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98th out of 231 books
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95 voters
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Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet
by
Oliver Morton (Goodreads Author)
A story of a world in crisis and the importance of plants, the history of the earth, and the feuds and fantasies of warring scientists--this is not your fourth-grade science class's take on photosynthesis.
From acclaimed science journalist Oliver Morton comes this fascinating, lively, profound look at photosynthesis, nature's greatest miracle. Wherever there is greenery,
...moreHardcover, 460 pages
Published
November 1st 2007
by Harper
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Its an amazing piece of work. Sorry Oliver, but this is not popular science writing - there's too much depth for that. Is there anyone else in the world who understands photosynthesis at this level of detail from its intricate quantum mechanism to its interplanetary implications? but this book is far more than just description of science or biography of scientists - there is a cinematic, lyrical, positively transcendent quality to the writing which is so rare in any kind of 'science book'.
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A much heftier read than I was expecting, honestly. Other reviews describe the first third as being the most science-detail-heavy, but I found the whole thing a little overwhelming in both scientific and science-historic detail. I had to make the choice to let some of the particulars wash over me: the names and inter-relations of scientists. I think I could've gotten more of that, and retained it better, if I'd had a book group or class to read this with, to talk over the particulars, draw pictu...more
i read this book because my boss wrote it, and i thought maybe it would help me figure him out. actually it turned out to be pretty fascinating. just don't give up in the first third, in which there is more detail than you'd ever want to know about the calvin-benson cycle, the rubisco enzyme, and photosystem II. farther into the book it explodes into a meditation on the nature of our planet and all its interconnected systems: plants, people, soil, water, air. there is a chapter in which he takes...more
popular science tends to be written by one of two types of people. scientists who have decided that telling the world about science is as important as working in their lab and writers, usually journalists from magazines that got interested in some aspect of science, wrote a longish piece and then thought enough to make it into a book. this author is the second type but he writes, especially the first 1/4 of the book, on chlorophyll like a passionate scientist.
the first part reminded me...more
the first part reminded me...more
This was not a light read for me...uh, sorry, no pun intended. I spent all Christmas break working though it and still had to return it to the library half-finished. The author is an editor for Nature, I believe, and seemed to have more of an insider perspective than the everyday science writer. Generally, quite poetic passages sandwiching in technical explanations of the discovery and implications of photosynthesis. Like many science books (Short History of Nearly Everything, Ocean of Air),...more
This is an interesting book which covers an extremely relevant and important topic - the environment and our attitude towards it. It describes photosynthesis in a way that most of us have probably never thought of it. I didn't read the book in one sitting, and have still not finished it. Where the book fails for me is it covers both the science, and the history of the science and the people behind it. It's a little much to take in all at once if you're not well versed with the subjects at hand. ...more
The cycle of photosynthesis is the cycle of life, says science journalist Morton (Mapping Mars). Green leaves trap sunlight and use it to absorb carbon dioxide from the air and emit life-giving oxygen in its place. Indeed, plants likely created Earth's life-friendly oxygen- and nitrogen-rich biosphere. In the first part, Morton, chief news and features editor of the leading science journal, Nature, traces scientists' quest to understand how photosynthesis works at the molecular level. In part tw...more
Don't let the 1st few chapters deter you from getting to the big picture parts(parts 2+3). It's a scince book for lay folks and allows one to discover and really understands the intricate and delicate balance of the planet. What we know and what we don't know about our planet as either a self regulating being or a series of predictable quantative events is staggering! I have never had to put a book down because of the sheer overwhelmingness of understanding. I would love to know if anyone else e...more
Oliver Morton gives a high complex subject a truly accessible treatment as well as providing a compelling story line using all participants in the ongoing attempts to understand the processes which make life possible on our planet. In this day of 'green' awareness, most anyone would find something of value in these pages which can help inform a diversity of efforts towards a more sustainable human world.
remarkable insights, even though dense in places, hard to fully comprehend all the complex details of the chemistry involved, it is nevertheless eye-opening about the world we live in, about the world of which we are composed, all resting on a foundation of light. remarkable
A potentially fascinating subject about the relationship between sunlight, plants and the earths geological history.
