It's a Gas

The Sublime and Elusive Elements That Expand Our World

De: Mark Miodownik

Narrado por: Daniel Weyman

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.

©2023 Mark Miodownik (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Pretty good

He goes down a lot of rabbit holes, but they're always interesting. not always about gas

Thought provoking and solution oriented

Another accessible yet extremely informative work by this author, weaving scientific principles and feats of engineering into interesting narratives. “It’s a Gas” is especially relevant because it explains how humanity got to where it is now and how we can work together to shift toward the greater sustainability that must be achieved for the survival of our species.

Beautifully written account of the science of gases and how they shaped the development of civilization

Not quite as much scientific explanation as his prior 2 books, but compensated by adding a personal touch (stories about his own inner turmoil and wonder) and a much grander vision of the arc of civilization and the role technology played.

too short, leaves you wanting more!

great book, great information and wonderful narratives to explain the significance of the gases and how they are used or how they were discovered. I enjoyed all three of the author's books.

A Nice Addition to the Other Books

Although it's difficult to beat the first book in this series ('Stuff Matters'), the second book ('Liquid Rules') came close. This book is easily the weakest in the series, but is still a decent addition to complete the trilogy.

The narrator

I was very disappointed at the narration. It changed the wonderful atmosphere present in the first and second books. So disappointed 🫤