The best introductory text available, 14 Sep 2005
I bought this book in a fit of panic during my finals - the lectureres notes were apalling and incomplete and the recommended text - Evans - was a rambling out of date illogical mess...

This book though is a fantastic introduction to ore deposit geology. Readable, interesting, thorough and up to date. Brilliant explanation of lateritic ores and very good for metallic ores, VMS. etc. Enough detail for more advanced readers and experienced geologists as well.

It helped me pass with a top grade despite Jens' ( some of you will know who I mean...) best efforts to confuse us - what more do you want?

The best introductory text available, 14 Sep 2005
I bought this book in a fit of panic during my finals - the lectureres notes were apalling and incomplete and the recommended text - Evans - was a rambling out of date illogical mess...

This book though is a fantastic introduction to ore deposit geology. Readable, interesting, thorough and up to date. Brilliant explanation of lateritic ores and very good for metallic ores, VMS. etc. Enough detail for more advanced readers and experienced geologists as well.

It helped me pass with a top grade despite Jens' ( some of you will know who I mean...) best efforts to confuse us - what more do you want?

A very dry take on water, 13 Sep 2008
Really very good. From the lower reaches of Manhattan to the parched deserts of central africa, Wright takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the very substance that makes the world work. Unlike many of its ilk this effort is neither too trite nor too learned, but strikes just the right balance of entertainment and information. Moreover despite the arch worldview Wright clearly both cares about and understands his subject, and this makes for a compelling read. I liked it a lot.

Water,water everywhere..., 09 Aug 2008
Take me to the source

With that engaging mixture of humour and erudition that one has come to expect from the author, Rupert Wright in his latest book covers the subject of water in all its aspects from ancient Rome to modern Manhattan.in an encyclopaedic journey through the byways of history, literature, engineering, and art relating to water.

For those who live in developed countries water is something that comes out of a tap with which we cook, wash, and slake our thirst. On the odd occasion when it is cut off, it is an inconvenience. In many parts of the world it has to be fetched from a well many kilometres away, and then it may be so impure that it can easily kill you. According to the United Nations water is the biggest killer of children in the world. Life on earth would be impossible without it and yet it receives very little attention on a day-to-day basis except when or where there is an abundance or a lack of it.

The author sets out to rectify this neglect, meeting on the way "Dr.Water", the Bishop of Barra in Brazil who went on hunger strike to save a river, and visiting the huge tunnel project to bring additional supplies of water to Manhattan, the bar in Paris where they serve nothing but water, a World Bank conference on water in Washington, and rafting down the Nile.

"Take me to the source" will surely become a cult book like "Haunts of the Black Masseur" by Charles Sprawson, so much admired by the author.


Everything you ever wanted to know about water, but ...., 27 Jul 2008
This is a serious and ambitious book that anyone with a personal, professional or poetic interest in the most important substance on our planet should read. Like a good Haiku, the Universal relationship between Man and water is revealed through the microcosm of a personal search for the underground flows supplying Rupert's swimming pool. Along the way, the science, history, economics, literature, spirituality, engineering and, above all, the politics of water are explored and, when necessary, debunked. It's an eclectic journey upstream to the source of white water, white elephants and white lies. The Bible, the Koran and the search for extraterrestrial life each have their water stories told. We find out why water is coloured blue and why the Carcassonne firemen once put out fires with wine rather than water. We meet World Bank technocrats and the Brazilian Bishop prepared to lay down his life for the river he loves. Does it matter if water is public or private? Will the next wars be fought over water? No slick answers here, just a journalist's eye for humbug and procrastination. This is a book you can dip into to discover unexpected facts or you can let yourself go with the flow from cover-to-cover and emerge a little less wet behind the ears. There really is more to water than something to dilute your whisky with.

Billed as "A Biography of Water", Life's Matrix would seem to have taken a nearly insurmountable challenge. Yet author Philip Ball, science writer and consulting editor for Nature, covers the very interesting chemistry and physics of the substance and our species' long relationship with it without losing the reader--after all, each of us is mostly made of the wet stuff. From the ancients' conception of water as an element, recognising its importance and primacy among terrestrial matter, to our current understanding of the intricate dance of hydrogen bonds that give water its unique, life-giving properties, Ball always finds the right angle to keep the story compelling. Chapters covering the nuts and bolts of water, which the reader might reasonably expect to be a bit dry, consistently remind us of its crucial role in so many aspects of our lives, from ocean currents to irrigation to tears. Some of the cutting-edge scientific reports are weirdly fascinating--the discovery of several different conformations of liquid and solid water and their odd behaviour will provoke plenty of brow-furrowing, even if none of us will ever find ice-nine cubes in our cocktails at happy hour. The book closes with the now-obligatory look at what a mess we've made of the book's subject when seen as a natural resource and potential short and long-term solutions. Facing these issues is vital if we want to remember "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink" as great poetry rather than apocalyptic prophecy. --Rob Lightner

