The world in a grain : the story of sand and how it transformed civilization
Beiser, Vince, 1965-2019
Book
Total copies: 1
The World in a Grain is the compelling true story of the hugely important and diminishing natural resource that grows more essential every day, and of the people who mine it, sell it, build with it -- and sometimes, even kill for it. It's also a provocative examination of the serious human and environmental costs incurred by our dependence on sand, which has received little public attention. Not all sand is created equal: Some of the easiest sand to get to is the least useful. Journalist Vince Beiser delves deep into this world, taking readers on a journey across the globe, from the United States to remote corners of India, China, and Dubai to explain why sand is so crucial to modern life. Along the way, readers encounter world-changing innovators, island-building entrepreneurs, desert fighters, and murderous sand pirates. The result is an entertaining and eye-opening work, one that is both unexpected and involving, rippling with fascinating detail and filled with surprising characters.
Main title:
Author:
Beiser, Vince, 1965-, author
Edition:
First Riverhead trade paperback edition.
Imprint:
New York : Riverhead Books, 2019.©2018.
Collation:
296 pages ; 23 cm.
Notes:
Originally published: 2018."Parts of several chapters of this book first appeared, in different form, in Wired, The New York Times, The Guardian, Pacific Standard, NationalGeographic.com, and Mother Jones" -- Colophon.Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
9780399576447
Dewey class:
553.622620.191
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
688647