It seems to be a poorly executed idea though as the book becomes bogged down in the minutia of who discovered what when.
It seems to be a poorly executed idea though as the book becomes bogged down in the minutia of who discovered what when.
Morton's "Eating the Sun" encompasses everything I expect in great science writing. Readers will come away from this book understanding the state of the art of how photosynthesis works on a molecular and physical level. In the fashion of a mystery novel, Morton explains the history of the geniuses who figured out photosynthesis. He then explains the philosophical and ecological implications of this information. Put down that abstract physics book or that political tome masquerading ...more
A good presentation of the discovery and elucidation of photosynthesis. It tranistions into a discussion of the cause and consequences of the carbon/climate crisis on food and life.
Science writing at its best. Chuck-full of information about our planet surrounding its chemistry. Must be read over several times for me, a well-educated mortal, to comprehend.
This book is way too in-depth and technical to be considered "popular science." It made me wish I were back in high school--when I was a lot more familiar with the terms and ideas explored in this book. However, it is an amazing work, and, by the end of it, you will know a helluva lot more about photosynthesis and its importance than you would've ever cared to know before. It is well worth the time and exploration of the dictionary to dig into this one. The global warming stuff--which ...more
Kami
marked it as to-read
Only got to pg 38 before I gave up. Too much chemistry for me. Probably would have loved it if I had stuck it out a little longer. maybe someday soon.
Scott
marked it as to-read-but-do-not-have
recommended by steven johnson ... http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com/2008/...
I am so blown away by this book! I consider it a masterpiece of science writing. Not an easy slog for the layperson, but well worth the effort.
Reading this book deepened my appreciation and awe of plants and of the interconnections within Earth's climate system. That humans are only beginning to understand these connections and how they relate to each other, makes a book like this even more important to be widely read. Although the description and history of how photosynthesis "works" and varies was a bit dense ultimately it was fascinating. I thought this author did a great job of making cutting edge science and future visio...more
Stopped reading this one despite everyone else's reviews that said "if you can make it through the first section, it's awesome". I believe them. But I couldn't make it through.
I hope to pick it back up at a later date, because it was good. It just read too much like a science book for me.
I hope to pick it back up at a later date, because it was good. It just read too much like a science book for me.
Adam
is currently reading it
So far, this has the makings of a masterpiece.
I am not smart enough for this book.
Couldn't finish it.
I am finally admitting defeat on this book, which is a pity. The library says I have to give it back. My reading of the book was interrupted by a move and a subsequent new library card, which necessitated a long break and then a reread.
This book is fascinating. It is dense with scientific information presented in a clear and easily understood manner. If you like science at all, I think this is a book to enjoy.
This book is fascinating. It is dense with scientific information presented in a clear and easily understood manner. If you like science at all, I think this is a book to enjoy.
3.5/5
An impressive book in its treatment of its core subject. The only real issue I had was that the level of chemistry required to understand the first part of the book is much higher than I have.
A minor cavil is that the high flowing narrative can distract from the subject matter - its well written, the problem here is that it may be overwritten.
An impressive book in its treatment of its core subject. The only real issue I had was that the level of chemistry required to understand the first part of the book is much higher than I have.
A minor cavil is that the high flowing narrative can distract from the subject matter - its well written, the problem here is that it may be overwritten.
This book was a big commitment, and maybe best kept for the subset of readers who are deeply interested in things like the biochemistry of photosynthesis. BUT if you are that person, this is an incredibly thorough and surprisingly quick-going synthesis of earth's fundamental biology, from its molecular cogs to encompassing global processes.
A terrific book, particularly the last third. If you're stuck in some of the chemistry of photosynthesis in the early section, don't give up on the book--what it has to say about Earth's atmospheric history is not only interesting--it's vitally relevant to our current climatic predicament.
Chris
added it
I could not finish this book.
Recommended in Pamela Silver's Bioch/Biophys seminar today. She made it seem worth checking out (a rare thing to get a book recommendation in seminar!)
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