The best introductory text available, 14 Sep 2005
I bought this book in a fit of panic during my finals - the lectureres notes were apalling and incomplete and the recommended text - Evans - was a rambling out of date illogical mess...

This book though is a fantastic introduction to ore deposit geology. Readable, interesting, thorough and up to date. Brilliant explanation of lateritic ores and very good for metallic ores, VMS. etc. Enough detail for more advanced readers and experienced geologists as well.

It helped me pass with a top grade despite Jens' ( some of you will know who I mean...) best efforts to confuse us - what more do you want?

A very dry take on water, 13 Sep 2008
Really very good. From the lower reaches of Manhattan to the parched deserts of central africa, Wright takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the very substance that makes the world work. Unlike many of its ilk this effort is neither too trite nor too learned, but strikes just the right balance of entertainment and information. Moreover despite the arch worldview Wright clearly both cares about and understands his subject, and this makes for a compelling read. I liked it a lot.

Water,water everywhere..., 09 Aug 2008
Take me to the source

With that engaging mixture of humour and erudition that one has come to expect from the author, Rupert Wright in his latest book covers the subject of water in all its aspects from ancient Rome to modern Manhattan.in an encyclopaedic journey through the byways of history, literature, engineering, and art relating to water.

For those who live in developed countries water is something that comes out of a tap with which we cook, wash, and slake our thirst. On the odd occasion when it is cut off, it is an inconvenience. In many parts of the world it has to be fetched from a well many kilometres away, and then it may be so impure that it can easily kill you. According to the United Nations water is the biggest killer of children in the world. Life on earth would be impossible without it and yet it receives very little attention on a day-to-day basis except when or where there is an abundance or a lack of it.

The author sets out to rectify this neglect, meeting on the way "Dr.Water", the Bishop of Barra in Brazil who went on hunger strike to save a river, and visiting the huge tunnel project to bring additional supplies of water to Manhattan, the bar in Paris where they serve nothing but water, a World Bank conference on water in Washington, and rafting down the Nile.

"Take me to the source" will surely become a cult book like "Haunts of the Black Masseur" by Charles Sprawson, so much admired by the author.


Everything you ever wanted to know about water, but ...., 27 Jul 2008
This is a serious and ambitious book that anyone with a personal, professional or poetic interest in the most important substance on our planet should read. Like a good Haiku, the Universal relationship between Man and water is revealed through the microcosm of a personal search for the underground flows supplying Rupert's swimming pool. Along the way, the science, history, economics, literature, spirituality, engineering and, above all, the politics of water are explored and, when necessary, debunked. It's an eclectic journey upstream to the source of white water, white elephants and white lies. The Bible, the Koran and the search for extraterrestrial life each have their water stories told. We find out why water is coloured blue and why the Carcassonne firemen once put out fires with wine rather than water. We meet World Bank technocrats and the Brazilian Bishop prepared to lay down his life for the river he loves. Does it matter if water is public or private? Will the next wars be fought over water? No slick answers here, just a journalist's eye for humbug and procrastination. This is a book you can dip into to discover unexpected facts or you can let yourself go with the flow from cover-to-cover and emerge a little less wet behind the ears. There really is more to water than something to dilute your whisky with.

The water of life, or the life of water?, 25 May 2007
For me, this volume has three distinct parts which are quite different, like the proverbial curate's egg - good in parts. The overall recommendation would be "read it", and in doing so, you will learn something new about water, the most basic of commodities, and yet at the same time the most precious.

First there are pages on the physical properties of the substance. This also encompasses the chemical properties, and the wonderful story of the discovery of oxygen, with the colourful figures of Cavendish, Priestley and finally Lavoisier. It is one of the quirks of the history of science that what Ball describes as a lonely chemist (Jean Marat) was responsible for sending a prized savant to a death embraced by Madame La Guillotine "because the Republic has no use for savants".

