Customer Reviews

The Carbon Age: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat

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This is an insanely smart book. The author has done his homework - there is more research in each sentence than I've ever seen in any other book that I would actually read. One Amazon.com reviewer complained that the book was not deep enough. That person missed the point. The Carbon Age is about the breadth of carbon's influence in our world. The author dances from theoretical stovepipe to theoretical stovepipe - from the history of the Earth to the human genome to economics in the post-industrial age, drawing parallels on every level and uniting them all. The overarching themes that he pulls out are not just about carbon. Roston's ability to make sense out of a world of information, with sharp insight and subtle humor, is what sets this book apart.

More than the famed C element, this book is about the evolution of systems. That's why it's so useful. In each chapter, he broaches a new topic (first the creation of the Earth from galactic matter, then the origins of life on Earth, etc.) and provides an interesting history of how it all happened, how it all works. In every case, the system starts with a little thing - some space dust, a carbon molecule, a mutation in human physiognomy, an economic truism - and that little thing guides the development of something much bigger. The composition of somebody's DNA physically determines the shape and characteristics of the animal built around it. Teeny microorganism bodies build up on the ocean floor, gradually becoming a huge layer of carbon which we can tap for fuel zillions of years later. The variety, and yet the consistency, of all these factors sets the stage for us to finally understand our own human context.

And what a doozie. When Roston gets to the part about modern humans, about the industrial revolution, about cars (how Daimler and Ford and Toyota have literally changed the world), it's mind-boggling. He shows how evolutionary principles merge with economic ones, with computer systems, with scientific research. He paints a big picture of how radically Earth's systems have changed in the last 150 years, something our limited lifespans have kept secret from us all this time. It's at once fascinating and terrifying. In a measured, apolitical way, Roston makes me fear for the future of my unborn children's planet. It's humbling to realize the unprecedented power that the human race exerts on our surroundings. And it's shameful how we have let our basest human nature have its way with them.

It makes me want to plant a tree. I'll talk to it, get rid of my own carbon dioxide, it'll photosynthesize it, and pure oxygen will come out. Hey, it's not much, but I've heard that big changes are built from little changes. It's worth a shot.

You should get this book.

Carbon is everywhere. While many people have gone through life without realizing this basic fact, this captivating new book shows us why it is time to reconsider this position. Roston opens the door to the world of carbon - an element that impacts everything from global warming to your new bike. A former Time magazine reporter, Roston writes in an engaging, clear and accessible style carrying us from the beginning of the universe to today's debates around carbon emissions. This is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about the universe and where it is going. Carbon ... who knew!?!

Understanding the carbon cycle and carbon's basic chemistry are vital to understanding global climate change and energy issues. I love learning about these issues. Thus, I was excited for this book. The title and back cover made it sound like it was going to be an engaging read. I was sorely disapointed. The writing and editing were just awful--shockingly awful. Adjacent paragraphs that don't belong together topically. Long random tangents throughout the book that the author fails to relate directly back to his thesis. (For example, in chapter 11 about biological fuels, a lot of information is discussed about basic genetics and the human genome project. Exactly why was never revealed and the chapter never presented in-depth info about biofuels.) The lack of a strong conclusion or forward-looking set of recommendations made the book end on a very unsatisfying note. These among other problems made for a less than spectacular read. I found myself skipping through big sections because I was so frustrated with the poor writing, both structurally and topically. One will obtain a better basic sense of the global carbon cycle from the Wikipedia entry than from this book. I don't recommend it in the least.

This book is a natural & "unnatural" history of carbon and humans. If you wonder about scientific debate this book is a good place to start.

Chapter 1 describes carbon's origin and role before RNA/DNA appear.

Chapter 2 concerns the origin of "life",while admitting that there is no good definition. The book is weak on scientific [evecological] philosophy. Yes,we can name peculiarities of RNA/DNA states of being,but likewise waves,clouds,crystals,etc. have their equally unique properties, even having features akin to reproduction; and everything in the universe is certainly sensitive and evolves in concert with everything else [evolutionary ecology or evecology].

Chapter 3,I believe,does a nice job on the "darker" ages of microbial life on Earth, emphasizing carbon, and oxygen's rise in the shallows.

Chapter 4's title["Inherent Brutality"]is a little much, subscribing rather fanatically to the more sensationalistic than scientific view of the "arms race" school. In ecological studies of relatively healthy nature "competition" is a jargon word to most since natural shortages do not seem to exist[e.g. deserts are not lacking in water,they're naturally dry;similarly forest floors are dark,but not "short" on light; and Galapagos finches don't want to breed if there is less feed]. Also,humans seem to be the only predators,ever[Yes,including that big vulture T.rex]. Everybody else eats ripe,about-to-die,or dead animals or plants.However,even fallen humans don't eat green oranges-Think about it.

