Lots of history here: water and civilisations in China, in the Middle East, in Europe and elsewhere. Water as barriers, water as highway, water as resource, water as curse.
Water transported by canals and aqueducts and water sellers. Sewage and disease. Drinking water, purer and potable, for the cities.
A well written overview.

The message of the book is critical, and is worth reading for Part 4 of the book, talking about water and politics in the 21st century. However, the writing style is drawn out, and Solomon rehashes ideas repeatedly, diluting the point and making for a tedious read at times.

Similar in premise to "Salt" or "Cod", Solomon weaves together history to demonstrate how harnessing the power of water is the foundation of all civilizations. Starting with ancient Western civilization and moving east, he paints a fascinating and detailed picture of how governments developed around their ability to overcome the natural variability water possesses. Be it for drinking, agriculture or navigating for trade: it is a convincing and well articulated book demonstrating how water management impacts(for better and worse) civilizations. Dense, but well worth wading through.

Water, not oil...the next struggle between nations.