This is a lovely little book, which I borrowed from the library in anticipation of my trip to London. I didn’t get around to reading it before (or during) the trip, but after reading the latest in the Rivers of London series of novels I found I still had the book out, so I figured I might as well read it. And I’m glad I did! As I read through it I found myself swinging between regret at all the interesting places I didn’t see on our trip, and fascination at all the points I did encounter. The book is laid out like a walking guide, with paths the reader can follow and landmarks to note along the way. It especially notes utilities and industrial sites, parks, churches, residential properties of various kinds, pubs, and manholes where an observant walker can hear hidden rivers, which continue to flow even after being buried deep beneath city streets. London is fascinating to me as an example of vital and dynamic human civilization—where modern construction occurs right next to 1,000 year old buildings. Humans have always worked to manipulate and control natural water sources, and have used them mercilessly for our own noxious purposes, but if nothing else, this book shows how irrepressible rivers can be. They can be diverted, culverted, and buried, but they cannot be killed. I saw several bridges in London—notably at Camden Market—that actually conceal rivers, contained in pipes and forced above the ground, incorporated into structures built for human purpose, but accommodated, because if they are not, they will find some way to carry on despite humans. I love everything about this book, and I hope to go back to London someday, and see some of what it illustrates, with my own eyes. ( )