Water and Power in Past Societies

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Author :
Publisher : SUNY Press
ISBN 13 : 143846875X
Total Pages : 416 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (384 download)

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Book Synopsis Water and Power in Past Societies by : Emily Holt

Download or read book Water and Power in Past Societies written by Emily Holt and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the many ways water has contributed to power structures in the past, with insights for contemporary water management. Water, an essential resource in all cultures, is at the heart of human power structures. Utilizing a diverse range of theoretical perspectives, the contributors to Water and Power in Past Societies provide a broad introduction to the archaeology of water-related power structures. The studies herein explore the long history of water politics in human society, offering new insights into the power structures and inequalities surrounding irrigation systems, the collection of rainwater as a component of ancient industrial production, and sea water as a facilitator of communication, trade, and aggression. In addition to examining the role of different types of water in creating power relationships, the volume presents case studies from a variety of climatic regions, ranging from the very dry to the tropical. This geographical breadth facilitates cross-cultural comparison, making Water and Power in Past Societies an essential resource for instructors and students of the archaeology of water. Finally, in addition to reaching conclusions with significant implications for archaeologists and anthropologists, the volume has real contemporary relevance, often drawing explicit parallels with issues of current and future water management.

Water and Power in Past Societies

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Author :
Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 1438468776
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (384 download)

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Book Synopsis Water and Power in Past Societies by : Emily Holt

Download or read book Water and Power in Past Societies written by Emily Holt and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the many ways water has contributed to power structures in the past, with insights for contemporary water management. Water, an essential resource in all cultures, is at the heart of human power structures. Utilizing a diverse range of theoretical perspectives, the contributors to Water and Power in Past Societies provide a broad introduction to the archaeology of water-related power structures. The studies herein explore the long history of water politics in human society, offering new insights into the power structures and inequalities surrounding irrigation systems, the collection of rainwater as a component of ancient industrial production, and sea water as a facilitator of communication, trade, and aggression. In addition to examining the role of different types of water in creating power relationships, the volume presents case studies from a variety of climatic regions, ranging from the very dry to the tropical. This geographical breadth facilitates cross-cultural comparison, making Water and Power in Past Societies an essential resource for instructors and students of the archaeology of water. Finally, in addition to reaching conclusions with significant implications for archaeologists and anthropologists, the volume has real contemporary relevance, often drawing explicit parallels with issues of current and future water management. Emily Holt is Research Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

Water

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Author :
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 0525566007
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (255 download)

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Book Synopsis Water by : Giulio Boccaletti

Download or read book Water written by Giulio Boccaletti and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2022-10-18 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spanning millennia and continents, a revealing history that “tackles the most important story of our time: our relationship with water in a world of looming scarcity” (Kelly McEvers, NPR Host). "Far more than a biography of its nominal subject ... The book stands as a compelling history of civilization itself." —The Wall Street Journal Book Review Writing with authority and brio, Giulio Boc­caletti—honorary research associate at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Univer­sity of Oxford—shrewdly combines environmental and social history, beginning with the earliest civ­ilizations of sedentary farmers on the banks of the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates Rivers. Even as he describes how these societies were made possible by sea-level changes from the last glacial melt, he incisively examines how this type of farming led to irrigation and multiple cropping, which, in turn, led to a population explosion and labor specialization. We see with clarity how irrigation’s structure informed social structure (inventions such as the calendar sprung from agricultural necessity); how in ancient Greece, the communal ownership of wells laid the groundwork for democracy; how the Greek and Roman experiences with water security resulted in systems of taxation; and how the modern world as we know it began with a legal framework for the development of water infrastructure. Extraordinary for its monumental scope and piercing insightfulness, Water: A Biography richly enlarges our understanding of our relationship to—and fundamental reliance on—the most elemental substance on earth.

Water Societies and Technologies from the Past and Present

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Author :
Publisher : UCL Press
ISBN 13 : 1911576704
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (115 download)

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Book Synopsis Water Societies and Technologies from the Past and Present by : Mark Altaweel

Download or read book Water Societies and Technologies from the Past and Present written by Mark Altaweel and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2018-11-26 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today our societies face great challenges with water, in terms of both quantity and quality, but many of these challenges have already existed in the past. Focusing on Asia, Water Societies and Technologies from the Past and Present seeks to highlight the issues that emerge or re-emerge across different societies and periods, and asks what they can tell us about water sustainability. Incorporating cutting-edge research and pioneering field surveys on past and present water management practices, the interdisciplinary contributors together identify how societies managed water resource challenges and utilised water in ways that allowed them to evolve, persist, or drastically alter their environment. The case studies, from different periods, ancient and modern, and from different regions, including Egypt, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Southwest United States, the Indus Basin, the Yangtze River, the Mesopotamian floodplain, the early Islamic city of Sultan Kala in Turkmenistan, and ancient Korea, offer crucial empirical data to readers interested in comparing the dynamics of water management practices across time and space, and to those who wish to understand water-related issues through conceptual and quantitative models of water use. The case studies also challenge classical theories on water management and social evolution, examine and establish the deep historical roots and ecological foundations of water sustainability issues, and contribute new grounds for innovations in sustainable urban planning and ecological resilience.

