Rivers of Power

February 1, 2020
An exploration of the role of rivers in sustaining humankind. Rivers, writes environmental scientist Smith, are in the eye of the beholder. Their value is often not evident to us except in the biggest of pictures, which is why the current generations of humans continue to dam them, fill them with pollutants and plastic bottles, and otherwise mistreat them. "Only by taking the long view is their deeply foundational importance to human civilization revealed," writes the author. This book takes that long view while also pointing to a few encouraging trends (and some discouraging ones as well). On the positive side is the increasing tendency of city governments to undertake projects of riverfront renewal, making parks and refuges where docks and warehouses used to stand--a good thing given, as Smith points out, that sometime in 2008, the majority of the human population shifted, for the first time, from the countryside to the city. Still, notes the author, rivers remain underappreciated, shaping us in ways that are not always easy to discern. For example, they help form cultural and ethnic borders that in turn define nations, and they provide avenues of conquest, exploration, and migration: "Rivers, and physical geography more generally, contribute to the size and shapes of nations and thus the geospatial pattern of economic and military power around the world." When rivers play out, as in the case of ancient Uruk and the urban civilizations of the pre-European American Southwest, then cultures collapse, something to think about given the increasingly evident effects of worldwide climate change on the world's rivers--some of which will dry up, others of which will flood as weather patterns change. Smith examines historical precedents along the Nile, Yangtze, and other rivers to project how these drivers of history, "supercharged fuel lines" of planetary energy, will affect the future. A valuable, well-observed work of history and geography.

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April 1, 2020

According to Smith (earth, environmental & planetary sciences, Brown Univ.; The World in 2050), a leading climate scientist, rivers have had an underappreciated influence on human affairs, receiving scant attention until they flood or dry up. To correct this view, he examines how rivers have sustained human societies since our Neolithic ancestors first began farming the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys and the Nile floodplain. In addition to the crucial role of rivers in irrigated agriculture, Smith explores their strategic use during wars, both ancient and modern; the political and legal fallout of major flood disasters; international conflicts over water; megadam projects built or proposed in the developing world; and, finally, explains how our scientific understanding of rivers is being revolutionized by big data pouring in from satellite imagery and remote-sensing technologies. Smith's wide-ranging research gives a historical, scientific, and social perspective on the ways that rivers provide fundamental benefits to human societies around the world. VERDICT A fascinating look at a critical resource and the ideal companion to Fred Pearce's When the Rivers Run Dry.--Cynthia Lee Knight, formerly with Hunterdon Cty. Lib., Flemington, NJ

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2020
This engagingly panoramic and truly global discussion of the connection between rivers and human civilization meanders, yet serves as an important reminder of our dependence upon the planet's arteries of fresh water. In The World in 2050 (2010), geoscientist Smith predicted future trends. Here, he pivots to the past, noting that riparian floodplains allowed civilization to sprout in arid climes. Rivers provided places to fish, avenues for travel, and defenses against invaders. They defined our borders and shaped our natural-resource laws, and they inspired artists and writers. Rivers have been ready battlegrounds, as illustrated by quick dips into the military history of the Mississippi and the Mekong. And, for thousands of years, we humans have taken our rivers for granted, filling them with our waste, depleting them of wildlife, and damming them up without genuinely considering the costs. Today, thanks to increasing environmental awareness and new high-tech tools, we understand the dynamics and ecosystems of rivers better than ever. Yet our commitment to the health of our waterways, as with so many environmental issues, remains ambivalent.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)