Reflecting a rich technical and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, this collection focuses on the properties of water and its interaction with life. Providing an overview of the role of water in biochemistry, physical chemistry, earth sciences, and astronomy, the book examines the arguments of Lawrence J. Henderson and other scholars on the "fitness" of water for life as part of the physical and chemical properties of nature. Highly esteemed researchers from multidisciplinary fields develop a variety of approaches that help to illuminate ways in which to address deeper questions with respect to the nature of the universe and our place within it.