[N8D]≡ Descargar Gratis The World in a Grain The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization Vince Beiser Books

The World in a Grain The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization Vince Beiser Books

Download As PDF : The World in a Grain The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization Vince Beiser Books

The World in a Grain The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization Vince Beiser Books

First of all -- who even thought about sand??? What an unexpected and yet essential thing to dig into (sorry). Second, the book is not only fascinating - covering sand as used in concrete, glass, technology, beach reclamation, exploring the environmental, social, economic, political impacts of this under-appreciated resource -- it's also a surprisingly fun read. The writing is engaging and crisp, and fun little interstitial factoids (how many grains of sand ARE there?) provide a nice counter-point to the well-researched longer chapters. Sand mafias? Who knew?? It's full of insightful, well analyzed, and unexpected ways we depend on what turns out to be a limited resource. Read this book and you'll be the hit of every cocktail and dinner party. You'll also find yourself thinking more about how little things matter, and more deeply about how we live in the world. I sped through it -- reading it feels like talking to your favorite interesting friend who always has great stories to tell.


Tags : Amazon.com: The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization (9780399576423): Vince Beiser: Books,Vince Beiser,The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization,Riverhead Books,0399576428,Environmental Economics,Environmental Science,Natural Resources,Sand,Sand.,Technology and civilization,Technology and civilization.,BUSINESS & ECONOMICS Environmental Economics,Business & EconomicsEnvironmental Economics,GENERAL,General Adult,History,MINERAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT,NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT,NATURE Natural Resources,Nature,NatureEcology,Non-Fiction,SCIENCE Environmental Science (see also Chemistry Environmental),ScienceEnvironmental Science (see also Chemistry - Environmental),Technology & EngineeringMaterials Science - General,United States,ecosystems; extraction; sand book; grains of sand; cities; sand; desert; grain book; political science; business; environmental science; science; nature books; science books; ecology; business books; nature; economics; money; wildlife; earth day books; environment; water; conservation; sustainability; environmental; climate change; biodiversity; natural history; global warming; geology; earth; drought; geography; oil; food; energy; technology; environmentalism; gardening; global; design; textiles; climate; trump; urban planning,political science;business;environmental science;science;nature books;science books;ecology;business books;desert;grain book;ecosystems;extraction;sand book;grains of sand;cities;sand;climate change;economics;global warming;nature;economy;strategy;money;economics books;science gifts;wildlife;climate change books;science book;nature lover gifts;earth day books;science books for adults;science gifts for adults;environment;sustainability;energy;geology;globalization;earth;technology;biodiversity,BUSINESS & ECONOMICS Environmental Economics,Business & EconomicsEnvironmental Economics,NATURE Natural Resources,SCIENCE Environmental Science (see also Chemistry Environmental),ScienceEnvironmental Science (see also Chemistry - Environmental),Technology & EngineeringMaterials Science - General,Nature,NatureEcology

The World in a Grain The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization Vince Beiser Books Reviews

Driving around today, all I could think about was sand. Under the car, in the buildings, in the overpass, everywhere. And everything requires a specific kind of sand. This book is amazing. So well written and informative that you want everyone to read it. I confess, I mostly read murder mysteries. This was a departure and I expected it to be boring. Boy was I wrong. Knowing what I know about sand now, when I drive under an overpass, or go on a bridge I wonder if the contractor used the right sand. This is a real murder mystery. Wars have broken out, and people die because of the demand for sand. And many more will die as a result of just using the wrong damn sand. Who knew? Read this book. It is enlightening and freaking scary. And extremely well done. Kudos to the author.
I know some of you are hoping that this topic just goes away,are trying not to scream that you can't stand to buy one more book about one more natural catastrophe and are wondering if its enough to read the reviews and pretend to keep up with your friends when they talk about it.
This isn't that book. Beiser is a helluva storyteller, so the inventors, builders, risk takers and criminals who have brought us on our blissful trip to our sand-based built environment all spring to life. Glass, for instance Beiser reflects on (sorry) it in Galileo's telescope , in the short but vital history of beer bottles and in your cell phone -and in any chip embedded in your worldly goods.

What's more, the crisis stage is fairly recent, the US market is not the culprit and there are many solutions... You CAN handle this knowledge, have fun acquiring it and take action. Even though it's Really Important.
Vince Beiser's fascinating new book, The World in a Grain, is about one of the world's most important substances......SAND.
Beiser provides us with a both revealing and at the same time a very concerning summary of the world's every day usages of sand and the alarming depletion this non-regenerating material. A virtual textbook, the extensive research he has done in pursuit of the uses and sources of the various types of sand available throughout the world is evidenced by the manner in which he lays out his detailed findings in very easy to follow and understanding way.

Beiser also sounds the alarm on two counts the first being the very rapid acceleration of the use of sand by countries that before the 21st Century never used sand in any significant quantities and secondly, the deterioration of concrete structures due to aging which, he points out, is not an eternal product. These aged structures will sooner or later have to be demolished and/or will fail on their own requiring replacement which will add to the burden of the diminishing supply of sand.

Although Beiser doesn't foresee an immediate shortage of sand he finishes his book with a waning that sand is just one element of a much larger problem of the world, that being over-consumption. H e advises hat we all must learn to live more moderately with less, share with the world and attempt to develop alternative ways of construction and technology that requires less usage of SAND. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the many uses of sand and the long term forecast of it's potential for extinction.
First of all -- who even thought about sand??? What an unexpected and yet essential thing to dig into (sorry). Second, the book is not only fascinating - covering sand as used in concrete, glass, technology, beach reclamation, exploring the environmental, social, economic, political impacts of this under-appreciated resource -- it's also a surprisingly fun read. The writing is engaging and crisp, and fun little interstitial factoids (how many grains of sand ARE there?) provide a nice counter-point to the well-researched longer chapters. Sand mafias? Who knew?? It's full of insightful, well analyzed, and unexpected ways we depend on what turns out to be a limited resource. Read this book and you'll be the hit of every cocktail and dinner party. You'll also find yourself thinking more about how little things matter, and more deeply about how we live in the world. I sped through it -- reading it feels like talking to your favorite interesting friend who always has great stories to tell.