Symphony in C: Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything

Download or read book Symphony in C: Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything written by Robert M. Hazen and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Science News Favorite Book of 2019 An earth scientist reveals the dynamic biography of the most resonant—and most necessary—chemical element on Earth. Carbon. It’s in the fibers in your hair, the timbers in your walls, the food that you eat, and the air that you breathe. It’s worth billions of dollars as a luxury and half a trillion as a necessity, but there are still mysteries about the element that can be both diamond and coal. Where does it come from, what does it do, and why, above all, does life need it? With poetic storytelling, Robert M. Hazen leads us on a global journey through the origin and evolution of life’s most essential and ubiquitous element.