Water

by John Knechtel (Editor), Isaac Applebaum (Contributor), Michael Cook (Contributor)

Writers and artists offer new perspectives on water, with writings and projects that touch on subjects ranging from new water infrastructures to the bliss of bathing. Water is the chemical matrix required for life, the molecular chain that connects all organisms on the planet. But in the twenty-first century, water may replace oil as the most prized of resources. Just as gas-guzzling SUVs use more than their share of fuel, water-guzzling regions threaten the water supply for the rest of the world. In Water , writers, scientists, architects, and artists consider the many aspects of water, at levels from the microscopic to the global, touching on subjects that range from new water infrastructures to ancient bathing rituals. Water includes a chemist's accounting of the true cost of water; photographs taken inside a city's secret waterways; an urban planner's description of how Toronto, New York, Hamburg, and Seoul have redesigned and rethought their waterfront areas; a conceptual artist's series of water bottles branded with various modern credos; photographs of a water-damaged ledger from the 1905 Yukon gold rush; two architects' rethinking of how to collect, divert, and transport water from water-rich to water-poor regions; a philosopher's invocation of the spiritual lessons of water; and photographs of a disturbingly beautiful flooded landscape.

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and stunning are these collections of essays, artwork, music, poetry, and engineering about water. Aren't people bodies of water? This question threw me into another dimension. If only this book were coffee table size. It is so small. I think any ecologist would love to own this book. I think everyone who wants to live and drink water on planet Earth would love these inspiring musings and exhortations from artists, designers, philosophers, and scientists.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alphabet City Books are a wonderful periodical that gathers several artists and authors to study one subject. In essence this is a microcosm of how academics view the subject and how that element is changing in our world. This is a great collection of fiction, non-fiction, poetic work and art. AWater is a quick reminder of how fragile our world is and how essential water is as a lifeblood and building block.

[Man Solo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad