Bottled & Sold: The Story Behind our Obsession with Bottled Water by Peter Gleick

Gleick evaluates bottled water by stepping back and asking why it exists at all in a country with widely available municipal water. He starts with perception, how marketers reframe ordinary water as safer or purer, then contrasts that with evidence on actual water quality and regulation, where tap often meets stricter standards. He looks at source claims but keeps the emphasis on transparency and accuracy. Cost is a central lens, highlighting the high price gap between bottled and tap water for what he claims is essentially the same product in many cases. Environmental impact follows...especially energy use and waste.