Author: Vince Beiser
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399576444
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
A finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award The gripping story of the most important overlooked commodity in the world--sand--and the crucial role it plays in our lives. After water and air, sand is the natural resource that we consume more than any other--even more than oil. Every concrete building and paved road on Earth, every computer screen and silicon chip, is made from sand. From Egypt's pyramids to the Hubble telescope, from the world's tallest skyscraper to the sidewalk below it, from Chartres' stained-glass windows to your iPhone, sand shelters us, empowers us, engages us, and inspires us. It's the ingredient that makes possible our cities, our science, our lives--and our future. And, incredibly, we're running out of it. The World in a Grain is the compelling true story of the hugely important and diminishing natural resource that grows more essential every day, and of the people who mine it, sell it, build with it--and sometimes, even kill for it. It's also a provocative examination of the serious human and environmental costs incurred by our dependence on sand, which has received little public attention. Not all sand is created equal: Some of the easiest sand to get to is the least useful. Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser delves deep into this world, taking readers on a journey across the globe, from the United States to remote corners of India, China, and Dubai to explain why sand is so crucial to modern life. Along the way, readers encounter world-changing innovators, island-building entrepreneurs, desert fighters, and murderous sand pirates. The result is an entertaining and eye-opening work, one that is both unexpected and involving, rippling with fascinating detail and filled with surprising characters.
The World in a Grain
Author: Vince Beiser
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399576444
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
A finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award The gripping story of the most important overlooked commodity in the world--sand--and the crucial role it plays in our lives. After water and air, sand is the natural resource that we consume more than any other--even more than oil. Every concrete building and paved road on Earth, every computer screen and silicon chip, is made from sand. From Egypt's pyramids to the Hubble telescope, from the world's tallest skyscraper to the sidewalk below it, from Chartres' stained-glass windows to your iPhone, sand shelters us, empowers us, engages us, and inspires us. It's the ingredient that makes possible our cities, our science, our lives--and our future. And, incredibly, we're running out of it. The World in a Grain is the compelling true story of the hugely important and diminishing natural resource that grows more essential every day, and of the people who mine it, sell it, build with it--and sometimes, even kill for it. It's also a provocative examination of the serious human and environmental costs incurred by our dependence on sand, which has received little public attention. Not all sand is created equal: Some of the easiest sand to get to is the least useful. Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser delves deep into this world, taking readers on a journey across the globe, from the United States to remote corners of India, China, and Dubai to explain why sand is so crucial to modern life. Along the way, readers encounter world-changing innovators, island-building entrepreneurs, desert fighters, and murderous sand pirates. The result is an entertaining and eye-opening work, one that is both unexpected and involving, rippling with fascinating detail and filled with surprising characters.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399576444
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
A finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award The gripping story of the most important overlooked commodity in the world--sand--and the crucial role it plays in our lives. After water and air, sand is the natural resource that we consume more than any other--even more than oil. Every concrete building and paved road on Earth, every computer screen and silicon chip, is made from sand. From Egypt's pyramids to the Hubble telescope, from the world's tallest skyscraper to the sidewalk below it, from Chartres' stained-glass windows to your iPhone, sand shelters us, empowers us, engages us, and inspires us. It's the ingredient that makes possible our cities, our science, our lives--and our future. And, incredibly, we're running out of it. The World in a Grain is the compelling true story of the hugely important and diminishing natural resource that grows more essential every day, and of the people who mine it, sell it, build with it--and sometimes, even kill for it. It's also a provocative examination of the serious human and environmental costs incurred by our dependence on sand, which has received little public attention. Not all sand is created equal: Some of the easiest sand to get to is the least useful. Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser delves deep into this world, taking readers on a journey across the globe, from the United States to remote corners of India, China, and Dubai to explain why sand is so crucial to modern life. Along the way, readers encounter world-changing innovators, island-building entrepreneurs, desert fighters, and murderous sand pirates. The result is an entertaining and eye-opening work, one that is both unexpected and involving, rippling with fascinating detail and filled with surprising characters.
View with a Grain of Sand
Author: Wisława Szymborska
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780156002165
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 228
Book Description
From one of Europe's most prominent and celebrated poets, a collection remarkable for its graceful lyricism. With acute irony tempered by a generous curiosity, Szymborska documents life's improbability as well as its transient beauty to capture the wonder of existence. Preface by Mark Strand. Translated by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh, winners of the PEN Translation Prize.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780156002165
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 228
Book Description
From one of Europe's most prominent and celebrated poets, a collection remarkable for its graceful lyricism. With acute irony tempered by a generous curiosity, Szymborska documents life's improbability as well as its transient beauty to capture the wonder of existence. Preface by Mark Strand. Translated by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh, winners of the PEN Translation Prize.
