Description: Freshwater shortages will affect 75% of the world's population by 2050. Mithen puts this crisis into context by exploring 10,000 years of water management. Thirst tells of civilizations defeated by the water challenge, and of technological ingenuity that sustained communities in hostile environments. Work with nature, not against it, he advises.
Brief description: Steven Mithen is Professor of Early Prehistory and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Reading.
Review Quotes: [Mithen] builds to a striking conclusion. Though we may think that the rise of complex social and economic networks enabled ancient cultures to manage their water, the reverse may well be true: only when a society had reliable access to water could it turn itself into an economic or cultural power.--Cornelia Dean "New York Times" (10/7/2013 12:00:00 AM)