Having already surpassed milk and beer, and second now only to soda, bottled water is on the verge of becoming the most popular beverage in the United States. The brands have become so ubiquitous that consumers are hardly conscious that Poland Spring and Evian were once real springs, bubbling in remote corners of Maine and France. Only now, with the water industry trading in the billions of dollars, have we begun to question what it is we're drinking and why.
In this intelligent, eye-opening work of narrative journalism, Elizabeth Royte does for water what Eric Schlosser did for fast food: she finds the people, machines, economies, and cultural trends that bring it from nature to our supermarkets. Along the way, she investigates the questions we must inevitably answer. ... more

You don’t need a large garden to keep chooks and an average family only needs a couple of hens to keep them well stocked in fresh eggs all year round. The setup costs are minimal and you don’t need a whole host of expensive gadgets or equipment.

Packed with information on housing, food and water, daily care, disease prevention and cure, encouraging egg production and breeding, there is also comprehensive information on breeds and a list of useful contacts.