When I agreed to review this book, I wondered what topics it would cover. Would it be physics and chemistry, for water is an unusual substance? Maybe biology and geography for it so greatly influences the existence of life and the physical geology of the planet. It could be politics and economics. This interesting book covers all these and much more: water in religion and folklore, water in arts and literature, sports, and engineering. Brief biographies are given of people involved with water science, the water environment and water supply. There are 236 entries with extensive cross‐referencing and “see” directions, and a full index. Most of the articles have further reading suggestions which may include Web sites. Where entries refer to organizations contact details are given. There are a few pictures and a good number of diagrams, and a few chemical and mathematical formulae.
What this book lacks is tabulated data, and the author suggests using it in conjunction with Van der Leeden (1990) which, he tells us, is packed with table graphs and charts. In a book of such wide coverage, and so many surprising but relevant entries, it should be difficult to find gaps, but I have managed to find one. There is no section on sewers and sewage treatment, a gap I found in another book I reviewed recently. The problem with sewers is no one thinks about them until something goes wrong. My other suggestion is that the section “Water and music” should have mentioned Hamburger Ebb und Flut by G.P. Telemann that actually depicts the river under various conditions of weather and tides.
I found the entries well written, understandable and accurate. The book is the work of an American and produced by a US publisher which leads to some bias in the selection of examples and pictures, and more specifically in the selection of people given biographical accounts. Despite this, I did enjoy reviewing this book. I learnt much of interest as I read a selected sample of entries, and have been entertained and amused by the items that caught my eye and were read outside the sample. The encylopedia is an ideal school and public library reference book. It has so many starting points for projects and essays, interesting facts and good explanations that it will be well used. For interdisciplinary studies and for areas like public understanding of science and the training of subject specialist teachers, this book will also be of use in higher and further education.
