Caesar's Last Breath

Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us

De: Sam Kean

Narrado por: Ben Sullivan

The Guardian's Best Science Book of 2017: the fascinating science and history of the air we breathe.

It's invisible. It's ever-present. Without it, you would die in minutes. And it has an epic story to tell.

In Caesar's Last Breath, New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean takes us on a journey through the periodic table, around the globe, and across time to tell the story of the air we breathe, which, it turns out, is also the story of earth and our existence on it. With every breath, you literally inhale the history of the world.

On the ides of March, 44 BC, Julius Caesar died of stab wounds on the Senate floor, but the story of his last breath is still unfolding; in fact, you're probably inhaling some of it now. Of the sextillions of molecules entering or leaving your lungs at this moment, some might well bear traces of Cleopatra's perfumes, German mustard gas, particles exhaled by dinosaurs or emitted by atomic bombs, even remnants of stardust from the universe's creation.

Tracing the origins and ingredients of our atmosphere, Kean reveals how the alchemy of air reshaped our continents, steered human progress, powered revolutions, and continues to influence everything we do. Along the way, we'll swim with radioactive pigs, witness the most important chemical reactions humans have discovered, and join the crowd at the Moulin Rouge for some of the crudest performance art of all time. Lively, witty, and filled with the astounding science of ordinary life, Caesar's Last Breath illuminates the science stories swirling around us every second.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Praise for Caesar's Last Breath

"Sam Kean has done it again - this time clearly and entertainingly explaining the science of the air around us. He is a gifted storyteller with a knack for finding the magic hidden in the everyday."—Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive

"The most fun to be had from nonfiction is a good science book, with a writer of craft who can capture both the excitement and the elegance of science, the incredible fact that this is really how it works. Sam Kean is such a writer and Caesar's Last Breath is such a book. An enormous pleasure to read."—Mark Kurlansky, author of Paper and Salt

"Fascinating stories, so insightful, informative, and disarmingly written. It gave this astronaut a new respect for the air around us all, and made me delightfully more aware of each breath I take."—Col. Chris Hadfield, author of An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

"A witty book that turns the science of the stuff we breathe into a delightful romp through history. Kean, an award-winning science writer... has done it again, using his free-wheeling style to translate hard scientific facts into lively stories."—Kirkus

"Riveting.... Kean has a knack for distilling chemistry to its essential elements, using stories and humor.... this is a dose of fresh air.—Library Journal

"Kean pumps chemical and historical trivia into this tale about air and the gases of which it is composed....Entertaining."—Publishers Weekly

"Richly informative.... Once again, Kean proves his mettle as one of science literature's most gifted practitioners."—Booklist

"Kean's ability to explain with clear, vivid analogies provides diverse readers access to previously remote scientific concepts.... Informative and well organized. He inarguably succeeds with his goal of 'mak[ing] these invisible stories of gases visible.'"—Andrea Jenney, Science Magazine

"In Caesar's Last Breath, [Kean] takes on the science of gases in his trademark effervescent, loopy style.... a lively, rewarding journey through the evolution of Earth's gaseous atmosphere."—Shelf Awareness

"[Caesar's Last Breath] brims with such fascinating tales of chemical history that it'll change the very way you think about breathing.... Kean crams the book full of wild yarns told with humorously dramatic flair.... The effect is oddly intimate, the way all good storytelling is -- you feel like you're sharing moments of geeky amusement with a particularly hip chemistry teacher."—Chelsea Leu, San Francisco Chronicle

"Entertaining... with sly wit and boyish wonder"—Discover Magazine

"Compelling stuff, written with verve and in a style that veers between simple lightheartedness and open jocularity.... Eminently accessible and enjoyable."—Robin McKie, The Guardian

Excellent

The writer did an amazing amount of research to put together this engaging book. If you are interested in science, this book is an excellent choice. It is not just a listing of cold scientific facts and important breakthroughs. It also includes interesting and sometimes hilarious tangents related to the subject. The performer also does a great job moving the story along and matching his tone to the writer's. It is altogether enjoyable.

Superb book all round!!!

The main title of the book is misleading as to what is contained in the book; this prevented me from listening to it sooner. This is a superb book! Sam Kean is an excellent writer who makes complex scientific ideas very simple both for professional scientists like me and for the public. The scientific facts are interlaced with stories of the discoverers and very many interesting scientific anecdotes. The humour is terrific even for a serious, typically terse scientific subject.

Ben Sullivan's narration elevates Kean's writing to another level--perfect tone and speed.

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading other books by Kean.

Worth a listen

I found the whole book quite interesting, but disjointed. Being a science geek, all the interesting facts in the book were sufficient to help me ignore the lack of a core theme to the whole project. It wasn't really about "all the air around us" all the way through the book, but I found it quite good nonetheless!

Great Book

Very scientific, historical, and informative. 10/10
the rest of this is to make the

Great listen

Another Sam Kean’s masterfully written book. Great narration and a fun listen. There are some stories that are just fun listening to again and again.
It’s great even if you are not in sciences but are just interested about things around you!