I found this softcover in this Little Free Library in Wilmington NH while dropping off some books of my own. It's a "biography of things" about the history of drinking water. (The author's preface includes one of the better definitions of "biography of things" that I've seen; referring to the inspiration of Mark Kurlansky's books, he calls them "works that tell the history of the world through the prism of a commodity".)

From myths about miraculous fountains to urban nightmares surrounding disease outbreaks caused by tainted water sources, to the faux-cachet of "designer" brands of bottled water, to the disaster caused by the contaminated water supply of Flint, Michigan, the book touches on many aspects of potable water - vital, often taken for granted, and increasingly a factor in political negotiations.

I'm adding this book to the Biographies of Things bookbox - bookbox-journal here. The box will be on its way to its next stop soon; hope people enjoy the selection!

*** Released for the 2021 D for December challenge. ***

Arrived in Colorado aboard the Biographies of Things bookbox.
This book will be continuing its journey!

Finally ready to start another round of the Biographies of Things book box, which means I have to realize that I never catalogued the ones that were in the box when it returned to me. This one is good for another round.

This book is now part of the Biographies of Things book box and is off to tour the country. Hopefully along the way it finds an interested reader and a new home.

Any future reader or recipient of this book is encouraged to leave a journal entry here on the BookCrossing site to let prior readers know the fate of the book. You can make an anonymous entry without joining the BookCrossing movement, but if you are interested in joining, it is a free and spam-free community where your contact information is not shared with others. Best of all, members receive private messages via e-mail from books like this one when those books are journaled, allowing for long-term relationships between books and readers.

I'm claiming this one from the latest round of the Biographies of Things bookbox.

I left this book in this handsome lighthouse-themed Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

*** Released for the 2023 Asian Zodiac / Year of the Rabbit challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2023 Clean Start for the New Year challenge. ***