H2O:ABiographyOfWater(B)

Theextenttowhichwaterremainsascientificmysteryisextraordinary,despiteitsprevalenceandcentralimportanceonEarth.Whetheroneconsidersitsroleinbiology,itsplaceinthephysicalworld(whereitrefusestoobeytheusualrulesofliquids)oritsdeceptivelysimplestructure,thereisstillnocompleteanswertothequestion:whatiswater?PhilipBall'sbookexplainswhat,exactly,wedoanddonotknowaboutthestrangecharacterofthismostessentialandubiquitousofsubstances.H20beginsbytransportingitsreadersbacktotheBigBangandtheformationofgalaxiestowitnessthebirthofwater'sconstituentelements:hydrogenandoxygen.Itthenexplainshowtheprimevaloceanswereformedfourbillionyearsago;wherewateristobefoundonotherplanets;whyicefloatswhenmostsolidssink;why,despitebeinghighlycorrosive,waterisgoodforus;whythereareatleastfifteenkindsoficeandperhapstwokindsofliquidwater;howscientistshaveconsistentlymisunderstoodwaterforcenturies;andwhywarshavebeenwagedoverit.PhilipBall'sgloriouslyoffbeatandintelligentbookconductsusonajourneythroughthehistoryofscience,folklore,thewilderscientificfringes,cutting-edgephysics,biologyandecology,togiveafascinatingnewperspectiveonlifeandthesubstancethatsustainsit.Afterreadingthisbook,drinkingaglassofwaterwillneverbethesameagain.