--- product_id: 5443124 title: "The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water" price: "VT5759" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/5443124-the-big-thirst-the-secret-life-and-turbulent-future-water store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water **Price:** VT5759 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water - **How much does it cost?** VT5759 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/5443124-the-big-thirst-the-secret-life-and-turbulent-future-water) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water [Fishman, Charles] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water Review: A MUST READ! - I loved this book. A fascinating tale of water- from its origins in space to how various cultures view and use water. Including us wasteful Americans! But offering ideas on how we can adapt to climate change and the way we view and use water. I learned an incredible amount from Fishman’s entertaining style and down to earth explanations of complex subjects. I have always thought water was amazing (a true understatement) and worth way more than the lack of respect we give it. I have already sent a copy to a like-minded friend and my boyfriend is anxious to read my copy next. If you have curiosity about the earth and our environment and the wildly different views and access the world has to the precious resource of water, read this! Everyone should. I have definitely changed my view and use of this unique and mind-bending element. 7/24. I still say EVERYONE ON THE PLANET NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK!!!! A couple times. I have! Review: Water's high value is shown with direct and indirect uses. Abundance of water in US is changing. - In the US water is abundant, safe, and cheap (p. 3). The high value of water to life is known, and this book helps people appreciate the details and features of how water is necessary. Direct and indirect uses include home electricity with the average home in the US requiring 250 gallons of water per day in the electricity generation and use (p. 2). Interesting ideas in this book include the divergence of water's value as a vital part of life to its cheapness, however, both abundance and price are changing in the US. Future cities will need more desalination and already desert and semi-arid countries use desalination. Will increased microplastic pollution in the oceans, rivers, and lakes clog more desalination plants or drive up costs as filter units before reverse osmosis units are clogging up faster than in the 1980s? UN meetings will have another reason to fix the ocean plastic pollution crisis when desalination plants are damaged by excess amounts of microplastic pollution. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | 1439102082 | | Best Sellers Rank | #556,374 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #98 in Water Quality & Treatment #118 in Water Supply & Land Use (Books) #1,024 in Environmentalism | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (523) | | Dimensions | 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.44 inches | | ISBN-10 | 9781439102084 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1439102084 | | Item Weight | 12.8 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 416 pages | | Publication date | February 14, 2012 | | Publisher | Free Press | ## Images ![The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619bmQogBZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A MUST READ! *by M***E on September 6, 2023* I loved this book. A fascinating tale of water- from its origins in space to how various cultures view and use water. Including us wasteful Americans! But offering ideas on how we can adapt to climate change and the way we view and use water. I learned an incredible amount from Fishman’s entertaining style and down to earth explanations of complex subjects. I have always thought water was amazing (a true understatement) and worth way more than the lack of respect we give it. I have already sent a copy to a like-minded friend and my boyfriend is anxious to read my copy next. If you have curiosity about the earth and our environment and the wildly different views and access the world has to the precious resource of water, read this! Everyone should. I have definitely changed my view and use of this unique and mind-bending element. 7/24. I still say EVERYONE ON THE PLANET NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK!!!! A couple times. I have! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Water's high value is shown with direct and indirect uses. Abundance of water in US is changing. *by C***M on October 2, 2025* In the US water is abundant, safe, and cheap (p. 3). The high value of water to life is known, and this book helps people appreciate the details and features of how water is necessary. Direct and indirect uses include home electricity with the average home in the US requiring 250 gallons of water per day in the electricity generation and use (p. 2). Interesting ideas in this book include the divergence of water's value as a vital part of life to its cheapness, however, both abundance and price are changing in the US. Future cities will need more desalination and already desert and semi-arid countries use desalination. Will increased microplastic pollution in the oceans, rivers, and lakes clog more desalination plants or drive up costs as filter units before reverse osmosis units are clogging up faster than in the 1980s? UN meetings will have another reason to fix the ocean plastic pollution crisis when desalination plants are damaged by excess amounts of microplastic pollution. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everything you never knew or thought about water *by A***R on September 7, 2011* I came to The Big Thirst as someone who was already pretty water conscious (some think obsessed), and a definite water conservationist. But, wow, all that I had never thought about water Charles Fishman has contained in this book in a thought provoking, entertaining and instructive way. This is in no diatribe designed to make us feel guilty about our water ignorance (although Fishman does rant on Arlen Specter at one point near the end, and rightfully so), but rather a series of stories crafted to heighten our awareness, in an attempt as the author says "to change our relationship to water". From Australia to India, down the strip of Las Vegas, around the Gulf Coast of Texas to Vermont and elsewhere Fishman takes the reader on a tour of man's challenges and successes in managing our water usage, distribution systems as well as the effect on mankind, the economy and lastly gets the reader thinking about where the next million or billion gallons is coming from. This book is a treat for anyone who has stopped for even one minute to wonder where our water really flows from and if someday it might not. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/5443124-the-big-thirst-the-secret-life-and-turbulent-future-water](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/5443124-the-big-thirst-the-secret-life-and-turbulent-future-water) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-06*