Chapter 5 is a fascinating essay on the 1/4 billion years of nearly unchanging Ginkgo trees; though,of course there are other "living fossils",just as old ,such as tadpole shrimp.

Chapter 6 is mainly supportive of a very plausible theory: That humans have evolved ecologically as a "runner" version of ape. Since I have myself have run a distance equivalent to circling the Earth,mostly accompanied by a dog or two,this chapter is personally interesting. I will add here my own view that running,at least in the desert or mountains where I run,is,in my opinion,quite meditative/thoughtful.

Chapters 6-12 are the "unnatural" chapters as the author calls them,in comparison with the "natural" chapters 1-6. Here we soon come upon Richard Dawkins' memes,and what I would call the mother of all memes: "Let's run amuck for the hell of it,because we can [at least for awhile!]; let's be "extra-special",not just special like everything else in the universe." This,of course,is my version,but Hey! Just where does Dawkins get his philosophy,so well summed up on page 119,that memes[roughly "traditions"] can "in one way or another...[to quote Roston]--temper or conquer the more base,stupid,and brutal elements of our nature." If memes are founded on thoughtless/careless/grasping genes then,pray tell,how could there be any nice memes?
In any case,I,for one, am not proud of the last 50-100,000 years of human thoughtlessness,but I don't believe that humans-or the universe-are naturally/healthily insensitive,careless,or indifferent.

Basically the "unnatural" last six chapters are about how high-tech humans are becoming;and all kinds of high-tech ways that humans can keep on being "extra-special"-and-somehow pull out of the titanic nosedive falling-humans are steering/dis-leading the Earth into.
I have to say,however,whatever its shortcomings,that this book is a wondrous window into sometimes very technical scientific journals from nearly the whole spectrum of science.
Too bad the book concludes so sadly. I myself am more hopeful that philosophy,in all its rainbow of colors,scientific,religious/spiritual, etc.,can, through or with repentance, give us hope that we and our little children, and all the Universal Parent's children, will have a healthier future than the one falling-humans have been working on. The really real future is the truth of love.

This is a unique book, sweeping in breadth. On the surface, it is a typical science book, but the author manages to add grandeur by giving it a historical perspective.

Historical in a couple of senses: First, charting the history of the earth, and second, delving into mankind's history and man's relation to Carbon.

The author's research was phenomenal, and on every page there is some provocative or interesting fact that is new (to me at least, and Im rather well read).

I do have a suggestion, and if the author ever publishes a 2nd edition, I seriously recommend it: The book could use one or two historical graphs showing trends over time. A picture is worth a thousand words, and if there is one message, one thought, that this book pronounces it is that there have been long-term, gradual changes in the earth's environment, and we need to understand those to survive and flourish. But words are not enough to convey that thought: I want a graph that shows some of the trends, not just the recent Kneeley curve of CO2 in the atmosphere, but the amount of O2 in the atmosphere. There was no O2 originally, then plants came along and pumped out O2, and animals were able to evolve, then they started exhaling CO2, etc. What is the long-term dynamics of plants/animals/O2/CO2?

In summary, this is an interesting, educational book. It does focus on global-warming near the end, but that is not the primary aim of the book, and one shouldn't dismiss it as "just another global warming book". I highly recommend this to anyone interested in science or the environment.

The writer has translated for "the rest of us" what scientists have been telling us in their opaque way: How the burning of carbon in the form of fossil fuels is distorting and accelerating what had been the normal progression of climate change throughout the earth's history. I challenge climate change deniers to read this book and hold to their position. For people concerned about climate change but not quite sure how and why it's happening -- why, precisely, carbon is at the heart of the problem -- this is the book for you. I heartily recommend it.

Bought this book as a gift for my brother, who is majoring in chemistry. He loves it!

This discussion of the basic element carbon and its journey from prehistory to modern times surveys the science of carbon, its impact on the civilized world, and the ways mankind has used carbon over the centuries. Modern science blends with original research into history and technology to create an involving survey of one of the basic building blocks of life, a recommended pick for school science and general-interest libraries alike.

This book crams more information than a year of high school chemistry -- I hope that doesn't sound dull.
Roston does brings a chemistry perspective on things from the big bang to evolution to the auto.
When it comes to implications for our future due to greenhouse gases, it can be daunting and despairing; but that's the price for being informed.
thanks Eric.

While I do lots of reading, most books are obtained from the library to be enjoyed, then simply returned in a timely manner. Not only did I buy this book, I initially bought two copies, one as a gift and one to keep. Shortly thereafter I purchased an additional copy for another gift. I most certainly recommend this excellent book for others to read.