Drinking Water by James Salzman Summary

Drinking Water: A History by James Salzman explores humanity’s complex relationship with water across cultures, politics, and technology. It examines ancient myths, water rights conflicts, purification methods, and modern debates like privatization vs. public access. The book blends historical anecdotes (e.g., the Zamzam well’s sacred role) with analysis of environmental policies and societal impacts, offering a global perspective from biblical times to today’s bottled-water resurgence.

James Salzman is a Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. A Yale and Harvard graduate, he’s authored 13 books, including the bestselling Mine!, and advises governments on environmental policy. His expertise spans water law, ecosystem markets, and ownership ethics, with work translated into 10 languages.

This book suits environmental scholars, policymakers, and history enthusiasts interested in water’s societal role. Its interdisciplinary approach—combining law, anthropology, and engineering—appeals to readers analyzing climate change, public health, or resource management. Salzman’s accessible style also engages general audiences curious about cultural rituals like Lourdes’ holy water.

Yes. Praised as “provocative” and “insightful” (Goodreads), it reveals water’s underappreciated influence on civilizations. Salzman balances rigorous research (e.g., chlorination’s impact) with vivid stories, like the 19th-century shift from shared cups to disposable Dixie Cups, making it both educational and engaging.

Salzman analyzes historical tensions between water as a human right and a commodity. He compares ancient “Right of Thirst” traditions (free water for travelers) with modern disputes, such as bottled-water corporations vs. public utilities, highlighting how pricing and access shape equity.

The “Right of Thirst” refers to ancient ethical codes mandating free water access to anyone in need, even enemies. Salzman contrasts this with modern commodification, noting how societies like the Hazimi tribe restricted well access, foreshadowing today’s privatization conflicts.

The book traces bottled water’s decline post-1950s (due to safer tap water) and its 21st-century comeback driven by health fears and marketing. Salzman critiques this trend, linking it to eroded public trust in municipal systems and environmental waste.

Salzman highlights water’s sacred symbolism, from Mecca’s Zamzam well to Hindu pilgrimage sites. These examples illustrate how shared water sources fostered community bonds but also posed hygiene risks, prompting innovations like disposable cups.

Early systems prioritized aesthetics over safety, leading to contamination crises. Salzman credits chlorination as a turning point, reducing diseases but sparking debates over chemical use—a precursor to modern PFAS and lead-pipe concerns.

He examines the “berakah” (blessing) concept in Middle Eastern water-sharing traditions vs. Western legal systems that treat water as property. This dichotomy underpins modern disputes over groundwater rights and corporate exploitation.

While Mine! focuses on ownership norms broadly, Drinking Water delves into one resource’s cultural and legal history. Both emphasize how societal rules shape resource access, but the latter offers deeper case studies (e.g., France’s mineral-water wars).

Salzman argues that water scarcity, intensified by global warming, revives ancient conflicts over allocation. The book’s historical precedents—like Roman aqueduct disputes—provide context for today’s transboundary water treaties and drought policies.