“For those of us raised in the rationalist tradition, it is almost impossible to imagine that rivers might be alive, more than just the sum of the creatures they contain,” writes Robert Macfarlane in his latest book. In it, he explores the idea of rivers as living beings, and guides us on a journey along waterways in Ecuador, India, and Canada, all the way to a small spring near his own home. With sensitivity and insight, he reveals how different cultures perceive and relate to rivers, reminding us that our understanding of nature is far from universal. This is a book that invites us to rethink not only rivers, but life itself.