From the Yangtze to the Yellow River, China is traversed by great waterways, which have defined its politics and ways of life for centuries. Water has been so integral to China's culture, economy, and growth and development that it provides a window on the whole sweep of Chinese history. In The Water Kingdom, renowned writer Philip Ball opens that window to offer an epic and powerful new way of thinking about Chinese civilization. Water, Ball shows,...

Explores the origins, history, and pervasiveness of water, discussing its forms, its existence on other planets,and its capabilities; and looks at the state of natural water resources and the possibility of a water shortage in the twenty-first century.