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Description: Drinking and bathing in water are risky activities. The authors of this book, medical doctors specializing in endocrinology and infectious diseases, demonstrate how current water purification methods control health risks but do not eliminate them – a theme they develop by providing a wide range of current information on water quality within a historical context. Featured are summaries of drinking water contaminants and their known health effects, a review of purification technologies for public and private supplies, including bottled water, and a discussion of government regulations. However, the range of potential contaminants discussed does not always mirror current public debate. For example, although controversies such as the possible contribution of aluminum in drinking water to the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease are reviewed, and although fluoridation of public water supplies is discussed, the controversy over the potential health effects of fluoridation is not mentioned. Despite this quibble, The Water We Drink is a useful guide for the educated consumer who wishes to safeguard his or her health.