Atom : An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth...and Beyond

First, “Atom” is one of the two best science books I’ve ever read. (*) Krauss is both an excellent writer and an outstanding story-teller. The majority of this book is compelling, at least to a science geek like me. Carl Sagan famously said, “We are all star-stuff.” Krauss uses the fictional life of an oxygen atom to explain to the reader HOW we all came to be made from star-stuff – how we came to be here – and speculations about the future and fate of the Universe.Second, this is definitely a geek-book and will be of interest only to those who desire to know the details how our world came be.This book was published in 2001 before the days of Kindle, so the Kindle version leaves something to be desired. I’d recommend a hard copy.(*) my favorite science book ever …. “Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder” Paperback – April 5, 2000 by Richard DawkinsAtom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth...and Beyond [Kindle Edition] By Lawrence M. Krauss. Review by John H Evans – October 24, 2014

What a brilliant concept! From nucleosynthesis to cosmology to galaxy and star formation to chemistry to geology. It's a thread that reaches back to the very beginning and touches so much interesting science along the way and, of course, Krauss is a great story teller, as always.

Okay, so I couldn't give it a 4.5 star rating which is where I would actually put it. Krauss is a skillful writer. In this book, it did seem to go slowly at times; but, overall, this is a fascinating concept. Following the creation of the constituents of an oxygen atom, the primordial atoms from the big bang, through it being a part of a supernova and star dust, star and planet systems and being a part of living cells and on to the ultimate destiny at the end of the universe as we know or can know it, all of this kept me wanting to read instead of mowing the lawn or other interesting jobs around the house and property. It's like what I always wished I could do, follow a toy boat from the local rivulet into creeks, rivers and eventually the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, only more interesting.

This is a wonderful story about the life of an oxygen atom, told from the perspective of the atom. If you enjoy Sagan, or Tyson, you will find this story most intriguing!

Begins with an excellent explanation of the early universe and gets better. The description of how the Earth formed, the contribution of comets, the effect of impacts by large meteorites, the role of iron in safeguarding life in its early stages, etc. makes this the best, most informative book on "creation" I have ever read. Highly recommended.

I must first and foremost give Mr. Krauss his respects: This is one of the most factual, scientifically enlightening books on the microcosmos of atoms that I have ever read. However, I suppose my outward praise ends there. The premise of "Atom" is refreshingly interesting: The history of the universe told, so to speak, from the perspective of of a singular Oxygen atom. However, the execution of such a potentially interesting topic is slagged down by Krauss' seeming ability to make even the exciting uninteresting.Unfortunately, this soporific wonder seems to become so caught up in inundating the reader with facts and statistics (and seemingly never-ending description) that it loses all enthusiasm. It took me a few tries to finally get through this entire book. Unless one is interested in the depth and breadth of the information covered in this book (from linear accelerators such as CERN to the Japanese detection of nanoparticles in gigantic underground caverns), this book will be totally uninteresting. Probably the most painful aspect of reading this book is the knowledge that this could have been a truly remarkable book, instead of a writing for a niche market.This book does not require an extensive background in science, nor does it play off the reader's intelligence. Krauss sets the stage for a romp through the atomic cosmos, leading the reader through the journeys of an Oxyten atom. It is overall interesting and enlightening, but only providing the reader has an underlying knowledge in the subject at hand.If you are truly interested in atomics, then this book is for you: Really. But if it is just a passing phase, then it's best to leave this one be -- it is not a story so much as a stringing together of facts and analysis: Excellent for the atom afficionado, not so excellent for the atom amateur.

This is an excellent review of where the earth's makeup originated. This true story was made possible by scientific advances in the last century. Mankind has gotten beyond myth to finally begin to understand how we came to be on this little lonely planet. Gripping reading if you want to replace myth with fact.

The author describes the big bang; then when an oxygen atom is formed, he follows it through the remaining history of the universe. A few parts were a little too detailed and slow, but for the most part, the narrative went smoothly and kept my attention.

I really enjoyed reading this. So much so, I completed it in two days. Couldn't put it down.

buch war signiert, hatte gebrauchspuren, war mir aber egal, geldgespart, karma aufgebaut, ist noch im rahmen, kam 10 tage früher als angekündigt, ist mir aber eigentlich bei einer übersee bestellung nicht soooo wichtig

Publicado hace algún tiempo, lo cual se nota, pero de gran calidad. Casi una biografía del devenir de nuestro hogar cósmico.

A great read, clearly explaining a complex subject in an enjoyable way. I've read numerous books on this subject and this is easily the best.

Interesting as ever by Mr Krauss