Echoes of Life: What Fossil Molecules Reveal about Earth History
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Book Overview
In 1936 a German chemist identified certain organic molecules that he had extracted from ancient rocks and oils as the fossil remains of chlorophyll--presumably from plants that had lived and died millions of years in the past. It was another twenty-five years before this insight was developed and the term "biomarker" coined to describe fossil molecules whose molecular structures could reveal the presence of otherwise elusive organisms and processes. Echoes of Life is the story of these molecules and how they are illuminating the history of the earth and its life. It is also the story of how a few maverick organic chemists and geologists defied the dictates of their disciplines and--at a time when the natural sciences were fragmenting into ever-more-specialized sub-disciplines--reunited chemistry, biology and geology in a common endeavor. The rare combination of rigorous science and literary style--woven into a historic narrative that moves naturally from the simple to the complex--make Echoes of Life a book to be read for pleasure and contemplation, as well as education.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0195176197
ISBN13:9780195176193
Release Date:November 2008
Publisher:Oxford University Press, USA
Length:376 Pages
Weight:1.45 lbs.
Dimensions:1.2" x 6.2" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Don't let this one escape you
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Corey Robin began this book prior to the events of 9/11 and the politics of fear that have gripped this nation, culminating in the recent presidential election. Unfortunately, this scholarly work on the history of fear as both a political idea and a reprehensible social instrument was rather late to arrive in the recent avalanche of mostly mindless books. It has yet to be recognized for its thoughtful and lucid analysis. Well-researched and documented by nearly 50 pages of references, it's a watershed book on this subject like no other. Seldom will you find a more thought provoking book so in tune with the times.
Fear: History of a Political Idea
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Thought provoking and most applicable to todays times--Weapons of Mass Destruction, Terrorism,etc. Historically many political motivations are based on fear as Robin explains. A good voyage through history on Fear and how it has been used by Political figures, leaders and statesman to move the public to accept their strategies, plans and actions. Perhaps we see Robin's theory most clearly in action in this November election race.
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