"The book begins with how lakes are born; subsequent chapters look at crater lakes, dams; the Carolina bays; oriented lakes; subglacial lakes; and salt lakes. The middle chapters look at the physical properties of lakes. The final chapters examine the ways in which lakes die, either through human or natural processes. In sum, the book constitutes a thorough "biography" of lakes. This is a solid, entertaining work of popular scientific writing on a subject that is of interest to a wide range of readers. The author has impressive credentials and is a fluent and engaging writer. We would be signing him up at the beginning of a promising writing career, and the book would bolster Timber's reputation for publishing top-quality writing about the natural world"--