A History of Water

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780755694570
Total Pages : 1608 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (945 download)

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Book Synopsis A History of Water by : Terje Tvedt

Download or read book A History of Water written by Terje Tvedt and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 1608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "All societies must manage their water resources. How a society manages and controls its water resources - whether for food and farming, drinking, sanitation, power or transport - plays a formative role in its development. And today, with the global population exceeding seven billion people and the continuing threat of climate change, the challenge remains key to the future of the planet. The pioneering History of Water Series brings a much needed historical perspective to water issues, and reveals how water issues can only be fully understood when all aspects are properly integrated. Covering all aspects of water and society, the series is unprecedented in its geographical coverage and unrivalled in its multidisciplinary span. The volumes in Series II address the importance of our changing perceptions and understandings of water down the ages; the role of human/river relations in historical transformation processes; and the vital geopolitical aspects of water as our demands upon this finite source increase and are exacerbated by climate change. Volume 1: Ideas of Water from Ancient Societies to the Modern World Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigard How has water been perceived in different societies and across different eras of history? How have these changing perceptions influenced society? In Ideas of Water, leading international scholars explore the rich record of our ideas, covering all aspects of water, from our changing scientific understandings to the diverse cultural and religious dimensions. The volume challenges conventional understandings and interpretations of water in nature and is one of the first attempts to provide a history of our changing ideas of the role of water in human society.Volume 2: Rivers & Society: From Early Civilizations to Modern Times Edited by Terje Tvedt and Richard CoopeyRivers and Society explores the ways in which human/river relations have shaped important historical transformation processes. Examples range from classical agrarian civilizations, such as the Indus, Angkor and Maya, to analyses of the role of water in the modernization process of countries such as Britain, Japan and Spain. The contributors provide new insights into the ways in which the key relationship between humans and water has given rise to new forms of social organization, new technologies and new economic activity.Volume 3: Water, Geopolitics and the New World OrderEdited by Terje Tvedt, Graham Chapman & Roar HagenAs current global trends lead to more people wanting more water, so access to water becomes ever more critical. Those favored by geography have the potential to control access to our planet's most precious - yet finite - resource. As the impact of climate change is felt, so added tensions will complicate already complex and delicate issues. This timely volume shows how water has become an issue of growing geopolitical importance - locally, regionally and globally. Drawing on a wealth of contrasting examples, the contributors offer a deeper understanding of the issues, of the close association between water and power, and of the potential for cooperative solutions."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Water Culture in Roman Society

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Author :
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004368973
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (43 download)

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Book Synopsis Water Culture in Roman Society by : Dylan Kelby Rogers

Download or read book Water Culture in Roman Society written by Dylan Kelby Rogers and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-07-17 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This article seeks to define ‘water culture’ in Roman society by examining literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence, while understanding modern trends in scholarship related to the study of Roman water.

Water and Human Societies

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030676927
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (36 download)

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Book Synopsis Water and Human Societies by : David A. Pietz

Download or read book Water and Human Societies written by David A. Pietz and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-08-18 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the historical relationships between human communities and water. Bringing together for the first time key texts from across the literature, it discusses how the past has shaped our contemporary challenges with equitable access to clean and ample water supplies. The book is organized into chapters that explore thematic issues in water history, including “Water and Civilizations,” Water and Health,” “Water and Equity” and “Water and Sustainability”. Each chapter is introduced by a critical overview of the theme, followed by four primary and secondary readings that discuss critical nodes in the historical and contemporary development of each chapter theme. “Further readings” at the end of each chapter invite the reader to further explore the dynamics of each theme. The foundational premise of the book is that in order to comprehend the complexity of global water challenges, we need to understand the history of cultural forces that have shaped our water practices. These historical patterns shape the range of choices available to us as we formulate responses to water challenges. The book will be a valuable resource to all students interested in understanding the challenges of water use today.

