This delightful book dives into the mythological and metaphysical history of water – such as water deities, mermaids, ritual baths, and sacred springs. Croutier surveys bottled waters, warns of pollution, and global over-consumption. She devotes short, entertaining sections to water rituals, rainmaking, dowsing, fountains, and water palaces. Paintings by Botticelli, Klimt, Turner, Degas and Picasso as well as Belle Epoch photographs and posters illustrate the book throughout. The author concludes by bringing this most universal of subjects up to date with a guide to the world's most exclusive spas. From the prehistoric sacred springs to Roman Baths, she leads us to the fabulous watering holes of elite society including such legendary spas as Evian, Baden Baden, Marienbad, and Montecatini Terme. A look at the aesthetic celebration of water in art, literature, music, and film—what Pindar called the “noblest element” concludes the book, giving a lot of food for thought.