The Theory of the Grain of Sand
Author: Benoit Peeters
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781631404894
Category : Brussels (Belgium)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Gholam Mortiza Khan comes to Brüsel to sell some jewelry, but before the sale can be closed, Khan dies in an accident. Thus begins events sparking an investigation by Mary von Rathen: accumulation of sand in the apartment of Kristin Antipova; accumulation of stones in the house of Constant Abeels and Maurice who is loosing weight by the day. The events have a catastrophic effect on Brüsel and time is of the essence. Newly translated into English by Ivanka Hahnenberger and Steve Smith, and edited by Steve Smith (translator of The Leaning Girl and The Beauty) and Karen Copeland at Alaxis Press for publication by IDW.
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 9781631404894
Category : Brussels (Belgium)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Gholam Mortiza Khan comes to Brüsel to sell some jewelry, but before the sale can be closed, Khan dies in an accident. Thus begins events sparking an investigation by Mary von Rathen: accumulation of sand in the apartment of Kristin Antipova; accumulation of stones in the house of Constant Abeels and Maurice who is loosing weight by the day. The events have a catastrophic effect on Brüsel and time is of the essence. Newly translated into English by Ivanka Hahnenberger and Steve Smith, and edited by Steve Smith (translator of The Leaning Girl and The Beauty) and Karen Copeland at Alaxis Press for publication by IDW.
Sand and Foam
Author: Kahlil Gibran
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aphorisms and apothegms
Languages : en
Pages : 118
Book Description
A book of aphorisms, poems, and parables by the author of "The Prophet" - a philosopher at his window commenting on the scene passing below.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aphorisms and apothegms
Languages : en
Pages : 118
Book Description
A book of aphorisms, poems, and parables by the author of "The Prophet" - a philosopher at his window commenting on the scene passing below.
Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand
Author: Samuel R. Delany
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
ISBN: 0819567140
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Book Description
The story of a truly galactic civilization with over 6,000 inhabited worlds.
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
ISBN: 0819567140
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Book Description
The story of a truly galactic civilization with over 6,000 inhabited worlds.
The Suitcase
Author: Sergei Dovlatov
Publisher: Catapult
ISBN: 1582438838
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 91
Book Description
Sergei Dovlatov's subtle, dark–edged humor and wry observations are in full force in The Suitcase as he examines eight objects—the items he brought with him in his luggage upon his emigration from the U.S.S.R. These seemingly undistinguished possessions, stuffed into a worn–out suitcase, take on a riotously funny life of their own as Dovlatov inventories the circumstances under which he acquired them, occasioning a brilliant series of interconnected tales: A poplin shirt evokes the bittersweet story of a courtship and marriage, while a pair of boots (of the kind only the Nomenklatura can afford) calls up the hilarious conclusion to an official banquet. Some driving gloves—remnants of Dovlatov's short–lived acting career—share space with neon–green crepe socks, reminders of a failed black–market scam. And in curious juxtaposition, the belt from a prison guard's uniform lies next to a stained jacket that once belonged to Fernand Léger. Imbued with a comic nostalgia overlaid with Dovlatov's characteristically dry wit, The Suitcase is an intensely human, delightfully ironic novel from "the finest Soviet satirist to appear in English since Vladimir Voinovich."
Publisher: Catapult
ISBN: 1582438838
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 91
Book Description
Sergei Dovlatov's subtle, dark–edged humor and wry observations are in full force in The Suitcase as he examines eight objects—the items he brought with him in his luggage upon his emigration from the U.S.S.R. These seemingly undistinguished possessions, stuffed into a worn–out suitcase, take on a riotously funny life of their own as Dovlatov inventories the circumstances under which he acquired them, occasioning a brilliant series of interconnected tales: A poplin shirt evokes the bittersweet story of a courtship and marriage, while a pair of boots (of the kind only the Nomenklatura can afford) calls up the hilarious conclusion to an official banquet. Some driving gloves—remnants of Dovlatov's short–lived acting career—share space with neon–green crepe socks, reminders of a failed black–market scam. And in curious juxtaposition, the belt from a prison guard's uniform lies next to a stained jacket that once belonged to Fernand Léger. Imbued with a comic nostalgia overlaid with Dovlatov's characteristically dry wit, The Suitcase is an intensely human, delightfully ironic novel from "the finest Soviet satirist to appear in English since Vladimir Voinovich."
A Sand Book
Author: Ariana Reines
Publisher: Tin House Books
ISBN: 1947793330
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
Longlisted for the National Book Award "Mind-blowing." —Kim Gordon DEADPAN, EPIC, AND SEARINGLY CHARISMATIC, A Sand Book chronicles climate change and climate grief, gun violence and bystanderism, state violence and complicity, mourning and ecstasy, sex and love, and the transcendent shock of prophecy, tracking new dimensions of consciousness for our strange and desperate times.
