Synopses & Reviews
As any scientist will tell you, there is no substance more vital than water. Our history is necessarily a history
with water, whether we have irrigated our fields with it, cooled our machines, washed ourselves, drank it down deeply, or even worshipped it. In
Water, Veronic Strang ladles through the rich history of our interaction with water, offering an accessible examination of the crucial properties that make water so unique alongside the complex story of our evolving relationship with it.
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As Strang shows, our attitudes about water and the things that we rely on it for have changed dramatically over time. Once a mystical source of regenerative powers, it has since played various roles as our attitudes about hygiene, health, and disease have developed; as it has become useful to our industry; as agriculture has become ever more complex; and, of course, as we have learned to make money from it. Today waterand#151;who controls it, and howand#151;is one of the largest issues facing our society, influencing everything from the welfare of the billions of people living on earth to the vitality of its natural habitats. Balancing history, science, and environmental and cultural studies, Strang offers an important, multi-faceted view of a critical resource.and#160;
Synopsis
Since the beginning of time humans have always had a vital relationship with water. The earliest civilizations worshipped water, celebrating its regenerative powers. Later water became essential for irrigated agriculture, and eventually the industrial revolution. Humanityand#8217;s relationship with water has changed drastically through history, as contemporary societies have developed new ideas about disease, health, and hygiene in relation to water. Water has recently become an economic asset rather than a religious blessing, becoming privatized in many places. Humanityand#8217;s new relation with water has even sparked conflict, as well as creating devastating environmental problems, which have begun to threaten the health of humans and other species.
Veronica Strangand#8217;s Water: Nature and Culture digs into the rich history of human interaction with water, and is the first of its kind to give a comprehensive cultural view of water and history. Water: Nature and Culture is a unique account of water history, and the ways humans have interacted with water over time. The book provides a cultural view of water, as well as taking in social and ecological issues, and will appeal to all those interested in the environment and the state of the world today.
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About the Author
Veronica Strang is professor of social anthropology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is the author of many books, including What Anthropologists Do and Gardening the World.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Water on Earth
2. Living Water
3. Imaginary Water
4. Water Journeys
5. Redirections
6. The Power of Industry
7. Engineering Utopia
8. Water Pressure
Conclusion
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References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index