Amongst this part there are facts and figures that remind readers of the wonders of nature, and how "lucky" we are that there is such an abundance of both water, and variety of life forms on our green planet. Three quarters of the world's fresh water is held as ice, yet this comprises only 2% of the Earth's surface water, because of the enormity of the oceans. It is also astonishing that ice has 20 to 30 times less frictional resistance than other solids. Ball brings a sense of wonder and excitement at the natural history all around us, describing how fish and frogs survive at extremely low temperatures (some frogs even freezing), and how plants adapt to cold. The production of abcisic acid in autumn can mean that some plants can survive down to -30º Celsius, yet would have been killed-off by only 0º Celsius months earlier.

The middle part of the book for me was the most challenging, describing in detail how water is joined together by hydrogen bonds. There WERE better sections to this portion, but it was at times hard going, and to have a section that can be described as DRY in a book about water is ironic. That said, it was a revelation that ice can exist in many different forms, including where the temperature is at 100 º Celsius (albeit at very great pressure). There are also philosophical questions about water: if water is the medium in which life began, the fact that water has a destructive impact on amino acids is a problem.

The final part is the most interesting, discussing the nature of what constitutes `good' and `bad' science, whilst discussing ultimately erroneous (as at the current tine) theories in the broad area of water. Ball is at pain not to use the judgemental terms `good' and `bad', but that is what he is describing. His refusal to use these terms is thus rather artificial. He makes the point that science derives much of its formidable strength from the ability to make and live with mistakes. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage mistakes, if they lead in the direction of greater knowledge. He quotes John Madox's view that in science, the concept of heresy is meaningless. Heresy is an opinion contrary to generally accepted beliefs. Therefore, most scientific revolutions start with heresy. However if there are extreme claims, these require extreme evidence. This was the stance taken by `Nature' (of which John Madox was the editor) when faced by one of these possible scientific explanations (cold nuclear fusion - the others being anomalous water, and the idea that `water has memory')

The subject of `water' seems to be a small subject, yet Ball has written a wide-ranging work. It is not a book to go for to get answers, more to go to when you want questions. Along the way there are good side-discussions (including homeopathy, water conservation, global warming and possible future water wars). I am left with a better understanding of what science is (a battle between conservatism, or scepticism of new ideas, and innovation). Let us conclude with the sentiments of Ball: Only a fool would deny that water would hold [as yet] unguessed secrets and wonders in its molecular structure. But it is not so magical so as to escape the laws of physics.

Peter Morgan, Bath, UK (morganp@supanet.com)


Oh My God..., 27 Aug 2006
Editor of Nature or not; This reminds more about a speaker in a Victorian hall - with his top hat at his side - trying to impress his audience with his prose instead of telling a good story. Each second sentence seems to exist only as an initiator to the next one: Only to impress together as an art. - One starts the book expecting to get a really good read, and expects this flowery speach to soon end. ...Then one starts to lift an eyebrow, and starts to read half a sentence in the middle of each paragraph. Then one jumps three pages per jump, so ten, then thirty... And it just goes on and on and on... And the "introductory" sentence(s) never ends. Perhaps there is something readable at the end? I don't have the stomach to read it yet; the style is so firmly set. - The author should have praise for using very short sentences in between. Of the kind a good fiction writer uses a couple of times throughout a novel. I guess that this is a positive result of the author's very high education. But one tires of eating 'chocolate' all the time. - I wonder just how much "lay"-man one should be to read this? Perhaps a very special breed from art school? - For a very good read, perhaps one should try "The Shocking History of Phosphorous" by John Emsley instead?

An interesting read covering many aspects of water, 06 Dec 2000
Philip Ball takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the science of water, written in an easily readable style for the lay person. Topics covered range from the physical structure and properties of water through to the crucial roll of water in life, evolution, and a discussion of the 'strange' forms of water, covering chemistry, biology, physics, geology, weather etc. in a thoroughly enjoyable read. One possible criticism is that the book at times appears to jump around between topics. The book ends with a fascinating account of scientific deception and fraud, centered around the stories of cold fusion. An extremely interesting book for anyone with any curiousity about the substance that makes up over 90% of their own body weight and covers much of this planets surface - as well as possible the interiors of others - another topic discussed in some detail.

The best introductory text available, 14 Sep 2005
I bought this book in a fit of panic during my finals - the lectureres notes were apalling and incomplete and the recommended text - Evans - was a rambling out of date illogical mess...

