Overview

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

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9780226668154

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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 water - without which there would be no human life - is 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 wetlands - string 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 advantages - and disadvantages - of reservoirs, dams, and diversion projects. Thence she returns to the atmosphere - vapor, clouds, fog - both 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. (Kirkus Reviews)

Scientist and naturalist Pielou brings a healthy curiosity and sense of depth to her investigation of fresh water in all its aspects. Her skills in researching and writing, exploring ideas and explaining them, are in evidence throughout the book. With abundant notes, references and black-and-white illustrations, this is a valuable primer on fresh water. After explaining the nature of water and the water cycle, including rivers, lakes, groundwater and ice, she goes on to expand on the problems that arise when humans come into contact with water: shipping by rivers, making dams and reservoirs, overusing or destroying wetlands. It is impossible to understate the fundamental importance of water and this book makes a basic contribution to our understanding. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

E. C. Pielou, a former professor of mathematical ecology and Killam Professor at Dalhousie University, has been a naturalist all her life. She is the author of many books, most recently Fresh Water, A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic, and After the Ice Age, all published by the University of Chicago Press.

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