Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey

Authors: Barnett, John
Publisher: No Starch Press
BISAC/Subject: SCI013040, SCI026000, SCI007000
ISBN: 9781718501232, Related ISBNs: 1718501226, 1718501234, 9781718501225, 9781718501232
Classification: Non-Fiction
Number of pages: 64,
Audience: General/trade
Synopsis: A richly illustrated history of a single atom of carbon, tracing its many manifestations from the Big Bang to the present.

Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey is an illustrated adaptation of 'Carbon,' a short story from Italian chemist, writer, and Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi. It traces the life story and many molecular manifestations of a single atom of this life-essential element.

You'll follow one atom from its spectacular birth 14 billion years ago through its harrowing journey on planet earth where it has become a basic building block of nearly 10 million known compounds in living things. You’ll learn that carbon:


   • Is breathed in by the Peregrine Falcon
   • Helps trees grow strong and tall
   • Lets a moth's eye make sense of light
   • Is found in your pencil as well as in your liver
   • And even helps convert grapes into wine

In this wondrous graphic journey, clever narrative and detailed art help bring to life the natural world and teach you a thing or two about how it was created. For anyone with a general interest in chemistry, physics, and the science of the universe, this beautiful book will both educate and inspire. If you’re ready for a STEAM adventure, then let the journey begin!
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