This book though is a fantastic introduction to ore deposit geology. Readable, interesting, thorough and up to date. Brilliant explanation of lateritic ores and very good for metallic ores, VMS. etc. Enough detail for more advanced readers and experienced geologists as well.

It helped me pass with a top grade despite Jens' ( some of you will know who I mean...) best efforts to confuse us - what more do you want?

A very dry take on water, 13 Sep 2008
Really very good. From the lower reaches of Manhattan to the parched deserts of central africa, Wright takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the very substance that makes the world work. Unlike many of its ilk this effort is neither too trite nor too learned, but strikes just the right balance of entertainment and information. Moreover despite the arch worldview Wright clearly both cares about and understands his subject, and this makes for a compelling read. I liked it a lot.

Water,water everywhere..., 09 Aug 2008
Take me to the source

With that engaging mixture of humour and erudition that one has come to expect from the author, Rupert Wright in his latest book covers the subject of water in all its aspects from ancient Rome to modern Manhattan.in an encyclopaedic journey through the byways of history, literature, engineering, and art relating to water.

For those who live in developed countries water is something that comes out of a tap with which we cook, wash, and slake our thirst. On the odd occasion when it is cut off, it is an inconvenience. In many parts of the world it has to be fetched from a well many kilometres away, and then it may be so impure that it can easily kill you. According to the United Nations water is the biggest killer of children in the world. Life on earth would be impossible without it and yet it receives very little attention on a day-to-day basis except when or where there is an abundance or a lack of it.

The author sets out to rectify this neglect, meeting on the way "Dr.Water", the Bishop of Barra in Brazil who went on hunger strike to save a river, and visiting the huge tunnel project to bring additional supplies of water to Manhattan, the bar in Paris where they serve nothing but water, a World Bank conference on water in Washington, and rafting down the Nile.

"Take me to the source" will surely become a cult book like "Haunts of the Black Masseur" by Charles Sprawson, so much admired by the author.


Everything you ever wanted to know about water, but ...., 27 Jul 2008
This is a serious and ambitious book that anyone with a personal, professional or poetic interest in the most important substance on our planet should read. Like a good Haiku, the Universal relationship between Man and water is revealed through the microcosm of a personal search for the underground flows supplying Rupert's swimming pool. Along the way, the science, history, economics, literature, spirituality, engineering and, above all, the politics of water are explored and, when necessary, debunked. It's an eclectic journey upstream to the source of white water, white elephants and white lies. The Bible, the Koran and the search for extraterrestrial life each have their water stories told. We find out why water is coloured blue and why the Carcassonne firemen once put out fires with wine rather than water. We meet World Bank technocrats and the Brazilian Bishop prepared to lay down his life for the river he loves. Does it matter if water is public or private? Will the next wars be fought over water? No slick answers here, just a journalist's eye for humbug and procrastination. This is a book you can dip into to discover unexpected facts or you can let yourself go with the flow from cover-to-cover and emerge a little less wet behind the ears. There really is more to water than something to dilute your whisky with.

The water of life, or the life of water?, 25 May 2007
For me, this volume has three distinct parts which are quite different, like the proverbial curate's egg - good in parts. The overall recommendation would be "read it", and in doing so, you will learn something new about water, the most basic of commodities, and yet at the same time the most precious.

First there are pages on the physical properties of the substance. This also encompasses the chemical properties, and the wonderful story of the discovery of oxygen, with the colourful figures of Cavendish, Priestley and finally Lavoisier. It is one of the quirks of the history of science that what Ball describes as a lonely chemist (Jean Marat) was responsible for sending a prized savant to a death embraced by Madame La Guillotine "because the Republic has no use for savants".

Amongst this part there are facts and figures that remind readers of the wonders of nature, and how "lucky" we are that there is such an abundance of both water, and variety of life forms on our green planet. Three quarters of the world's fresh water is held as ice, yet this comprises only 2% of the Earth's surface water, because of the enormity of the oceans. It is also astonishing that ice has 20 to 30 times less frictional resistance than other solids. Ball brings a sense of wonder and excitement at the natural history all around us, describing how fish and frogs survive at extremely low temperatures (some frogs even freezing), and how plants adapt to cold. The production of abcisic acid in autumn can mean that some plants can survive down to -30º Celsius, yet would have been killed-off by only 0º Celsius months earlier.

