Epilogue

Virtually every reader of this book will have some sort of relationship with a river，or perhaps more than one.It may involve living on a floodplain or benefiting directly from a river's flow，maybe as an angler or via a system of plumbing.The number of ways in which rivers impinge on human society is great，and there are few places on Earth where rivers do not exert an influence，be it direct or indirect，current or historical.

The aim of this book has been to celebrate rivers in all their diversity.Bountiful yet capricious，rivers represent different things to different people，sometimes contradictory，at others complementary.They form vital components to innumerable ecosystems，and nourish both town and country.That nourishment has been spiritual as much as literal.Rivers are worshipped and revered，respected and feared.From raging torrents to babbling brooks，their waters have fuelled the thoughts of artists，scientists，philosophers，and generals.In a very real sense，much of human history has taken place on the banks of rivers.

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus asserted that‘you cannot step twice into the same river’.All rivers are inherently dynamic.A meandering channel can abruptly become braided，or a trickle burst out of its banks to inundate a plain.So too the life they sustain，from mountain peaks to muddy deltas，on timescales ranging from the nymphal life of a mayfly to the extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin.Humankind's use and abuse of rivers has been equally diverse and vibrant，ranging from development of the earliest river boats to the choking of waterways with industrial effluent.

River channels occupy just a tiny fraction of the land surface，but their influence is out of all proportion to this immediate footprint.No matter how you may perceive rivers，all must acknowledge the wide and eclectic menu of river-based themes.Together，they reflect both the natural and social history of our planet.