Water is an endangered resource, imperiled by population growth, mega-urbanization, and climate change. Scientists project that by 2050, freshwater shortages will affect 75 percent of the global population. Steven Mithen puts our current crisis in historical context by exploring 10,000 years of humankind’s management of water. Thirst offers cautionary tales of civilizations defeated by the challenges of water control, as well as inspirational stories about how technological ingenuity has sustained communities in hostile environments. Mithen blends archaeology, current science, and ancient literature to give a rich picture of how our ancestors lived, showing examples from the Sumerians to the Nabataeans and the Khmer, and draws lessons for modern water crises.