The middle part of the book for me was the most challenging, describing in detail how water is joined together by hydrogen bonds. There WERE better sections to this portion, but it was at times hard going, and to have a section that can be described as DRY in a book about water is ironic. That said, it was a revelation that ice can exist in many different forms, including where the temperature is at 100 º Celsius (albeit at very great pressure). There are also philosophical questions about water: if water is the medium in which life began, the fact that water has a destructive impact on amino acids is a problem.

The final part is the most interesting, discussing the nature of what constitutes `good' and `bad' science, whilst discussing ultimately erroneous (as at the current tine) theories in the broad area of water. Ball is at pain not to use the judgemental terms `good' and `bad', but that is what he is describing. His refusal to use these terms is thus rather artificial. He makes the point that science derives much of its formidable strength from the ability to make and live with mistakes. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage mistakes, if they lead in the direction of greater knowledge. He quotes John Madox's view that in science, the concept of heresy is meaningless. Heresy is an opinion contrary to generally accepted beliefs. Therefore, most scientific revolutions start with heresy. However if there are extreme claims, these require extreme evidence. This was the stance taken by `Nature' (of which John Madox was the editor) when faced by one of these possible scientific explanations (cold nuclear fusion - the others being anomalous water, and the idea that `water has memory')

The subject of `water' seems to be a small subject, yet Ball has written a wide-ranging work. It is not a book to go for to get answers, more to go to when you want questions. Along the way there are good side-discussions (including homeopathy, water conservation, global warming and possible future water wars). I am left with a better understanding of what science is (a battle between conservatism, or scepticism of new ideas, and innovation). Let us conclude with the sentiments of Ball: Only a fool would deny that water would hold [as yet] unguessed secrets and wonders in its molecular structure. But it is not so magical so as to escape the laws of physics.

Peter Morgan, Bath, UK (morganp@supanet.com)


Oh My God..., 27 Aug 2006
Editor of Nature or not; This reminds more about a speaker in a Victorian hall - with his top hat at his side - trying to impress his audience with his prose instead of telling a good story. Each second sentence seems to exist only as an initiator to the next one: Only to impress together as an art. - One starts the book expecting to get a really good read, and expects this flowery speach to soon end. ...Then one starts to lift an eyebrow, and starts to read half a sentence in the middle of each paragraph. Then one jumps three pages per jump, so ten, then thirty... And it just goes on and on and on... And the "introductory" sentence(s) never ends. Perhaps there is something readable at the end? I don't have the stomach to read it yet; the style is so firmly set. - The author should have praise for using very short sentences in between. Of the kind a good fiction writer uses a couple of times throughout a novel. I guess that this is a positive result of the author's very high education. But one tires of eating 'chocolate' all the time. - I wonder just how much "lay"-man one should be to read this? Perhaps a very special breed from art school? - For a very good read, perhaps one should try "The Shocking History of Phosphorous" by John Emsley instead?

An interesting read covering many aspects of water, 06 Dec 2000
Philip Ball takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the science of water, written in an easily readable style for the lay person. Topics covered range from the physical structure and properties of water through to the crucial roll of water in life, evolution, and a discussion of the 'strange' forms of water, covering chemistry, biology, physics, geology, weather etc. in a thoroughly enjoyable read. One possible criticism is that the book at times appears to jump around between topics. The book ends with a fascinating account of scientific deception and fraud, centered around the stories of cold fusion. An extremely interesting book for anyone with any curiousity about the substance that makes up over 90% of their own body weight and covers much of this planets surface - as well as possible the interiors of others - another topic discussed in some detail.

not what you might expect, 17 Jul 2008
This book does not live up to its title - for anyone expecting a Coal version of Yergins "Prize" or Kurlansky's "Salt" or "Cod" they will be sorely dissappointed. This is a book which appears to have been written to suit the authors green ideals and not to map the history of coal.

A Well Written Book on an Unusual Subject., 20 Nov 2005
This book concentrates on the impact of coal on human history and development, written by an impartial observer (an assistant attorney-general of Minnesota who began to research the impact of coal for her job). It was a real eye-opener, and illustrated that the pollution of the environment started a long time before the Industrial Revolution. A fantastic piece of social history. Highly recommended.

The best introductory text available, 14 Sep 2005
I bought this book in a fit of panic during my finals - the lectureres notes were apalling and incomplete and the recommended text - Evans - was a rambling out of date illogical mess...

This book though is a fantastic introduction to ore deposit geology. Readable, interesting, thorough and up to date. Brilliant explanation of lateritic ores and very good for metallic ores, VMS. etc. Enough detail for more advanced readers and experienced geologists as well.

