent quality of the book， but because of my inability to absorb and comprehend it completely， which I am sure is not fair。 This may be the kind of book that may need several more readings， but it attempted at first to be comprehensive but in actuality was limited in scope to a handful of western civ examples of human water projects。 There were a few interesting factoids I gleaned from this book but I failed to develop a deeper perspective on this kind of water development and how it impacts success or other critical character of different civilizations。 Could be my own failure I’m sure but … meh。 。。。more
Montecristo
，
Biografia dell'acqua che non convince per come è impostata， per una scrittura abbastanza piatta， argomenti trattati non molto interessanti。 L'idea sarebbe anche buona ma andava sviluppata molto meglio。 Biografia dell'acqua che non convince per come è impostata， per una scrittura abbastanza piatta， argomenti trattati non molto interessanti。 L'idea sarebbe anche buona ma andava sviluppata molto meglio。 。。。more
Kristen
，
Listened to the audio book。 I feel I would have really struggled with reading this book as it was very dry。 Seemed very well researched。 I'm definitely not someone who could say I ever really thought about water infrastructure。 I learned a lot。 Listened to the audio book。 I feel I would have really struggled with reading this book as it was very dry。 Seemed very well researched。 I'm definitely not someone who could say I ever really thought about water infrastructure。 I learned a lot。 。。。more
Cody Crofoot
，
Giulio Boccaletti provides an overview of history with a focus on water’s role。 In the end it provides an adequate superficial review but if you are looking to go deeper into this topic this book will not do the job on its own。
Rachel Schmidt
，
A fascinating tour through history， politics， religion， trade， law， and markets from 10，000 B。C。 to present day。 Sometimes quite detailed， perhaps overly so。 But， without the fine grain， the larger overarching themes of the cascaing consequences of water management between human societies throughout time would be lost。I think my biggest takeaways were that water is a powerful force; no individual alone can hope to prevent floods， store and distrubte water， or capitialize from it economically。 It A fascinating tour through history， politics， religion， trade， law， and markets from 10，000 B。C。 to present day。 Sometimes quite detailed， perhaps overly so。 But， without the fine grain， the larger overarching themes of the cascaing consequences of water management between human societies throughout time would be lost。I think my biggest takeaways were that water is a powerful force; no individual alone can hope to prevent floods， store and distrubte water， or capitialize from it economically。 It takes large institutions w/ large resources allocation capabilities who may have to compete with other istitutions of different philosophies， political systems for the scare resource that makes makes our sedentary civilations possible （sustrained agriculutral surplus）。 Also， mass migration from climate disruption， famine has frequently contributed to the collapse of civilization （both the society that must flee and the society that is strained by absorbing their numbers） meaning water insecurity anywhere threatens civilization everywhere。 We are all connected。 Also， Also - in the developed world water has become almost invisible， a relable resource we can feel entitled too。 What will happen societally as climate patterns dramatize scarcity and surplus areas in our lifetimes will be interesting as indiviual and collective inetrests are strained。I will say sometimes his points seemed a bit of a stretch and some thoughts were started supposedly to be proven by historical example， but then not always satisfyingly warpped up in my opinion - occationaly vauge inferenes were made - Still， I learned alot and it altered how I think about a lot of things！ Heads up though: dense。 Kinda read it in three chunks over 6 mo。 or so。 。。。more
Benjamin Meyers
，
An interesting deep dive into how water has shaped human civilization from early hunter gatherers to modern day。 A few examples offer glimpses into our future， where the foundations of civilization crumble in the wake of limited access to water。
Thomas Devlin
，
An interesting book that covers an impressive breadth of history， but I felt the link to water was often tenuous。
Emily Mellow
，
It's ok， but honestly so boring I found it hard to stay connected to the story， the point。 He relates everything that's ever happened to it's relationship with water。 Like， the original government that formed was over water rights， wars over water， Magna Carta was really about water， etc。 It's important， for sure！ But maybe the book was a little too broad or just not written in a style that grabbed me。On the other hand， I did finish it so it's not awful。 It's ok， but honestly so boring I found it hard to stay connected to the story， the point。 He relates everything that's ever happened to it's relationship with water。 Like， the original government that formed was over water rights， wars over water， Magna Carta was really about water， etc。 It's important， for sure！ But maybe the book was a little too broad or just not written in a style that grabbed me。On the other hand， I did finish it so it's not awful。 。。。more
