Water is becoming an increasingly important topic and is the subject of many treaties and disputes. This set contains more than 100 signed entries on water science and water issues. Volume 1 has six chapters dealing with water science basics, volume 2 has five chapters dealing with the economics and uses of water, and the final volume has two chapters dealing with the environmental, legal, and political issues surrounding water. Each chapter contains numerous signed entries. For example, the chapter on the "Basics of Water Science" contains entries on biochemistry, chemistry of water, the hydrologic cycle, and the physics of water. Each entry has its own displayed glossary and gray sidebars with additional facts and also contains a list of print and Web resources for further study and research. The set is illustrated with black-and-white photographs, maps, and cycle charts. There is also a color photo section in each volume. The preponderance of gray and black and white does not provide a lot of visual interest.

The chapter arrangement makes it somewhat difficult to locate specific information. Within each chapter, entries are arranged alphabetically, and guide words are located at the bottom of each right-hand page. The individual entries in chapters have subheadings that are not arranged alphabetically, so it becomes slightly confusing as one pages through looking for topical information. A general glossary, a research and activities section, and a cumulative index to the set are included in each volume.