Publisher: Tin House Books
ISBN: 1947793330
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
Longlisted for the National Book Award "Mind-blowing." —Kim Gordon DEADPAN, EPIC, AND SEARINGLY CHARISMATIC, A Sand Book chronicles climate change and climate grief, gun violence and bystanderism, state violence and complicity, mourning and ecstasy, sex and love, and the transcendent shock of prophecy, tracking new dimensions of consciousness for our strange and desperate times.
Sand
Author: Michael Welland
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520942000
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 375
Book Description
From individual grains to desert dunes, from the bottom of the sea to the landscapes of Mars, and from billions of years in the past to the future, this is the extraordinary story of one of nature's humblest, most powerful, and most ubiquitous materials. Told by a geologist with a novelist's sense of language and narrative, Sand examines the science—sand forensics, the physics of granular materials, sedimentology, paleontology and archaeology, planetary exploration—and at the same time explores the rich human context of sand. Interwoven with tales of artists, mathematicians, explorers, and even a vampire, the story of sand is an epic of environmental construction and destruction, an adventure in staggering scales of time and distance, yet a tale that encompasses the ordinary and everyday. Sand, in fact, is all around us—it has made possible our computers, buildings and windows, toothpaste, cosmetics, and paper, and it has played dramatic roles in human history, commerce, and imagination. In this luminous, kinetic, revelatory account, we do indeed find the world in a grain of sand.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520942000
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 375
Book Description
From individual grains to desert dunes, from the bottom of the sea to the landscapes of Mars, and from billions of years in the past to the future, this is the extraordinary story of one of nature's humblest, most powerful, and most ubiquitous materials. Told by a geologist with a novelist's sense of language and narrative, Sand examines the science—sand forensics, the physics of granular materials, sedimentology, paleontology and archaeology, planetary exploration—and at the same time explores the rich human context of sand. Interwoven with tales of artists, mathematicians, explorers, and even a vampire, the story of sand is an epic of environmental construction and destruction, an adventure in staggering scales of time and distance, yet a tale that encompasses the ordinary and everyday. Sand, in fact, is all around us—it has made possible our computers, buildings and windows, toothpaste, cosmetics, and paper, and it has played dramatic roles in human history, commerce, and imagination. In this luminous, kinetic, revelatory account, we do indeed find the world in a grain of sand.
A Grain of Sand
Author: Brendon Grimshaw
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781874041337
Category : Hermits
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781874041337
Category : Hermits
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
The Me Disease
Author: Melissa H. Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781798848357
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
What if God called you to do something radical? What if God asked you to sell your house? Then He asked you to move away from the community where you had always lived? Then God asked you to sell your business? "The Me Disease" is the story of what happened when I said "yes" to God and set out on a journey of self-discovery. In this book, I candidly share about my need to please others while covering up my authentic self, a trait nurtured by our me-centered culture. I share about the crisis that resulted in my life coming to an abrupt halt, an event that I now realize was necessary for my life path to make an about-face. I also share about the difficult decisions that disrupted all of my familiar habits and routines. In addition to telling my story, each chapter ends with questions for you, the reader, to consider as you examine your own life journey. Read what happens when God calls me out of my me-centered existence into a life of obedience, to who God created me to be. Join me on this journey of transformation where I discover it is not about me but about us. We need each other. This is about my journey, but, along the way, perhaps you'll discover the way back to your authentic self too. In this book, you will be given a roadmap to ; Your own spiritual growth Accountability discipleship Importance of the mentor/mentee role Discover God in new ways and find out who does the sanctifying. Use this power-packed tool to guide you into a deeper relationship with God and discover who God created you to be. .
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781798848357
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
What if God called you to do something radical? What if God asked you to sell your house? Then He asked you to move away from the community where you had always lived? Then God asked you to sell your business? "The Me Disease" is the story of what happened when I said "yes" to God and set out on a journey of self-discovery. In this book, I candidly share about my need to please others while covering up my authentic self, a trait nurtured by our me-centered culture. I share about the crisis that resulted in my life coming to an abrupt halt, an event that I now realize was necessary for my life path to make an about-face. I also share about the difficult decisions that disrupted all of my familiar habits and routines. In addition to telling my story, each chapter ends with questions for you, the reader, to consider as you examine your own life journey. Read what happens when God calls me out of my me-centered existence into a life of obedience, to who God created me to be. Join me on this journey of transformation where I discover it is not about me but about us. We need each other. This is about my journey, but, along the way, perhaps you'll discover the way back to your authentic self too. In this book, you will be given a roadmap to ; Your own spiritual growth Accountability discipleship Importance of the mentor/mentee role Discover God in new ways and find out who does the sanctifying. Use this power-packed tool to guide you into a deeper relationship with God and discover who God created you to be. .