Caesar's Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.55 (754 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1478950528 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 1 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-08-18 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
And it has an epic story to tell. Without it, you would die in minutes. Of the sextillions of molecules entering or leaving your lungs at this moment, some might well bear traces of Cleopatra's perfumes, German mustard gas, particles exhaled by dinosaurs or emitted by atomic bombs, even remnants of stardust from the universe's creation. It's invisible. On the ides of March, 44 BC, Julius Caesar died of stab wounds on the Senate floor, but the story of his last breath is still unfolding; in fact, you're probably inhaling some of it now. In Caesar's Last Breath, New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean takes us on a journey through the periodic table, around the globe, and across time to tell the story of the air we breathe, which, it turns out, is also the story of earth and our existence on it. Tracing the origins and ingredients of our atmosphere, Kean reveals how the alchemy of air reshaped our continents, steered human progress, powered revolutions, and continues to influence everything we do. Along the way, we'll swim with radioactive pigs, witness the most important chemical reactions humans have discovered, and join the crowd at the Moulin Rouge for some of the crudest performance art of all time. Lively, witty, and filled with the astounding science of ordinary life, Caesar's Last Breath illumina
The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb were New York Times bestsellers.. Sam Kean spent years collecting mercury from broken thermometers as a kid, and now he's a writer in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in the New York Times magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, and Science, and it has been feature
this is a dose of fresh air.'' --Library Journal''Kean pumps chemical and historical trivia into this tale about air and the gases of which it is composedghtweight and entertaining.'' --Publishers Weekly''Richly informative. Sam Kean is such a writer and Caesar's Last Breath is such a book. Kean clearly delights in weaving in the unexpected compelling narrative of geologic history.'' --Science News. He inarguably succeeds with his goal of 'making these invisible stories of gases visible.''' --Andrea Jenney, Science Magazine''In Caesar's Last Breath, Kean takes on the science of gases in his trademark effervescent, loopy style. Pink, author of Drive''The most fun to be had from nonfiction is a good science book, with a writer of craft who can capture both the excitement and the elegance of science, the incredible fact that this is really how it works. Chris Hadfield, author of An Astronaut's Guide to Li
Science Book for Any Adult Reader Honestly, the first time I read one of Mr. Kean's books, it was for my book club. I thought it would be over my head. I WAS WRONG. I was so pleasantly surprised at the fluid story lines and attention to detail. Plus the humor in the book- who knew a science writer could be witty? This book is no different! I loved it and would recommend it to anyone- book club or no.. Great look at the atmosphere This is the third book of Sam Kean’s that I’ve read; the other two were “The Violinist's Thumb” and “The Disappearing Spoon”. I loved the latter two, so I had high expectations for “Caesar’s Last Breath”. I was not disappointed. Once again Kean does some great storytelling, this time about the atmosphere. There is some science involved since it is necessary to understand the behavior of gases in order to understand. This book is an excellent addition to Sam Kean's catalog Collin Waltner This book is an excellent addition to Sam Kean's catalog. Kean is a pleasure to read. His chapters are accessible, enthusiastic, and informative. This book, like his others, is a carnival ride through history. You will find yourself at turns in prehistoric volcanoes, ancient Rome, 19th C. Europe, and even on a future space mission. Kean chooses these scenes to explain masterfully what might otherwise be some difficult science. In particular, the section on Caesar's la