Marvels of Science

I lost a copy of this book in high school. It was given to me by my favorite teacher, and I've never forgotten that. There was some interesting aspect to the content that never let me go, either. So recently, all this historical baggage converged, and I picked up a used copy through Amazon. The

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content was not quite what I remembered, nor as compelling, but there were some high spots. In particular, I liked the discussion of the possible atmospheres that might exist elsewhere in the universe - all based on arguments of chemistry (and a little physics). Also enjoyed the discussion of bile salts and their role in digestion - note that humans are like our (herbivorous) primate cousins, well-equipped to handle plant food and poorly equipped to handle animal products.

A side note - who is the present-day Asimov, explaining a wide variety of science to a lay audience? We need another Sagan or Asimov, a good writer with good story-telling skills who can explain difficult science concepts to the masses.

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