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Island Press

Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water

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Peter Gleick knows water. A world-renowned scientist and freshwater expert, Gleick is a MacArthur Foundation "genius," and according to the BBC, an environmental visionary. And he drinks from the tap. Why don’t the rest of us? Bottled and Sold shows how water went from being a free natural resource to one of the most successful commercial products of the last one hundred years—and why we are poorer for it. It’s a big story and water is big business. Every second of every day in the United States, a thousand people buy a plastic bottle of water, and every second of every day a thousand more throw one of those bottles away. That adds up to more than thirty billion bottles a year and tens of billions of dollars of sales. Are there legitimate reasons to buy all those bottles? With a scientist’s eye and a natural storyteller’s wit, Gleick investigates whether industry claims about the relative safety, convenience, and taste of bottled versus tap hold water. And he exposes the true reasons we’ve turned to the bottle, from fearmongering by business interests and our own vanity to the breakdown of public systems and global inequities. "Designer" H2O may be laughable, but the debate over commodifying water is deadly serious. It comes down to society’s choices about human rights, the role of government and free markets, the importance of being "green," and fundamental values. Gleick gets to the heart of the bottled water craze, exploring what it means for us to bottle and sell our most basic necessity. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Island Press; 2nd edition (September 1, 2011)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 232 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1610911628


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 27


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1,657 in Food Science (Books) #2,356 in Company Business Profiles (Books) #2,515 in Environmental Economics (Books)


#1,657 in Food Science (Books):


#2,356 in Company Business Profiles (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Do You Think Before You Drink?
In a bit of irony, the lead line above is actually taken from an ad for a bottled water company. They want you to think about your water choice, since they claim in the ad that most water in the United States is unfit for drinking, which is just plain wrong. In fact, most tap water in the US is fine for consumption, and in many cases, is the basis for the bottled water being sold. While I have thought about bottled water and have chosen to not use it (with very rare exceptions), I had not completely understood just how bad the bottled water industry is for the environment. I was well aware of the use of plastic for the bottles, which come from petroleum and I was aware of the vast amount of petroleum resources used in the transportation of this water, but I had failed to think about some of the other issues surrounding the use of bottled water. Bottled water has to start somewhere, and most people assume it comes from springs, however most water sold in bottles is actually tap water. This is then highly purified and distilled, which removes all taste, so the bottlers add elements back into the water to make it "taste" good. The water that does come from springs is actually harmful to the environment as it removes water from a natural watershed and transports it, in some cases many miles, to another water shed. I had not contemplated the damage done to other water sheds and how removal of vast quantities of water could damage the hydrology of an area. This book is very well written. It is written so that no special knowledge of geology is needed and it points out all the dangers of using bottled water. A very good read that should cause most consumers to re-evaluate their desire for bottled water. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2011 by Frederick S. Goethel
    • A great book for anyone who drinks water
This is a rare book: its both a pleasure to read and very revealing. From scores of interesting stories and well-researched evidence, an expose emerges -- what seems to be pure and easy (grabbing that bottle) has far-reaching impacts -- not to mention health risks! How did bottled water become so popular? What are the impacts on the environment? What's in the bottle? And, most importantly, what are the alternatives? The author answers these questions in a fast-paced and engaging style. The chapter on the "modern medicine show" is hilarious --"positive energy water" and "oxygen water" are some examples he discusses. All in all, the author makes a passionate and well-supported case for improving our tap water, rather than hitting the bottle for every sip. And in doing so, he uncovers some of the amazing waste and deception tied up with our current approach. The solutions he presents and the vision he outlines for a "soft path" left me with some hope for the future -- and a thirst for something from the tap. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2010 by W.E. Polis
    • Very interesting
It is well written, very well researched and lots of anecdotes and facts that make the book a fast read. It is sometimes repetitive but you can ignore that easily by learning about the huge industry and business of selling water to us -- afraid and ignorant.
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2010 by watercurious
    • Bottled Water Fallacy
Great book! You should never want to buy bottled water after reading this book. Easy and fast reading gives you a good overview of the bottled water industry and the scam they are engaged in.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2014 by scott a schlipp
    • A must read
This is an eye opening book. You should know what is going on with the water you drink. A must read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017 by A.P.
    • Merely a good overview
This is a decent summary of the contemporary problems of water privatization and (mis)use. It's quite a short book, and Gleick is a talented writer, so it's very accessible to the lay reader - but it could (should) have been even shorter. One of Gleick's main points is that the bottled water industry untruthfully represents its product as superior to municipal (free) water supplies, even though several of the largest brands (Dasani, Aquafina) are nothing more than processed tap water. Which is entirely valid. But he then spends several chapters discussing a variety of health-nut hoaxes, such as the 'restructured' water featured in that travesty of pseudoscience "What the Bleep Do We Know", Kabbalah water, 'oxygenated' water and so on. Although thousands of gullible people are being taken in by these scams, the quantity of water involved can't be but a tiny fraction of that bottled and sold by the big three (Nestle, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo). These "snakeoils" are at most tangential to the larger, critical issue of water supplies being controlled and diminished for the sake of corporate profit, the fallout from which is infinitely more damaging than some fools being parted from their money. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2011 by The Yawning Horror
    • Great read!
This book is an eye opener! I really enjoyed reading it and I think that everyone should be made aware of what really is in bottled water! LONG LIVE THE TAP!
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2013 by Laura J

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