Rivers of power : how a natural force raised kingdoms, destroyed civilizations, and shapes our world

Resource Information

The work Rivers of power : how a natural force raised kingdoms, destroyed civilizations, and shapes our world represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Vancouver Public Library, Britannia Branch (Open with Limited Services). This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Audio, Nonmusical, Sounds, Music.

Label

Rivers of power : how a natural force raised kingdoms, destroyed civilizations, and shapes our world

Title remainder

how a natural force raised kingdoms, destroyed civilizations, and shapes our world

Statement of responsibility

Laurence C. Smith

Creator

• Smith, Laurence C

Contributor

• Bevine, Victor

Author

• Smith, Laurence C

Narrator

• Bevine, Victor

Subject

• Rivers -- History
• Water and civilization

Language

eng

Summary

From a renowned geographer and professor of earth, planetary and space sciences, a sweeping natural history of rivers and their complex and ancient relationship with human civilization. Rivers, more than any road, technology, or political leader, have shaped the course of civilization. They have opened frontiers, founded cities, settled borders, and fed billions. They promote life, forge peace, grant power, and capriciously destroy everything in their path. And even as they have become increasingly domesticated, rivers remain a powerful global force, one that is more critical than ever to our future. In Rivers of Power, geographer Laurence Smith takes a deep dive into the timeless and vastly underappreciated relationship between rivers and civilization as we know it. Rivers are of course important to us in all the obvious ways (like water supply, sanitation, transport, etc.). But they also shape us in less obvious ways. Massive amounts of river water support the global food trade; huge volumes are consumed to provide the world's electricity -- not just by hydropower, but by coal, nuclear, and natural gas power plants too; most of our globally important cities are positioned on the banks of rivers or river deltas. The territories of nations, their cultural and economic ties to one another, and the migrations of people trace to rivers and the topographic divides they carve on the world. Beautifully told and expansive in scope, Rivers of Power, reveals how and why rivers have so profoundly shaped civilization, and examines the importance this vast, arterial power holds for our present, past, and future

Accompanying matter

technical information on music

Cataloging source

RECBC

Dewey number

553.7

Form of composition

not applicable

Format of music

not applicable

LC call number

CB482

LC item number

S658 2020

Literary text for sound recordings

other

Music parts

not applicable

PerformerNote

Narrated by Victor Bevine

Transposition and arrangement

not applicable