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9780802717511

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The story of carbon is our story, of course. It's an exciting journey--from cyanobacteria through the old and new gingko tree, to the intellectual wonder of organic synthesis, and our dangerous romance with the internal combustion engine. Eric Roston is a super storyteller! --Roald Hoffmann, Frank H.T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters at Cornell University and 1981 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry<p> In order to understand the issue of climate change--or, for that matter, almost any issue relating to energy and life--it's necessary to understand carbon. Fortunately, it's an absolutely fascinating element, as Eric Roston shows in this delightful book. His narrative is a wonderful way to relish some basic science as well as understand some of the most profound policy issues we face. --Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of Einstein: His Life and Universe <p> With delightful verve and zest, Roston explores the awesomely cornucopian roles of carbon, ranging from cosmic to cellular, from climate to cancer. He also makes a compelling case that human destiny and carbon are now inextricably coupled. --Dudley Herschbach, 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry <p> If you thought oxygen was important, wait till you read this brilliantly researched tale of carbon, the element that makes possible diamonds, the 'lead' in your pencil, even 'you'-- and the element that is likely to occupy many headlines in the years ahead because we can't live without it and we may not be able to live with it. --Norm Augustine, former chairman and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and chairman of the study, Rising Above the Gathering Storm <p> Carbon, the citizen king of elements, governs who we areand what life is--but the king is going mad! Citizens, revolt against the despots, or all may be lost! --James E. Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies<p> A most accessible and thoroughly enjoyable way to gain real insight into a series of profoundly important subjects including, notably, the hellish risks we now face with climate change. I liked this book and plan to read it again. --James Gustave Speth, dean of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World Eric Roston provides an unparalleled tour of carbon's role in life. This is a journey that every reader will find surprising and thoroughly enjoyable. --Richard A. Meserve, President of the Carnegie Institution for Science

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Eric Roston covered technology, international trade, and energy issues at Time magazine for six years. This is his first book. He lives in Washington, D.C.

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