It helped me pass with a top grade despite Jens' ( some of you will know who I mean...) best efforts to confuse us - what more do you want?

A very dry take on water, 13 Sep 2008
Really very good. From the lower reaches of Manhattan to the parched deserts of central africa, Wright takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the very substance that makes the world work. Unlike many of its ilk this effort is neither too trite nor too learned, but strikes just the right balance of entertainment and information. Moreover despite the arch worldview Wright clearly both cares about and understands his subject, and this makes for a compelling read. I liked it a lot.

Water,water everywhere..., 09 Aug 2008
Take me to the source

With that engaging mixture of humour and erudition that one has come to expect from the author, Rupert Wright in his latest book covers the subject of water in all its aspects from ancient Rome to modern Manhattan.in an encyclopaedic journey through the byways of history, literature, engineering, and art relating to water.

For those who live in developed countries water is something that comes out of a tap with which we cook, wash, and slake our thirst. On the odd occasion when it is cut off, it is an inconvenience. In many parts of the world it has to be fetched from a well many kilometres away, and then it may be so impure that it can easily kill you. According to the United Nations water is the biggest killer of children in the world. Life on earth would be impossible without it and yet it receives very little attention on a day-to-day basis except when or where there is an abundance or a lack of it.

The author sets out to rectify this neglect, meeting on the way "Dr.Water", the Bishop of Barra in Brazil who went on hunger strike to save a river, and visiting the huge tunnel project to bring additional supplies of water to Manhattan, the bar in Paris where they serve nothing but water, a World Bank conference on water in Washington, and rafting down the Nile.

"Take me to the source" will surely become a cult book like "Haunts of the Black Masseur" by Charles Sprawson, so much admired by the author.


Everything you ever wanted to know about water, but ...., 27 Jul 2008
This is a serious and ambitious book that anyone with a personal, professional or poetic interest in the most important substance on our planet should read. Like a good Haiku, the Universal relationship between Man and water is revealed through the microcosm of a personal search for the underground flows supplying Rupert's swimming pool. Along the way, the science, history, economics, literature, spirituality, engineering and, above all, the politics of water are explored and, when necessary, debunked. It's an eclectic journey upstream to the source of white water, white elephants and white lies. The Bible, the Koran and the search for extraterrestrial life each have their water stories told. We find out why water is coloured blue and why the Carcassonne firemen once put out fires with wine rather than water. We meet World Bank technocrats and the Brazilian Bishop prepared to lay down his life for the river he loves. Does it matter if water is public or private? Will the next wars be fought over water? No slick answers here, just a journalist's eye for humbug and procrastination. This is a book you can dip into to discover unexpected facts or you can let yourself go with the flow from cover-to-cover and emerge a little less wet behind the ears. There really is more to water than something to dilute your whisky with.

The water of life, or the life of water?, 25 May 2007
For me, this volume has three distinct parts which are quite different, like the proverbial curate's egg - good in parts. The overall recommendation would be "read it", and in doing so, you will learn something new about water, the most basic of commodities, and yet at the same time the most precious.

First there are pages on the physical properties of the substance. This also encompasses the chemical properties, and the wonderful story of the discovery of oxygen, with the colourful figures of Cavendish, Priestley and finally Lavoisier. It is one of the quirks of the history of science that what Ball describes as a lonely chemist (Jean Marat) was responsible for sending a prized savant to a death embraced by Madame La Guillotine "because the Republic has no use for savants".

Amongst this part there are facts and figures that remind readers of the wonders of nature, and how "lucky" we are that there is such an abundance of both water, and variety of life forms on our green planet. Three quarters of the world's fresh water is held as ice, yet this comprises only 2% of the Earth's surface water, because of the enormity of the oceans. It is also astonishing that ice has 20 to 30 times less frictional resistance than other solids. Ball brings a sense of wonder and excitement at the natural history all around us, describing how fish and frogs survive at extremely low temperatures (some frogs even freezing), and how plants adapt to cold. The production of abcisic acid in autumn can mean that some plants can survive down to -30º Celsius, yet would have been killed-off by only 0º Celsius months earlier.

The middle part of the book for me was the most challenging, describing in detail how water is joined together by hydrogen bonds. There WERE better sections to this portion, but it was at times hard going, and to have a section that can be described as DRY in a book about water is ironic. That said, it was a revelation that ice can exist in many different forms, including where the temperature is at 100 º Celsius (albeit at very great pressure). There are also philosophical questions about water: if water is the medium in which life began, the fact that water has a destructive impact on amino acids is a problem.

