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Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey
A richly illustrated history of a single atom of carbon, tracing its many manifestations from the Big Bang to the present.
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
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!
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
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!
- GenresScienceNatureNonfiction
64 pages, Hardcover
Published May 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 25, 2021
This book is based on a clever, high concept approach - following the existence of a carbon atom from its creation billions of years ago through its role in geology and then living organisms on Earth, ending up in the author's brain as he writes the story. Along the way we see the molecules that the carbon has been part of - often something simple like carbon dioxide, but sometimes in more complex organic molecules (and for no explained reason a buckyball when the Milky Way galaxy forms).
The book is illustrated with accomplished black and white pencil drawings by John Barnett These are fine, but the format used is odd. What we have here is basically the format of an illustrated book for seven-year-olds - it really took me back to reading to my children. There are big double pages spreads of the drawings - some with no text at all, others with a single paragraph of text, all in an extra-large format book. This isn't a children's title though - which meant it felt extremely skimpy for an adult audience. I'd read it in under 10 minutes.
Another small issue is that the author and Roald Hoffmann, who wrote the preface, go on at some length about Primo Levi's The Periodic Table. This book actually has in its acknowledgements 'As a form of honor and thanks to the humanity and grace of Primo Levi.' Which is fine if you're a fan of Levi's book, but probably doesn't help if you've never read it - which will be the case for the majority of the potential audience.
For me, Carbon was disappointing as it was neither fish nor fowl. It was designed like a children's book, but aimed at an adult audience. Like other adult novelty books (adult pop-up books, for example), it had far too little content to be satisfying.
The book is illustrated with accomplished black and white pencil drawings by John Barnett These are fine, but the format used is odd. What we have here is basically the format of an illustrated book for seven-year-olds - it really took me back to reading to my children. There are big double pages spreads of the drawings - some with no text at all, others with a single paragraph of text, all in an extra-large format book. This isn't a children's title though - which meant it felt extremely skimpy for an adult audience. I'd read it in under 10 minutes.
Another small issue is that the author and Roald Hoffmann, who wrote the preface, go on at some length about Primo Levi's The Periodic Table. This book actually has in its acknowledgements 'As a form of honor and thanks to the humanity and grace of Primo Levi.' Which is fine if you're a fan of Levi's book, but probably doesn't help if you've never read it - which will be the case for the majority of the potential audience.
For me, Carbon was disappointing as it was neither fish nor fowl. It was designed like a children's book, but aimed at an adult audience. Like other adult novelty books (adult pop-up books, for example), it had far too little content to be satisfying.
June 16, 2021
Review originally published at https://amanjareads.com/2021/07/06/ca...
Thank you to No Starch Press for providing me with a copy of Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey in exchange for this honest review.
Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey is a nonfiction book that follows a single atom of carbon from the big bang to the author's pencil. It could be described as an illustrated nonfiction or even as a coffee table book due to its large format and nice hard cover.
It is difficult to categorize this book either way though. It is creative nonfiction, the writing is actually quite lovely. So it is not a dense text book for sure. However, it is likely to be too advanced for a younger audience to read themselves. But as it's a bit too simple for adults so it falls somewhere in the middle.
The entire book is illustrated in carbon pencil with lovely artwork by the author. There is a lacking of text on the pages and some are even only filled with the pencil drawings. Carbon is a nice idea for a book but it doesn't fill it out enough to really make it work more than a novelty.
I read the whole book in probably ten minutes. I think it would really belong in the waiting room or lounge area of some kind of science based office building. It's honestly the only place I could think of that this little book would really belong. But if I were waiting for a job interview it would be the perfect thing to casually flip through while waiting for my name to be called!
I can't say I really learned anything from Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey but I also don't regret picking it up. The prose is surprisingly advanced with a lot of delightful alliteration and the pictures are soothing to look at. I just doubt I'll be inclined to pick it up again.
Thank you to No Starch Press for providing me with a copy of Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey in exchange for this honest review.
Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey is a nonfiction book that follows a single atom of carbon from the big bang to the author's pencil. It could be described as an illustrated nonfiction or even as a coffee table book due to its large format and nice hard cover.
It is difficult to categorize this book either way though. It is creative nonfiction, the writing is actually quite lovely. So it is not a dense text book for sure. However, it is likely to be too advanced for a younger audience to read themselves. But as it's a bit too simple for adults so it falls somewhere in the middle.
The entire book is illustrated in carbon pencil with lovely artwork by the author. There is a lacking of text on the pages and some are even only filled with the pencil drawings. Carbon is a nice idea for a book but it doesn't fill it out enough to really make it work more than a novelty.
I read the whole book in probably ten minutes. I think it would really belong in the waiting room or lounge area of some kind of science based office building. It's honestly the only place I could think of that this little book would really belong. But if I were waiting for a job interview it would be the perfect thing to casually flip through while waiting for my name to be called!
I can't say I really learned anything from Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey but I also don't regret picking it up. The prose is surprisingly advanced with a lot of delightful alliteration and the pictures are soothing to look at. I just doubt I'll be inclined to pick it up again.
Read
December 24, 2022"...full of purpose without intent."
September 10, 2021
In the format of a children’s story book, but beautifully tailored for sophisticated lovers of chemistry.
June 9, 2021
Too short, nice pictures but it lacks some of the detail that could add further to the beauty of the carbon cycle.
pictures do not lend themselves to an electronic book.
pictures do not lend themselves to an electronic book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews