Symphony in C, Robert M Hazen
Symphony in C, Robert M Hazen
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Symphony in C
Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything

Author: Robert M Hazen

Narrator: Paul Brion

Unabridged: 9 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/11/2019


Synopsis

An enchanting biography of the most resonant—and most necessary—chemical element on Earth.

Carbon. It's in the fibers in your hair, the timbers in your walls, the food that you eat, and the air that you breathe. It's worth billions as a luxury and half a trillion as a necessity, but there are still mysteries yet to be solved about the element that can be both diamond and coal. Where does it come from, what does it do, and why, above all, does life need it?

With poetic storytelling, earth scientist Robert Hazen leads us on a global journey through the origin and evolution of life's most ubiquitous element. The story unfolds in four movements—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—and transports us through 14 billion years of cosmic history.

From the archives of Harvard to the cliffs of Scotland and into the precious metal mines of Namibia, Symphony in C is a sweeping chronicle of carbon: the most essential element on Earth.

About Robert M Hazen

Robert M. Hazen is executive director of the Deep Carbon Observatory based at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and Clarence Robinson Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian

Robert Hazen clearly loves his subject - his fascination with mineralogy, chemistry and geology shines through in this book. And there's a lot to discover here. But, strangely, that enthusiasm is one of the two reasons I had a bit of a problem with Symphony in C. I am passionate about Tudor and Eliz......more

Goodreads review by Jorge

¡Que libro tan maravilloso! Si les gustan las ciencias naturales y la buena divulgación científica tienen que escuchar esta sinfonía en Carbono, el más increíble elemento químico del Universo. El libro está increíblemente bien escrito, el lenguaje es accesible y los temas y datos que divulga el autor......more

Goodreads review by Nicky

Honestly, I could've picked this up just for the title, which I thought was clever. But of course, carbon is an intensely important element for life, so it ties in very much with my interest in biology -- no carbon, no us! -- and it didn't seem like it'd be too far off the random path of my current......more

Goodreads review by Stewart

For the record, I won a free ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The subtitle, “Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything,” isn't just hyperbole. Carbon is one of the most common elements in the universe, and is a basic building block of life as we know it. As executive director of the D......more