The Substance of Civilization: Materials and Human History from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon

by Stephen L Sass

Description

The story of human civilization can be read most deeply in the materials we have found or created, used or abused. They have dictated how we build, eat, communicate, wage war, create art, travel, and worship. Some, such as stone, iron, and bronze, lend their names to the ages. Others, such as gold, silver, and diamond, contributed to the rise and fall of great empires. How would history have unfolded without glass, paper, steel, cement, or gunpowder? The impulse to master the properties of show more our material world and to invent new substances has remained unchanged from the dawn of time; it has guided and shaped the course of history. Sass shows us how substances and civilizations have evolved together. In antiquity, iron was considered more precious than gold. The celluloid used in movie film had its origins in the search for a substitute for ivory billiard balls. The same clay used in the pottery of antiquity has its uses in today's computer chips. Moving from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon, from the days of prehistoric survival to the cutting edge of nanotechnology, this fascinating and accessible book connects the worlds of minerals and molecules to the sweep of human history, and shows what materials will dominate the century ahead. show less

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2 reviews

ElentarriLT 956 reviews

The Substance of Civilization: Materials and Human History from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon Superficial and bland. If the author teaches the way he writes, I'm not surprised his students were sitting in class with glazed eyes. Also, all the religious references are damned annoying.A better book that covers some of the topics discussed in this book is: [b:Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History|141624|Napoleon's Buttons How 17 Molecules Changed History|Penny Le Couteur|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309203185s/141624.jpg|136591]

Mar 24, 2020

jhawn 4,097 reviews

Materials and human historyj

Jul 31, 2017