From the author of PERIODIC TALES and ANATOMIES comes the history and science of the ever-powerful tide explored for the first time. Half of today's population lives in coastal regions lapped by tidal waters. But it rises and falls according to rules that are a mystery to almost all of us. To fully grasp the influence of the tide and its effects on our civilization, Aldersey-Williams brings together centuries of science but also the literary history and folklore from around the world.