Great Rivers of the World

by Paolo Novaresio

Synopsis Rivers never die, not even in the they may fade away temporarily, but are always resuscitated by the first rainfall, as is the case with the Okavango and the wadis in the Sahara Desert. The courses of the great rivers - impetuous, placid, and often capricious - narrate the history of the Earth and of humankind. All civilizations and great cities, from Babylon to New York, were born along rivers. Rivers have been the cradle of kingdoms and empires and trade routes; they are also corridors of migration for peoples and armies. But they have also been impassable barriers, boundaries between different worlds. Since they bestow life and death, they have always been considered sacred - as mothers, fathers, dragons, the abode of spirits and gods, entities to be venerated. At least, this was so in the past. Nowadays most rivers are blocked by dams and forcibly channeled into artificial basins, and the very destiny of humanity is linked to their present uncertain courses. This book discusses the twenty-five longest, most important, famous and fascinating of the world's rivers - from the Ganges to the Mekong, from the Nile to the Amazon, from the Colorado and the Mississippi to the Tigris-Euphrates system and the Danube, Rhine and Seine - with the ambitious aim of offering an absolutely new portrait of each river. Aerial photographs and panoramic images are enhanced by special-area views and details, all of which spark the heightened awareness and imaginative musings that we experience while seated on the banks of great rivers or while going downstream from source to estuary.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for two reasons:
1. I'm interested in learning more about broad topics and was curious to know more about the rivers of the world.
2. I like crossword puzzles and there are frequently items related to rivers of the world.

This book met both expectations. After doing some research this book came highly recommended as a broad review of the world's rivers. At first I was worried because it seemed more like a picture book, but as I read through I realized that only 25-30% of the book is photographs. The rest of the book are compelling stories about the rivers under discussion. The book is organized by continent. Each continent gets an introductory write-up that broadly touches on its various rivers. Afterwards, 2 to 4 key rivers for that continent are selected for greater focus and get their own "chapters".

The content of the book reads more like a magazine article. These are not strictly scientific accounts of rivers. Instead, these are stories from people who are exploring these rivers. This means you get a broad range of information. You hear about geographic details like how long the river is, when it was formed, how it flows, and where its source is found. You also get cultural and historical details. You'll read about how the Volga played into the Russian revolution and helped influence where major cities were founded. You'll read stories of how the people of Africa use the Nile and Congo for commerce and fishing. You'll learn about the spiritual function the Ganges plays in India. The writing style is easy to follow, narrative with historical details and facts blended in well. This is not dry, boring material. The content transports you. You can sense the cold of the Yukon, you can feel the pleasing warmth of the Rio Grande, you can hear the life of the Amazon.