The Water Kingdom

Philip Ball Vintage €12.95 Water is essential to human life but Philip Ball’s premise is that no other culture in history has defined itself in relation to this one element as dramatically as China. Ball takes us on a fascinating and dizzying tour through Chinese myth and history. From the Han emperors to Mao, the ability to manage water – to provide irrigation and defend against floods – became a barometer of political legitimacy. And while devastating floods were the main concern in the past, today’s problems centre on scarcity and pollution.