Steven Solomon

As a citizen of a water " have" country (Canada), this is a book which everyone who cares about one of our most under rated natural resources should read. It is a very compelling story of the history of water and civilization. Those societies which were able to tame water for irrigation, or for trade or for agriculture were and are still the most successful. The book chronicles these civilizations through history to the present time and outlines those technologies which made fundamental changes to labour or Economics, such as the water wheel, the steam engine, the canal and the river dam. The ugly side of development is also discussed such as the depletion of massive aquifers in California and Asia, the Middle East as well as the mess leftover from poorly engineered massive dam projects. The geopolitics of water is a fascinating aspect of the book and gives one pause to consider where those who have squandered their water resources will end up in 2035. All of us should take better care of this most important natural resource and encourage our municipal governments to truly,manage and value water. I know I won't take my access to water for granted.… (mere)

I learned a lot from this book, and it has been an important source of inspiration, as I am in the process of making a career in the field of water engineering.

I loved the historical analysis, and particularly the theory of 'hydrological determinism' or how differing hydrological environments can foster different sorts of societies.

The latter parts of the book felt rushed and a touch confused. Nonetheless, much of value was brought to light (for me) regarding present-day water-related struggles.… (mere)