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A review by anlekaha
The Secret Knowledge of Water: Discovering the Essence of the American Desert by Craig Childs
4.0
I had to put this down for a few weeks. It has a very meditative feel but too many similar chapters in the middle were making me impatient. After giving it a break I was able to come back and appreciate it again.
The author discusses some scientific phenomenon between his musings and those discussions were easily my favorite part. The insects and fish that make their homes in desert water have such fascinating adaptions, things I had never known about before. I was bewitched at the streams that only run at night because the trees stop pulling water for photosynthesis when the sun goes down. And, after having spent a year crunching numbers in fluids class, I also loved the discussion of turbulent and laminar flows in floods. My biggest complaint about these discussions was that there were no footnotes or endnotes, just a very extensive bibliography to hunt through to look for sources for more information.
The author describes the visceral aspects of his journeys but so much of it was outside my realm of experience that I was left wanting. I want to see the beautiful sights, feel the rocks and water, and listen to the silence and speaking water described. But all the death and disaster described checks my enthusiasm for taking such a trip. Even with all his experience, the author gets into some very tight spots. I'll have to find a way to visit with some measure of safety and responsibility.
The author discusses some scientific phenomenon between his musings and those discussions were easily my favorite part. The insects and fish that make their homes in desert water have such fascinating adaptions, things I had never known about before. I was bewitched at the streams that only run at night because the trees stop pulling water for photosynthesis when the sun goes down. And, after having spent a year crunching numbers in fluids class, I also loved the discussion of turbulent and laminar flows in floods. My biggest complaint about these discussions was that there were no footnotes or endnotes, just a very extensive bibliography to hunt through to look for sources for more information.
The author describes the visceral aspects of his journeys but so much of it was outside my realm of experience that I was left wanting. I want to see the beautiful sights, feel the rocks and water, and listen to the silence and speaking water described. But all the death and disaster described checks my enthusiasm for taking such a trip. Even with all his experience, the author gets into some very tight spots. I'll have to find a way to visit with some measure of safety and responsibility.