As global natural resources dwindle and Earth warms, the Arctic is set to become a geopolitical stage. In The Future History of the Arctic (PublicAffairs, 2010), Charles Emmerson, a writer and global-risk specialist, explains how the region's oil and mineral wealth is being eyed by surrounding nations. He reveals the forces that will shape the Arctic this century, looking at its history and landscape, from polar expeditions and Russian gulags to oil-industry sprawl. Emmerson's analysis comes on the heels of two other recent books by writers who travelled across the Arctic to witness the region's development — Alun Anderson's After the Ice (HarperCollins, 2009) and Sara Wheeler's The Magnetic North (Jonathan Cape, 2009).

Water is becoming scarce. In Water (HarperCollins, 2010), journalist Steven Solomon offers a sweeping history of civilization's struggle to obtain and manage water supplies. His synthesis examines trends caused by climate change including melting glaciers, flooding and drought; social divisions between those who have access to water and those who do not; how water is key to national security; and how it has played a part in the rise and fall of great powers through history.

In Bridges (Oxford Univ. Press, 2010), engineer David Blockley sings the praises of spanning structures. In a clear, no-nonsense account, he explains how to 'read' a bridge — its form, design and construction — and how it conducts the forces along its length to generate its strength. He describes what makes a good bridge and tells the stories of past great bridge builders. He also gives insight into famous failures, such as the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse in Washington state and London's wobbly Millennium Bridge.