Hot Springs: Photos and Stories of How the World Soaks, Swims, and Slows Down

“To soak in a hot spring is to be cradled and cared for by the dynamic forces of the planet,” writes photojournalist Rybus in her loving debut ode to the geothermal phenomenon. Ferrying readers across six continents, Rybus makes stops in Hveravellir, an oasis of serenity in the Icelandic Highlands; Therme Vals in Switzerland, where an “austere, brutalist” granite building facilitates an “immersive” bathing experience for visitors; and Italy’s Bormio Thermal Baths, a tourist destination since Pliny the Elder visited in the first century (while the destination “looks different than it did thousands of years ago,” Rybus writes, “it’s still a place for people to... tend to the rushed and weary parts of themselves”). In both the striking photos—a mix of wide-angled shots and portraits of those who visit or maintain the springs—and text, Rybus reveals how soaking can inspire self-reflection, hold spiritual significance (a priest of Himachal Pradesh’s Hot Water Temples in India explains, “We believe in the hot water.... When you bathe in the water, you know its power”), and connect bathers to the earth, “literally introducing us to the hidden core of the place we call home.” The author’s reverence for her subject comes through in dreamy prose that never overpowers the serene, striking photos. Rybus expertly captures the essence of these meditative spaces. (Mar.)