The final part is the most interesting, discussing the nature of what constitutes `good' and `bad' science, whilst discussing ultimately erroneous (as at the current tine) theories in the broad area of water. Ball is at pain not to use the judgemental terms `good' and `bad', but that is what he is describing. His refusal to use these terms is thus rather artificial. He makes the point that science derives much of its formidable strength from the ability to make and live with mistakes. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage mistakes, if they lead in the direction of greater knowledge. He quotes John Madox's view that in science, the concept of heresy is meaningless. Heresy is an opinion contrary to generally accepted beliefs. Therefore, most scientific revolutions start with heresy. However if there are extreme claims, these require extreme evidence. This was the stance taken by `Nature' (of which John Madox was the editor) when faced by one of these possible scientific explanations (cold nuclear fusion - the others being anomalous water, and the idea that `water has memory')

The subject of `water' seems to be a small subject, yet Ball has written a wide-ranging work. It is not a book to go for to get answers, more to go to when you want questions. Along the way there are good side-discussions (including homeopathy, water conservation, global warming and possible future water wars). I am left with a better understanding of what science is (a battle between conservatism, or scepticism of new ideas, and innovation). Let us conclude with the sentiments of Ball: Only a fool would deny that water would hold [as yet] unguessed secrets and wonders in its molecular structure. But it is not so magical so as to escape the laws of physics.

Peter Morgan, Bath, UK (morganp@supanet.com)


Oh My God..., 27 Aug 2006
Editor of Nature or not; This reminds more about a speaker in a Victorian hall - with his top hat at his side - trying to impress his audience with his prose instead of telling a good story. Each second sentence seems to exist only as an initiator to the next one: Only to impress together as an art. - One starts the book expecting to get a really good read, and expects this flowery speach to soon end. ...Then one starts to lift an eyebrow, and starts to read half a sentence in the middle of each paragraph. Then one jumps three pages per jump, so ten, then thirty... And it just goes on and on and on... And the "introductory" sentence(s) never ends. Perhaps there is something readable at the end? I don't have the stomach to read it yet; the style is so firmly set. - The author should have praise for using very short sentences in between. Of the kind a good fiction writer uses a couple of times throughout a novel. I guess that this is a positive result of the author's very high education. But one tires of eating 'chocolate' all the time. - I wonder just how much "lay"-man one should be to read this? Perhaps a very special breed from art school? - For a very good read, perhaps one should try "The Shocking History of Phosphorous" by John Emsley instead?

An interesting read covering many aspects of water, 06 Dec 2000
Philip Ball takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of the science of water, written in an easily readable style for the lay person. Topics covered range from the physical structure and properties of water through to the crucial roll of water in life, evolution, and a discussion of the 'strange' forms of water, covering chemistry, biology, physics, geology, weather etc. in a thoroughly enjoyable read. One possible criticism is that the book at times appears to jump around between topics. The book ends with a fascinating account of scientific deception and fraud, centered around the stories of cold fusion. An extremely interesting book for anyone with any curiousity about the substance that makes up over 90% of their own body weight and covers much of this planets surface - as well as possible the interiors of others - another topic discussed in some detail.

not what you might expect, 17 Jul 2008
This book does not live up to its title - for anyone expecting a Coal version of Yergins "Prize" or Kurlansky's "Salt" or "Cod" they will be sorely dissappointed. This is a book which appears to have been written to suit the authors green ideals and not to map the history of coal.

A Well Written Book on an Unusual Subject., 20 Nov 2005
This book concentrates on the impact of coal on human history and development, written by an impartial observer (an assistant attorney-general of Minnesota who began to research the impact of coal for her job). It was a real eye-opener, and illustrated that the pollution of the environment started a long time before the Industrial Revolution. A fantastic piece of social history. Highly recommended.

From the Titan of petroleum !, 18 Nov 2004
This second edition surveys the science of petroleum geology. It describes the generation, migration, and entrapment of oil and gas, and outlines the procedures used in their location, evaluation, and production. The topics, appropriate for the geology student (and cyber-cadet seeking abiogenic petroleum anywhere in the universe), include requisite basic material from the fields of petroleum engineering and geophysics. The eight colour plates are packed with useful information.

Selley's writing style is like a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne.