A tour through a world too small to see with a microscope: air, ice, diamonds, aspirin, fuel cells, and other structures viewed and described in the scale of nanometers.

The world is made up of structures too small to see with the naked eye, too small to see even with an electron microscope. Einstein established the reality of atoms and molecules in the early 1900s. How can we see a world measured in fractions of nanometers? (Most atoms are less than one nanometer, less than one-billionth of a meter, in diameter.) This beautiful and fascinating book gives us a tour of the invisible nanoscale world. It offers many vivid color illustrations of atomic structures, each accompanied by a short, engagingly written essay. The structures advance from the simple (air, ice) to the complex (supercapacitator, rare earth magnet). Each subject was chosen not in search of comprehensiveness but because it illustrates how atomic structure creates a property (such as hardness, color, or toxicity), or because it has a great story, or simply because it is beautiful.

Thus we learn how diamonds ride volcanoes to the earth's surface (if they came up more slowly, they'd be graphite, as in pencils); what form of carbon is named after Buckminster Fuller; who won in the x-ray vs. mineralogy professor smackdown; how a fuel cell works; when we use spinodal decomposition in our daily lives (it involves hot water and a package of Jell-O), and much more. The amazing color illustrations by Stephen Deffeyes are based on data from x-ray diffraction (a method used in crystallography). They are not just pretty pictures but visualizations of scientific data derived directly from those data. Together with Kenneth Deffeyes's witty commentary, they offer a vivid demonstration of the diversity and beauty found at the nanometer scale.

About the Authors

Kenneth S. Deffeyes is Professor of Geology Emeritus at Princeton University. He is the author of Hubbert's Peak and Beyond Oil.

Stephen E. Deffeyes is a freelance illustrator and designer.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

American First Editions, Art Books, and more. Most of our older stock has been packed in storage for over twenty years.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Nilbog Books
ME, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We're an exclusively online bookstore.

Email is the best way to reach us: nilbogbooks@gmail.com We'll respond to your email inquiry within 24 hours.

Most of our books are in storage, and will have to be retrieved before they can be shipped (or described/photographed if additional details are requested). While this may occasionally slow down responses, it also means these books aren't as manhandled as they might be in a physical store.

We carry mostly modern firsts, photography, art books, childr...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Orders will usually ship within 2 business days. Our prices are based around books the size of a novel, so they may need to be increased for larger books. We don't make any money on postage, but we can't afford to subsidize it, either.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	2 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 4.50	US$ 10.10

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.