Thirst

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Author :
Publisher : Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN 13 : 9780297864790
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (647 download)

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Book Synopsis Thirst by : Steven J. Mithen

Download or read book Thirst written by Steven J. Mithen and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The planet faces a 21st-century global water crisis - but to what extent is this really new? Past societies and ancient civilisations have always faced climate change and been dependent on their ability to harness and manage a water supply. This has often been a key driver of historical change leading to some of the most remarkable engineering projects of the ancient world. Might there be lessons from the past for the present? Renowned archaeologist and prehistorian Steven Mithen examines the history of water management in the ancient world, exploring its relationship to climate change and the quest for political power. Having tracked the origin of water management in the Near East from the time of the first Stone Age occupation to the earliest urban settlements, he then tours the ancient world, visiting past civilisations to explore the role of water in their rise and fall. From the first flushing toilets at Knossos on Minoan Crete to the aqueducts of Petra and the Incas, from the bath houses of Rome to the canals of Ancient China and the vast reservoirs of the Khmer and Maya civilisations, water management is shown to have been not only essential for human survival but a source of political power. It will remain to be so as we face global climate change, population growth and mega-urbanisation. So does the past give us reason for hope? Or for despair?

History of Water, A, Series II, Three volume set

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Author :
Publisher : I. B. Tauris
ISBN 13 : 9781780766232
Total Pages : 1608 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (662 download)

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Book Synopsis History of Water, A, Series II, Three volume set by : Terje Tvedt

Download or read book History of Water, A, Series II, Three volume set written by Terje Tvedt and published by I. B. Tauris. This book was released on 2012-12-19 with total page 1608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All societies must manage their water resources. How a society manages and controls its water resources – whether for food and farming, drinking, sanitation, power or transport – plays a formative role in its development. And today, with the global population exceeding seven billion people and the continuing threat of climate change, the challenge remains key to the future of the planet. The pioneering History of Water Series brings a much needed historical perspective to water issues, and reveals how water issues can only be fully understood when all aspects are properly integrated. Covering all aspects of water and society, the series is unprecedented in its geographical coverage and unrivalled in its multidisciplinary span. The volumes in Series II address the importance of our changing perceptions and understandings of water down the ages; the role of human/river relations in historical transformation processes; and the vital geopolitical aspects of water as our demands upon this finite source increase and are exacerbated by climate change. Volume 1: Ideas of Water from Ancient Societies to the Modern World Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigard How has water been perceived in different societies and across different eras of history? How have these changing perceptions influenced society? In Ideas of Water, leading international scholars explore the rich record of our ideas, covering all aspects of water, from our changing scientific understandings to the diverse cultural and religious dimensions. The volume challenges conventional understandings and interpretations of water in nature and is one of the first attempts to provide a history of our changing ideas of the role of water in human society.Volume 2: Rivers & Society: From Early Civilizations to Modern Times Edited by Terje Tvedt and Richard CoopeyRivers and Society explores the ways in which human/river relations have shaped important historical transformation processes. Examples range from classical agrarian civilizations, such as the Indus, Angkor and Maya, to analyses of the role of water in the modernization process of countries such as Britain, Japan and Spain. The contributors provide new insights into the ways in which the key relationship between humans and water has given rise to new forms of social organization, new technologies and new economic activity.Volume 3: Water, Geopolitics and the New World OrderEdited by Terje Tvedt, Graham Chapman & Roar HagenAs current global trends lead to more people wanting more water, so access to water becomes ever more critical. Those favored by geography have the potential to control access to our planet's most precious - yet finite - resource. As the impact of climate change is felt, so added tensions will complicate already complex and delicate issues. This timely volume shows how water has become an issue of growing geopolitical importance – locally, regionally and globally. Drawing on a wealth of contrasting examples, the contributors offer a deeper understanding of the issues, of the close association between water and power, and of the potential for cooperative solutions.

Energy and Civilization

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Author :
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262536161
Total Pages : 564 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (625 download)

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Book Synopsis Energy and Civilization by : Vaclav Smil

Download or read book Energy and Civilization written by Vaclav Smil and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-11-13 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.

Water Is...: The Indispensability Of Water In Society And Life

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Author :
Publisher : World Scientific
ISBN 13 : 9813271418
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (132 download)

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Book Synopsis Water Is...: The Indispensability Of Water In Society And Life by : Seth B Darling

Download or read book Water Is...: The Indispensability Of Water In Society And Life written by Seth B Darling and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2018-06-26 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People are increasingly aware of the role that water has in shaping society and how it impacts quality of life. This is the first book to provide a holistic perspective on water, capturing the full breadth of the science, technology, policy, history, and future outlook for the most important substance on earth — written at a level accessible to non-experts in each of these areas.Water is shockingly bizarre in its properties and of unsurpassed importance throughout human history, yet so mundane as to often be invisible in our daily lives. In Water Is ..., the two Seths (Darling and Snyder) walk the reader through all of the diverse perspectives on water. The journey begins with an exploration of the mysteries of water's properties on the molecular level, zooming out through its central role at biological and geological scales. Next, the Seths travel through the history of human civilization, highlighting the fundamental part water has played throughout, including the complexities of water policy, privatization, and pricing in today's world. Attention then turns to technology and innovation, emphasizing the daunting challenges dictated by increasing water stress and a changing climate as well as the enticing opportunities to achieve a secure global water future.Water is arguably the single most interdisciplinary topic. Students in business, policy, history, science, and engineering can best position themselves to make an impact by learning about the entire range of diverse, unexpected, and fascinating angles on water.Related Link(s)

