# Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey - Hardcover

by **John Barnett** (Author), **Roald Hoffman** (Foreword by)

**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!

### Author Biography

**John Barnett** is a life-long, self-taught lover of science. His favorite job was as a shepherd in Cornwall, England. For many years he enjoyed working as a carpenter, even building his own sailboat which, last he knew, still floats. For the past decade he has called himself a graphic designer and illustrator, skills he has applied toward many books. This book is the first of his own. The drawings within were done 'old-school' with fine-tipped mechanical pencils on paper. John currently lives on the shore of (and quite often on) Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island with his wife and three children.

**Roald Hoffmann** was born in 1937 in Zloczow, then Poland. He came to the US in 1949, and has long been at Cornell, active as a theoretical chemist. In chemistry he has taught his colleagues how to think about electrons influencing structure and reactivity, and won most of the honors of his profession. Hoffmann is also a writer, carving out his own land between poetry, philosophy, and science. He has published six books of non-fiction, three plays, and six volumes of poetry, including two book length selections of his poems in Spanish and Russian translations.

**Number of Pages:** 64

**Dimensions:** 0.4 x 11.1 x 8.7 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** May 25, 2021

## Details

- **Price:** 17.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 17.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey - Hardcover

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