Marco Cerbo
，
Una "storia di tutto" stile Harari， che prende spunto dalla gestione delle risorse idriche。 Molte informazioni interessanti， ma lo stile è prolisso。 Una "storia di tutto" stile Harari， che prende spunto dalla gestione delle risorse idriche。 Molte informazioni interessanti， ma lo stile è prolisso。 。。。more
Guillermo
，
muchotexto
Ryan
，
This book is DENSE。 In some good ways and some not-so-good ways。 It was a bit more detail than I was looking for around the history of civilizations and water。Here are a few of my favorite clips:Sedentary agriculture changed human society。 Most natural ecosystems do not maximize digestible calories for humans， but farming can。 Salinization is a process by which the magnesium， calcium， and sodium found in water accumulate in soil， binding with clay and making the soil impermeable。 In those condit This book is DENSE。 In some good ways and some not-so-good ways。 It was a bit more detail than I was looking for around the history of civilizations and water。Here are a few of my favorite clips:Sedentary agriculture changed human society。 Most natural ecosystems do not maximize digestible calories for humans， but farming can。 Salinization is a process by which the magnesium， calcium， and sodium found in water accumulate in soil， binding with clay and making the soil impermeable。 In those conditions， plants struggle to germinate， and roots fail to absorb nutrients。 The Mississippi is a gigantic river basin， covering 40% of the modern continental U。S。 Its drainage is almost 3 million square kilometers， comparable to the size of India。 Only the Amazon and Congo river basins are bigger。 One of the consequences of such a wide， dendritic system is that the river intercepts many climates， from winter rains， to snowmelt， to summer rains， all happening in different parts of the basin。 As a result the flow in the lower river can be highly variable。 Peak floods can carry thirty times the water of low flow。 The flood of 1927 was the worst in American history。 In the end， it inundated 7 million hectares of land， killed about 500 people， and left seven hundred thousand homeless。 Its damages were equivalent to a third of that year's U。S。 federal budget。 Mussolini turned to the impoverished south， where there was no organized labor， and he could rely on the landowners to control the rural population。 Exploitation of farm laborers reached depths of inhumanity seldom witnessed in twentieth-century Europe。 In the early thirties， a severe drought hit the Great Plains right as grain price collapsed in the wake of the Depression。 It was bad timing。 The Dust Bowl had started。 Overextended farmers went bankrupt。 Land was abandoned at the same speed at which it had been developed。 As farmers left their properties， the exposed topsoil baked and pulverized in the drought。 The winds of the Great Plains then lifted up the dust into huge black blizzards， big enough to block the sun， worsening drought conditions further。 When cold air from Canada and warm air from the Dakotas swirled over the plains igniting storms， the atmosphere became a huge planetary vacuum cleaner， sucking up into the sky hundreds of thousands of tons of dirt in squalls hundreds of miles wide and thousands of feet tall。 In 1930， only 10% of farms had access to electricity。 [In regard to Mao and China] ---> The commitment to water projects was so substantial that it become the primary drain of labor from the farms。 Between 1958 and 1959 an estimated hundred million peasants were assigned to dig canals and other irrigation projects。 The drain of labor from the field meant that when harvest came there was no one to collect it and it remained to rot。 By early 1958 one in six people were digging to transform the landscape of the nation。 Six hundred million cubic meters of rocks and soil were moved during that year。 The human cost of these efforts was enormous。 One estimated suggested that for every fifty thousand hectares under irrigation， a hundred lives were lost。 During the 20th century， inspired by the success of the model republic of the modern age， most rich societies replumbed the planet to insulate their citizens from the impact of the planet's climate and give their economies a comparative advantage。 To do so， they harness the power of water while allowing everyone to live their lives at the sole beat of industrialization。 For all intents and purposes， in wealthy countries at least， the climate system had mostly disappeared from people's lives。 Never before had water always been available， when and where needed， and always of a quality fit for its purpose。 Never before had people been able to move around the landscape unimpeded， going about their technology-laden day， streams paved over， rivers contained， and all floods avoided。 But while technology has changed people's relationship to climate， the thousands of years of layered institutions， which have defined the relationship between society and water over time， continue to play the dominant role in shaping the outcomes。 The deepest tension: That of a sedentary society trying to live together while negotiating a world of moving water。 The story of water is principally a story of political institutions。 。。。more
