Think of the fragile delicacy of a snowflake, the awesome power of an ocean storm, the soothing balm of a placid lake – just a few of the beauties distilled from water. Yet water is also a vital resource, and one that we ignore at our peril. Viewed from space, our blue planet appears to have water aplenty – yet if all the Earth's water were held in a gallon jug, less than a tablespoon would be drinkable. As pressures upon supplies of fresh water increase, this could well be the next great catalyst for economic and political change on a global scale. With more than 120 superbly evocative photographs and a lively, readable text that draws upon science, mythology, cultural history and geopolitics, this is an eye-opening celebration of water in the age of global warming – and a wake-up call to us all.