Water is 70% of the earth’s surface. You can drink it, wash with it, swim in it and find it underground by using a stick. It is the universal solvent, colorless, odorless and just right for tea and Tang. Here are a few more tributes to the glory of H2O.
Water edited by John Knechtel. In this handy almost pocket-sized volume, writers, scientists, artists and architects consider every aspect of water, from myth to infrastructure. From flooded landscapes to a water-damaged Yukon Gold Rush ledger – this small book has it all.
River of the West: a Chronicle of the Columbia. Robert Clark tells the story of the mighty Columbia through vignettes from native peoples, explorers, fishermen, artists and others who lived and dreamed along its banks. Roll on, Columbia!
Bottled and Sold: the Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water by Peter Gleick. Do you remember the first time you saw bottled water for sale, and thought how silly it was to pay for something that was free? Today water is big business. Americans buy 30 billion bottles a year and throw most of them away. Is it a scam? Is tap water still good?
Written in Water: Messages of Hope edited by Irena Salina and Flow: for the Love of Water DVD directed by Irena Salina. Forget oil – water is the most valuable resource of the 21st century. The book features essays from 25 conservationists who issue a call to action. In the DVD, Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of fresh water. As powerful and unforgettable as water itself.
Cadillac desert: the American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner. Almost 20 years old, Cadillac Desert remains the quintessential history of water resources in the West. An illuminating lesson in the political economy of limited resources anywhere.
Water: for Health, for Healing for Life: You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty Wow. Dr. Batmanghelidi calls on 20 years of clinical and scientific research to support his theory that drinking two quarts of plain water plus ½ teaspoon of salt daily can cure what ails you.
The Beginner’s Handbook of Dowsing by Joseph Baum. Leonardo daVinci believed it, and so did Albert Einstein. Not everyone has the gift of finding underground water sources, but it would be handy. Try your skill – use a freshly cut forked branch, get half a dozen buckets and fill just one with water. Cover the buckets, then see who can divine the full one. Party fun!
Musical tributes to water are legion (these selections were provided by Claire):
Moon River by Henry Mancini. This river doesn’t exist, but keep looking all the same.
Sugar Water by Cibo Matto. Sticky sweet.
Cry Me a River by Julie London. Dripping down from a barstool and out on the street.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Sunny and Her Joy Boys. A smooth rendition of this classic water tune.
Ellen F. and Claire ~ Central Library
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