The story of the most abundant substance on Earth from its origins in the birth of stars
billions of years ago to its importance in the living world.Water is so ubiquitous in our lives
that it is easy to take for granted. The average American uses ninety gallons of water a day
nearly every liquid we encounter is mostly water--milk for example is 87 percent water.
Clouds and ice--water in other forms--affect our climate. Water is the most abundant substance
on Earth and the third-most abundant molecule in the universe. In this lavishly illustrated
volume science writer Jack Challoner tells the story of water from its origins in the birth
of stars to its importance in the living world.Water is perhaps the most studied compound in
the universe--although mysteries about it remain--and Challoner describes how thinkers from
ancient times have approached the subject. He offers a detailed and fascinating look at the
structure and behavior of water molecules explores the physics of water--explaining among
other things why ice is slippery--and examines the chemistry of water. He investigates
photosynthesis and water's role in evolutionary history and discusses water and weather
reviewing topics that range from snowflake science to climate change. Finally he considers the
possibility of water beyond our own hydrosphere--on other planets on the Moon in interstellar
space.