Dave Schoettinger
，
In the early part of the previous century British historian Arnold Toynbee suggested that Egypt developed one of the first civilizations on Earth because the challenge of taming the Nile River to agricultural needs was more than an individual or small group could accomplish。 Therefore humans formed into a complex society in order to do all the work necessary to control the Nile so that it would irrigate their crops without destroying all their works with its annual flood。 Toynbee may have gone t In the early part of the previous century British historian Arnold Toynbee suggested that Egypt developed one of the first civilizations on Earth because the challenge of taming the Nile River to agricultural needs was more than an individual or small group could accomplish。 Therefore humans formed into a complex society in order to do all the work necessary to control the Nile so that it would irrigate their crops without destroying all their works with its annual flood。 Toynbee may have gone too far in theorizing that the challenge of the Nile forced the Egyptians into a top-down authoritarian society in order to make sure everyone was on the same page and discourage free riding。 Although Giulio Boccaletti may not agree with Toynbee's analysis （or even have heard of him）， He would definitely agree that humanity's grappling with the necessity of having sufficient （but not too much） water available has had significant impacts on the course of history。 Although the dust jacket describes the author as a physicist and climate scientist， in this book he presents a history of the world through focusing on mankind's attempts to control its water environment。 It is often refreshing to read history presented by non-historians， and Boccaletti's effort is no exception。 He relates a number of interesting facts and historical connections that are pertinent to the story of water， but not particularly relevant in a general history。 Although I remain a little skeptical about some of his water-related connections （Did drought in Russia really contribute to the Arab Spring？）， I am sure I will recall this book each time I pass a dam or canal。 。。。more
Donna Garcia
，
This reads like a high school term paper。 There seems to be a lot of sourced facts but they don't hang together And it isn't really about water its just a convenient theme on which to spew some weird political discourse。 we never find out about how the water was managed say Brazil Or Canada or Sweden all which have abundant water sources。 If you're looking for a book on the history of water Management this is not it。 This reads like a high school term paper。 There seems to be a lot of sourced facts but they don't hang together And it isn't really about water its just a convenient theme on which to spew some weird political discourse。 we never find out about how the water was managed say Brazil Or Canada or Sweden all which have abundant water sources。 If you're looking for a book on the history of water Management this is not it。 。。。more
Michele
，
Fact packed and fairly academic in tone。 Interesting overview of history as shaped by water， and perspective on what’s to come。 A lot to absorb。
Hana Lokey
，
Really a 2。5。 I as almost gave up on this several times。 I love water and geopolitical history， so I thought this would be great but it's dry and dense。 The author unnecessary details and the general style is rough。 That being said， there are some fascinating tidbits （like the Nazi's using floods to intentionally create a malarial zone as a form of biological warfare）， and the other all theme of the importance of water in shaping the world is hard to overstate。 I would recommend it only to a nic Really a 2。5。 I as almost gave up on this several times。 I love water and geopolitical history， so I thought this would be great but it's dry and dense。 The author unnecessary details and the general style is rough。 That being said， there are some fascinating tidbits （like the Nazi's using floods to intentionally create a malarial zone as a form of biological warfare）， and the other all theme of the importance of water in shaping the world is hard to overstate。 I would recommend it only to a niche group of people who will enjoy feats of water engineering and historical water trivia。 。。。more
Christopher Merck
，
Not entirely what I expected。。。it seemed more suited for a general historical survey class than a free reading book。 That being said， it was interesting to see how water has shaped history。 I did think this book excluded a good portion of the world （most of Africa， most of Asia， all of South America）， but it was still interesting to see water in the places it did cover。 If I had different expectations of the book， I may have enjoyed it more。
Heather
，
Deep and scholarlyAn intimidating cross between a textbook and a novel， this is a n extremely in-depth look at humanity and our history with water。
Jane
，
The first section of this was great。 As soon as I got to the section about politics I began drowning in jargon。 It's hard to get into it when I have to stop every other sentence to look up the meaning of a word。 Too bad the writing is so pretentious and inaccessible because the part I did finish （part 1， origins） was enjoyable and fascinating。 The first section of this was great。 As soon as I got to the section about politics I began drowning in jargon。 It's hard to get into it when I have to stop every other sentence to look up the meaning of a word。 Too bad the writing is so pretentious and inaccessible because the part I did finish （part 1， origins） was enjoyable and fascinating。 。。。more
Paula Harris
，
It was quite a history of water development and the development of civilization from BCE to the current era！ It gave me another perspective of how and why we are as a nation。。。。and how and why other countries grew and， in the end， declined。 More than money， water is truly the most precious of resources。
Kennedy！
，
It was okay。。。 this is just a high school "world history" textbook-- complete with the single chapter of lip service to "mandate of heaven" Ancient China and reams and reams of Greek and Roman fixation。 When I was a sophomore in high school I would've found this fascinating just by virtue of the fact that I had never been exposed to ANYTHING yet。 It's fine to follow the traditional western canon of obsessions and selective focus/blindness if that happens to be your niche， but don't pretend to be It was okay。。。 this is just a high school "world history" textbook-- complete with the single chapter of lip service to "mandate of heaven" Ancient China and reams and reams of Greek and Roman fixation。 When I was a sophomore in high school I would've found this fascinating just by virtue of the fact that I had never been exposed to ANYTHING yet。 It's fine to follow the traditional western canon of obsessions and selective focus/blindness if that happens to be your niche， but don't pretend to be comprehensive。 Just call it what it is。 Western empire fop material。 I love classical studies！ I read Anne Carson and Mary Beard religiously。 It's not "world history" if it only focuses on the Mediterranean until the establishment of the American empire， when it sharply switches lens to predictably， America as the center of the western canon。 Interesting enough from that angle， but far， far， far from inclusive and lightyears from comprehensive。 Additionally， similarly to a hastily written high school paper， the premise of the book didn't really seem to have much bearing on the actual content aside from the extremely repetitive introduction and "thesis" points of each section。 The rest of it was just， the typical laundry list of historical dates and figures and events without any angle or argument to be seen。 I suppose I was just expected "to be thinking about water" while I re-read my textbook。 。。。more
Paige
，
3。5
Kathleen
，
An interesting history of humans' relationship with water use and management。 An interesting history of humans' relationship with water use and management。 。。。more
BUG
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I read this entire book， and racked up library fines because almost immediately it became clear that this was a horribly misnamed book and simply a retelling of your average western civilization 101 class。 I wanted to be sure to see it through the end in case the author had something of merit to say。 He did not。 Well， except for one and a half pages of fascinating and depressingly scant information about the indegenious people of south American before the Europen led genocide destroyed their cul I read this entire book， and racked up library fines because almost immediately it became clear that this was a horribly misnamed book and simply a retelling of your average western civilization 101 class。 I wanted to be sure to see it through the end in case the author had something of merit to say。 He did not。 Well， except for one and a half pages of fascinating and depressingly scant information about the indegenious people of south American before the Europen led genocide destroyed their culture and knowledge。 Except for that bit of interesting information this book was largely a disappointment， And again， the title is so misleading！ I need to come back to this review to explain in better detail but for now I say that this is more a "biography" of CAPITALISM， it's a book about Western Civilization and the merits of capitalism， with an aside of how rivers and rain fall effected the origins of our *glorious* system of capitalism （via greece and later Rome） and how wealthy capitalist institutions continue to manipulate their access to rivers and rain。 。 。especially as it relates to hydroelectricity and river ports。 。 。also weather and climate and climate change is discussed。 。 。the author discusses climate changes through the ages of western history， and acknowledges the direness of our current climate crisis without spending much emphasis （any emphasis？） on the fact that our current climate disruption criss situation is human caused and could be averted。 With the last chapter gives a 2010 summery of all the floods of that year related to climate change。 TL/DR**********This book is a love letter to western civilization and CAPITALISM especially， with rain and rivers playing supporting roles at best。 This author put a lot of *selective* research into belaboring many narrow minded opinions。 Again， There was only a page in half of actual interesting information regarding the continent named South America。。 。other countries were only discussed in their relationship to western Europe （primarily the "radicals" of Eastern Europe and China） and sub saharan Africa and North America only in regards to colonialism。 This is hardly a biography of the Earths water， by any measure。 It's a biography of politics as viewed through a Western/ American lens。。 。*********************Complete waste of the late fees I racked up while slogging through this money grab of verbose claptrap。 Save yourself the trouble and borrow someone's old Western civilization textbook from highschool or undergrad。 Or find one at the library， because it will be just as informative and least clear about it's subject matter！ This is why academics get a bad name， one of my roommates dad was a history professor at an R1 university， and he once complained that his colleagues were simply trying to find new ways to say the same thing。 。 。i was a little to young to get it （and I was science major） but now I completely understand and feel that this is a real shame and missed opportunity。 。。。more
Sheikh Shafayat
，
The book is really good and my perspective on climate change， global geopolitics have been completely reshaped by this book。 Rating it 4 star instead of 5 because in the middle portion of the book， it kind of got dull and I had to drag along。 But that was only for few chapters， the rest of the book is excellent。
Pauline Quinn
，
I have always known water is life。 I really hadn't given any thought to the economic or political value of water。 When managed responsibly and strategically， water can also create great wealth and politic power。 This is an eye opening read about something most of us take for granted。 I have always known water is life。 I really hadn't given any thought to the economic or political value of water。 When managed responsibly and strategically， water can also create great wealth and politic power。 This is an eye opening read about something most of us take for granted。 。。。more
Jeannette
，
Some authors who write nonfiction books manage to bring a particular subject to life。 For example， the book on the Pacific by Simon Winchester。 His chapters followed his subtitle: Silicon Chips and Surfboards， Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs， Brutal Dictators， Fading Empires， and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers。 I loved that approach， using special subjects to illuminate something huge。 I also loved another one by a different author who wrote about the Atlantic by using historical and Some authors who write nonfiction books manage to bring a particular subject to life。 For example， the book on the Pacific by Simon Winchester。 His chapters followed his subtitle: Silicon Chips and Surfboards， Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs， Brutal Dictators， Fading Empires， and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers。 I loved that approach， using special subjects to illuminate something huge。 I also loved another one by a different author who wrote about the Atlantic by using historical and fascinating events。。 Also a book just on Salt。 Alas， this one on Water failed me。 It just didn't make an important substance interesting。 How could it not？ Water is so critical， so valuable， so fascinating in all its forms！ I was disappointed， bored， and ended skimming most the book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Water: A Biography
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Water: A Biography&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Water: A Biography&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0