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How Did We Find Out about Oil?
Describes the origin, composition, and historical and modern uses of petroleum.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1980
40 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,347 books28k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 18, 2018
En general, leer a Asimov es una maravilla, pero este libro lo encontré una lata, ¿o quizás es que no lo entendí? El lenguaje fue demasiado técnico, y le faltó la gracia habitual, opino yo.
Creo que al final salí más confundida de cómo llegué, aunque sí aprendí cómo funcionan los autos a gasolina, ehehehe. Y, bueno, como era cortito, no fue gran pérdida de tiempo.
Pero no lo recomiendo, porque Asimov escribe prácticamente de todo y tiene libros que son mil veces mejores.
Creo que al final salí más confundida de cómo llegué, aunque sí aprendí cómo funcionan los autos a gasolina, ehehehe. Y, bueno, como era cortito, no fue gran pérdida de tiempo.
Pero no lo recomiendo, porque Asimov escribe prácticamente de todo y tiene libros que son mil veces mejores.
November 7, 2013
Maybe is a bit outdated but I think is a good book, in which the origin of oil and some of its uses are explained in a very clear way.
December 31, 2024
Never ever underestimate Isaac Asimov! I read this 1980 book feeling sure it would be out of date. I was wrong! He mentions the damage oil brings to our world. He mentions Climate Change, NOT by name but by description! You think, oh you’re exaggerating. Here is the quote from p.56:
Even if such impurities [referring to smoke pollution in the prior paragraph] are removed, burning coal and oil produce carbon dioxide that accumulates in the air. Carbon dioxide in the air tends to trap sunlight and warm the earth. Even a little carbon dioxide in the air might change the planet’s climate, and this could create enormous problems.
This is why Asimov was such a great sci-fi writer. He looked at the way we were using gasoline in 1980 (possibly written in 1979 with publication in 1980) and recognized what we now realize in 2024 as the horrendous problem of Climate Change! It wasn’t until June 23, 1988 that Dr. James Hansen testified to U.S. Congress about the issue! Five stars for writing something so prescient in 1980, 44 years ago!
Even if such impurities [referring to smoke pollution in the prior paragraph] are removed, burning coal and oil produce carbon dioxide that accumulates in the air. Carbon dioxide in the air tends to trap sunlight and warm the earth. Even a little carbon dioxide in the air might change the planet’s climate, and this could create enormous problems.
This is why Asimov was such a great sci-fi writer. He looked at the way we were using gasoline in 1980 (possibly written in 1979 with publication in 1980) and recognized what we now realize in 2024 as the horrendous problem of Climate Change! It wasn’t until June 23, 1988 that Dr. James Hansen testified to U.S. Congress about the issue! Five stars for writing something so prescient in 1980, 44 years ago!
April 24, 2023
Muy interesante y didáctico . Una breve historia de como se descubrió el petróleo y sus derivados y como fue usado desde la antigüedad y a lo largo de la historia.
January 29, 2021
Overall it's a great book but it gives information about certain things that don't have much to do with the rest of the book.
I hope that this review helps you and have a good day!
I hope that this review helps you and have a good day!
February 4, 2025
Sabía que este libro de divulgación me gustaría.
March 24, 2013
Me gusta mucho la manera en que Asimov explica todos los conceptos químicos del petroleo y los datos que da son tan interesantes como inquietantes. Por ejemplo él menciona que dado el crecimiento de la población para el año 2000 seríamos unos 6 mil millones de personas cuando en estos momentos rondamos los 7 mil millones.
October 4, 2014
Súper interesante. Te explica de un forma clara y resumida todo acerca del descubrimiento del petróleo
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October 2, 2024
Relato muy corto, acerca del Petróleo... Historia, usos, organizaciones (OPEP). Todo en un lenguaje muy sencillo y ameno. Interesante, si deseas aprender acerca del petróleo.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews