Peak Water

Alexander Bell worked as a journalist for the BBC, The Observer and The Herald. He reported from around the world and in the UK on conflicts and major events. Over time, he began to think that the greatest story of the age was how mankind lives on the planet. He became fascinated by water -- the way it influences the shape of so many things, and the assumption that the next big war would be over water. He wrote this book to share that fascination and introduce a wide readership to a vital issue.

What makes Peak Water interesting is the way it weaves such laconic personal predictions with a wealth of history, anecdote and analysis, all focussing on the vital role of water in the rise and fall of civilisations... [Bell's] aim is to provoke thought, to stir discussion amongst lay observers - and in that he certainly succeeds. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS How we built civilization on water and drained the world dry is the subject of Alexander Bell's recent book, Peak Water. Bell delves deeply into the roots of modern civilisation, beginning just before the settlement of the first cities... There have been many books in recent years recounting the trouble we are in when it comes to water, but few that examine how we arrived at this point. Bell does just that... THE ECOLOGIST

From the hanging gardens of Babylon to the glittering fountains of Las Vegas, water constantly emerges as humanity's most precious resource. Yet, as Bell describes, this simple technology that underpins the very foundation of our modern society is at its bursting point.