It's a Gas - by Mark Miodownik (Hardcover)

About the Book

"[A] rollicking guided tour of the secret lives of gases: the magnificent, strange, and fascinating substances that shape our world. Gases are all around us -- they fill our lungs, power our movement, create stars, and warm our atmosphere. Often invisible and sometimes odorless, these ubiquitous substances are also the least understood materials in our world, and always have been. It wasn't long ago that gases were seen as the work of ancient spirits: the sudden closing of a door after a change in airflow signaled a ghost's presence. Scientists and engineers have struggled with their own gaseous demons. The development of high-pressure steam power in the eighteenth century literally blew away some researchers, ushering in a new era for both safety regulations and mass transit. And carbon dioxide, that noxious by-product of fossil fuel consumption and cow burps, gave rise to modern civilization. Its warming properties known for centuries, it now spells ruin for our fragile atmosphere. In It's a Gas, bestselling materials scientist Mark Miodownik chronicles twelve gases and technologies that shaped human history. From hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and neon to laughing gas, steam, and even wind, the story of gases is the story of the space where science and belief collide, and of the elusive limits of human understanding"--

Book Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Matters presents a rollicking guided tour of the secret lives of gases: the magnificent, strange, and fascinating substances that shape our world.

Gases are all around us--they fill our lungs, power our movement, create stars, and warm our atmosphere. Often invisible and sometimes odorless, these ubiquitous substances are also the least understood materials in our world, and always have been.

It wasn't long ago that gases were seen as the work of ancient spirits: the sudden closing of a door after a change in airflow signaled a ghost's presence. Scientists and engineers have struggled with their own gaseous demons. The development of high-pressure steam power in the eighteenth century literally blew away some researchers, ushering in a new era for both safety regulations and mass transit. And carbon dioxide, that noxious by-product of fossil fuel consumption, gave rise to modern civilization. Its warming properties known for centuries, it now spells ruin for our fragile atmosphere.

In It's a Gas, bestselling materials scientist Mark Miodownik chronicles twelve gases and technologies that shaped human history. From hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and neon to laughing gas, steam, and even wind, the story of gases is the story of the space where science and belief collide, and of the elusive limits of human understanding.

Review Quotes

"Liquid Rules is an entertaining discussion of the various ways our lives are enriched by fluids. From the physics of ballpoint pens to the origin of jet-aircraft contrails, the book rewards the reader with fascinating facts and insights." - Wall Street Journal
"Written in a conversational tone, with all of the charm that genuine enthusiasm for the subject brings...[Miodownik] draws on his experience as an engineer and materials scientist and his skills as a science writer to make complex concepts accessible and, better still, intuitive...Liquid Rules is both entertaining and informative. . . At a time when technology, science, and public policy are often at odds, Miodownik adds to our understanding of the physical world with humor and sound science." - Science
"This book delivers exactly what it promises . . . A splendid soup of liquid-related science . . . It's a treat. I lost count of the number of 'but why?' questions it answers . . . This is a winning and hugely readable book." - Sunday Times on Liquid Rules
"Miodownik writes with such knowledge, such enthusiasm, such a palpable love for his subject." - Oliver Sacks on Stuff Matters
"Miodownik fizzes with enthusiasm. . .a compelling read." - Financial Times
"An exhilarating journey through the invisible wonders that shape our world. With seamless storytelling and scientific flair, Mark unveils the captivating personalities of gases that fizz, pop, numb, smell, warm, and soar, illuminating the extraordinary role they play in our lives."
- Roger Highfield, author of Virtual You
Praise for IT'S A GAS and Mark Miodownik:

"A science writer and materials scientist takes readers on a lively journey . . . from the proliferation of steam power in the 1700s to our changing relationship with carbon dioxide." - New York Times Book Review
"[Miodownik] never lets hard science get in the way of an engrossing narrative, but neither does he scrimp on substance. It would be hard to imagine a more comprehensive guide to gases for the lay reader, or one that made their crucial, interactive role in Earth's history more apparent. Miodownik blends top-drawer expertise with a sprightly style that commands the reader's attention first word to last." - Kirkus Reviews
"Captivating. . . Miodownik combines a specialist's erudition with a generalist's broad scope, producing an expansive inquiry that bounds from human history to natural science and climate research without missing a beat. It's an exemplary work of pop science." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A witty, smart writer who has a great talent for imparting his love for the subject." - Bill Gates on Stuff Matters
"Miodownik's breezy commentary, delivered in an appealing and conversational tone, is certain to elevate our appreciation for the gaseous sphere." - Booklist
"Stuff Matters is about hidden wonders, the astonishing properties of materials we think boring, banal and unworthy of attention...It's possible this science and these stories have been told elsewhere, but like the best chocolatiers, Miodownik gets the blend right." - New York Times Book Review
"It's not just a gas, it's a blast. A brilliant, bracing journey though the past, present and future of the invisible stuff you can't see, but is everywhere. Read this book and you'll never see, smell or inhale the world quite the same again." - Ed Conway, author of Material World
"Mark Miodownik is an exceptionally talented scientist, writer and communicator, and in this book he brings the invisible world of gas to vivid, visible life."
- Sophie Scott, author of The Brain: 10 Things You Should Know