Economical, Political, and Social Issues in Water Resources

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Author :
Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0323906923
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (239 download)

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Book Synopsis Economical, Political, and Social Issues in Water Resources by : Omid Bozorg-Haddad

Download or read book Economical, Political, and Social Issues in Water Resources written by Omid Bozorg-Haddad and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-07-14 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economical, Political, and Social Issues in Water Resources provides a fully comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of all three factors in their relation to water resources. Economic issues consist of Water accounting, Water economy, Water pricing, Water market, Water bank and bourse. Political issues consist of Water power and hydrogemistry, Water diplomacy and hydropolitics, Water rights and water laws, Water governance and policy, Shared water resources management, Water management systems, and social issues consist of Water and culture, civilization and history, Water quality, hygiene, and health, Water and society. This book familiarizes researchers with all aspects of the field, which can lead to optimized and multidimensional water resources management. Some of abovementioned issues are new, so the other aim of this book is to identify them in order to researchers can easily find them and use them in their studies. Includes diverse case studies from around the world Presents contributions from global and diverse contributors with interdisciplinary backgrounds, including water engineers, scientists, planners the economic, political and social issues surrounding water Contains in-depth definitions and concepts of each topic

WATER-POWER IN THE BRITISH EMP

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781371862688
Total Pages : 68 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (626 download)

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Book Synopsis WATER-POWER IN THE BRITISH EMP by : Conjoint Board of Scientific Societies

Download or read book WATER-POWER IN THE BRITISH EMP written by Conjoint Board of Scientific Societies and published by . This book was released on 2016-08-28 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Undercurrents of Power

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Author :
Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN 13 : 0812224930
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (122 download)

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Book Synopsis Undercurrents of Power by : Kevin Dawson

Download or read book Undercurrents of Power written by Kevin Dawson and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2021-05-07 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kevin Dawson considers how enslaved Africans carried aquatic skills—swimming, diving, boat making, even surfing—to the Americas. Undercurrents of Power not only chronicles the experiences of enslaved maritime workers, but also traverses the waters of the Atlantic repeatedly to trace and untangle cultural and social traditions.

The Power of Water

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780983155324
Total Pages : 87 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (553 download)

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Book Synopsis The Power of Water by : Tom Haynes

Download or read book The Power of Water written by Tom Haynes and published by . This book was released on 2012-11-30 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History of water-powered mills in various towns in the Monadnock Region

Water

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Author :
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0060548312
Total Pages : 610 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis Water by : Steven Solomon

Download or read book Water written by Steven Solomon and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-01-18 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Far more than oil, the control of water wealth throughout history has been pivotal to the rise and fall of great powers, the achievements of civilization, the transformations of society's vital habitats, and the quality of ordinary daily lives. Today, freshwater scarcity is one of the twenty-first century's decisive, looming challenges, driving new political, economic, and environmental realities across the globe. In Water, Steven Solomon offers the first-ever narrative portrait of the power struggles, personalities, and breakthroughs that have shaped humanity from antiquity's earliest civilizations through the steam-powered Industrial Revolution and America's century. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Water is a groundbreaking account of man's most critical resource in shaping human destinies, from ancient times to our dawning age of water scarcity.

Hydraulic Societies

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780870712371
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (123 download)

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Book Synopsis Hydraulic Societies by : Nicholas B. Breyfogle

Download or read book Hydraulic Societies written by Nicholas B. Breyfogle and published by . This book was released on 2023-06-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydraulic Societies explores the linked themes of water, power, state-building, and hydraulic control. Bringing together a range of ecological, geographical, chronological, and methodological perspectives, the essays in this book address the how humans have long harnessed water and sought to contain its destructive power for political, economic and social ends. Water defines every aspect of life and remains at the center of human activity: in irrigation and agriculture; waste and sanitation; drinking and disease; floods and droughts; religious beliefs and practices; fishing and aquaculture; travel and discovery; scientific study; water pollution and conservation; multi-purpose dam building; boundaries and borders; politics and economic life; and wars and diplomacy. From the earliest large irrigation works thousands of years ago, control over water has involved control over people, as the essays in this volume reflect. The intersections of water and political, economic, and social power historically span international as well as domestic politics and operate at scales ranging from the local to the global. The authors consider the role of water in national development schemes, water distribution as a tool of political power, international disputes over waterways and water supplies, and the place of water in armed conflicts. They explore the ways in which political power and social hierarchies have themselves been defined and redefined by water and its control, how state leaders legitimized their rule both culturally and economically through the control of water, and how water management schemes were a means to impose and refine colonial power.