This lavishly illustrated large format book is a celebration of water and its many roles in the human and natural world. It is also an exploration of one of the most temperamental and powerful substances on earth and of the extraordinary pressures on today's freshwater resources. The images range from natural wonders--oceans, mighty rivers, and snow-capped mountains, to everyday scenes of humans interacting with water--planting seedlings, boiling kettles, and jumping puddles. The text is both descriptive and informative, drawing on literary, historical, and folkloric sources, interspersed with contemporary droplets of fact.