Fresh Water

Amazon.com
It's a strange paradox: the earth's water supply is constantly growing, yet humankind--or so scientists now warn us--is facing a potentially catastrophic shortage of potable water in the next century. "Fresh water," writes Canadian scientist Pielou, "will turn out to be the factor that limits population growth," largely because so much of that growing supply is locked up in arctic ice or lies deep beneath the surface of the earth. In her thoughtful survey of the physics and chemistry of water, Pielou introduces readers to such concepts as the water cycle, in which rainwater becomes groundwater and eventually returns to the sky from whence it came; examines the economics of water surpluses and deficits in the natural world; and studies the formation and behavior of rivers and lakes, among many other topics. Building more dams, she warns, is no solution to the impending water crisis: "Channelization and diversion both have the effect of increasing a river's rate of discharge (equivalently, speeding its flow), which may be as undesirable as decreasing the discharge (slowing the flow)." Her thoroughly interesting natural history of fresh water in all its forms makes for a fine introduction to hydrology and for a solid contribution to environmental literacy. --Gregory McNamee


From Library Journal
Our planet is composed primarily of water, much of which is the ocean and not the subject of this book. Naturalist Pielou (A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic, LJ 11/1/94) concentrates on fresh water (usable by humans), which is a much smaller resource. Pielou describes the natural history of fresh water?where it comes from, where it goes, and how it moves under and over the earth and into the atmosphere. Even though scientists now believe that water is being added to our environment by "snowball" comets entering our atmosphere, the world's supply of fresh water is dwindling?and a shortage of usable fresh water ultimately limits population growth. Pielou's book would make an excellent textbook for any college class studying water. However, while the text is highly informative, it will not appeal to the average reader because of its technical nature. Recommended for academic libraries only.?Gloria Maxwell, Kansas City P.L., KSCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Acute observation and a fluid writing style characterize this detailed, but not overly technical description of the hydrological cycle. An attractive aspect of Pielou's presentation is her encouragement to the reader to copy her observational techniques, for example, wading into a stream to measure its flow and carefully watching the water in order to understand a landscape's shape. Her chapters correspond to where fresh water accumulates: underground, in streams and rivers, in wetlands, in lakes natural and artificial, and in clouds. She explains particularly well water's unusual chemical properties--its surface tension as a liquid, its expansion as a solid--that influence the depth of the water table, or how a lake freezes. Numerous line drawings help readers understand particular hydraulic situations; the text's calmness elicits concern for how civilization uses this limited resource, whether drilling for it or damming it up. A rare resource itself, Pielou's soft-sell presentation will probably sensitize more people to the cause of water conservation than hectoring tracts from environmental advocacy groups. Gilbert Taylor


From Kirkus Reviews
A crystal-clear introduction to the physics, character, and exquisite grace of fresh water, from naturalist Pielou (After the Ice Age, not reviewed). Fresh waterwithout which there would be no human lifeis a paltry 2.6 percent of Earth's total water, and then only 30 percent of that is in cycle, shapeshifting through rain and snow to stream and aquifer, evaporating, falling, flowing. Pielou endeavors to bring the natural history of fresh water to life, and she does so admirably. Her book takes its broad circularity from the water cycle, starting with how groundwater gets underground, what it is doing down there, how it surfaces (including her nifty conceit that we are all walking on water). She moves on to stream morphology and how rivers shape the land and why they course rather than sink; the where and why of lakes and their watery architecture; and the hydrological, ecological, and biological wonder worlds of wetlandsstring bogs, ribbed fens, wet meadows, prairie sloughs (``as always with wetlands, there's no shortage of names''). She explores the mechanics of ice and the dynamics of autumn freeze and spring breakup; the circumstantial advantagesand disadvantagesof reservoirs, dams, and diversion projects. Thence she returns to the atmospherevapor, clouds, fogboth closing and restarting the cycle. There is a satisfyingly vast amount of detail in these pages, and Pielou never shies from scientific and technical explanations, but she knows how to coax the art out of potential evapotranspiration = precipitation + withdrawal + deficit with a poet's economy of means, carefully sprinkling hydrology's word-songs for effect. There is also much here for gardeners, who will appreciate an understanding of wilting points and moisture budgets. Pielou writes with clarity and a feel for words, and her affection for the subject at hand is immediately and infectiously communicated to readers. (81 b&w illustrations) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


From Book News, Inc.
Presents a natural history of fresh water, exploring the science and wonder of water in a narrative, jargon-free fashion. Describes fresh water in all its forms, with chapters on the water cycle, groundwater, flowing water, ice and snow, dams, wetlands, and microscopic life. Includes hand-drawn b&w diagrams. For students and general readers. Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR


New Scientist, Fred Pearce
...a wonderful natural history of one of life's necessities, a refreshing break from grand theory and special pleading of many a science book.


Book Description
With the eye of a professional scientist and the passion of a dedicated amateur, E. C. Pielou conducts a guided tour of fresh water on its course through the natural world. As the world's supply of clean, fresh water continues to dwindle, it becomes increasingly important to understand the close connection between water and all forms of life. Pielou's fascination with fresh water gives us a "natural history" that is remarkable and surprising.

"[A] keen and detailed look at the life and history of fresh water. . . . Dip into Fresh Water. It will both stimulate and satisfy as only good natural history can."--Toronto Globe and Mail

"Pielou's ease with her subject and her no-nonsense style of writing will satisfy and inspire the poet as well as the naturalist."--Denize Springer, Express Books

"[Pielou's] writing is didactic and definitive, in places even charming, and is buttressed by clear illustrations. . . . A welcome addition to the genre of literature designed to bridge the gap between scientists . . . and the intelligent and concerned lay public."--Daniel Hillel, Nature

"A wonderful natural history of one of life's necessities, a refreshing break from the grand theory and special pleading of many a science book. . . . Read it."--Fred Pearce, New Scientist




Card catalog description
With the precision of the professional scientist and the passion of the dedicated amateur, E. C. Pielou conducts a guided tour of fresh water on its course through the natural world. When rain sinks into the ground, how far and fast does it flow underground, and where does it return to the surface? How quickly does water evaporate from lakes and forests to create clouds? What happens when lakes and streams freeze? Does fresh water become naturally contaminated? Pielou's fascination with fresh water gives us a "natural history" that is as remarkable and surprising as the lives of plants and animals.


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