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Oxygen

The Molecule that Made the World

By Nick Lane

(4)

| Hardcover | 9780198508038

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Book Description

Three hundred million years ago, dragonflies grew as big as seagulls, with wingspans nearly a yard across. Researchers claim they could have flown only if the air had contained more oxygen than today-probably as much as 35 per cent. But oxygen is a toxic gas. Fruit flies raised at twice the
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Critics

Earth, the universe and everything

Oxygen: The Molecule that Made the World by Nick Lane 384pp, Oxford, £18.99 Hydrogen: The Essential Element by John S Rigden 320pp, Harvard, £19.50 The Ingredients: A Guided Tour of the Elements by Philip Ball 228pp, Oxford, £13.99 Oxygen is the stor ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

I expected a book on oxygen chemistry, and what I get is much more than that - microbiology, evolutionary biology, geology, paleontology, among others. This book is too rich for me, I'm afraid, at least for now.

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Holmes said on Jun 14, 2011 about the Paperback edition | 1 feedback

I really enjoyed this book. The author says it is written for a general audience, but at times he does get pretty heavy into some different areas of science, most notably chemistry. Don't let that put you off though, as the book distills a lot of recent research from a number of fields and gives i ... (continue)

I really enjoyed this book. The author says it is written for a general audience, but at times he does get pretty heavy into some different areas of science, most notably chemistry. Don't let that put you off though, as the book distills a lot of recent research from a number of fields and gives insight into evolution, biochemistry, and ageing and does so in an accessible manner.

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Braydin said on Jul 6, 2008 | Add your feedback