It's a Gas

The Sublime and Elusive Elements That Expand Our World

De: Mark Miodownik

Narrado por: Daniel Weyman

The New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Matters presents a rollicking guided tour of the secret lives of gases: the magnificent, strange, and fascinating substances that shape our world.

Gases are all around us—they fill our lungs, power our movement, create stars, and warm our atmosphere. Often invisible and sometimes odorless, these ubiquitous substances are also the least understood materials in our world, and always have been.

It wasn’t long ago that gases were seen as the work of ancient spirits: the sudden closing of a door after a change in airflow signaled a ghost’s presence. Scientists and engineers have struggled with their own gaseous demons. The development of high-pressure steam power in the eighteenth century literally blew away some researchers, ushering in a new era for both safety regulations and mass transit. And carbon dioxide, that noxious by-product of fossil fuel consumption, gave rise to modern civilization. Its warming properties known for centuries, it now spells ruin for our fragile atmosphere.

In It’s a Gas, bestselling materials scientist Mark Miodownik chronicles twelve gases and technologies that shaped human history. From hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and neon to laughing gas, steam, and even wind, the story of gases is the story of the space where science and belief collide, and of the elusive limits of human understanding.

©2023 Mark Miodownik (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Not as good as the first two books.

I was so excited for this book because I had listened to Stuff Matters and Liquid Rules more than once each because they were witty, informative and enjoyable.

As the other reviews have stated, there is less scientific material and more historical lessons than the first two books. Most of the stories are just not as interesting. The book was initially delayed and I can see why since the end product is not as concise or organized by the standards of the first two.

The author moralizes too much on climate change and vaccines, deeming anyone who questions them as irrational as those who believe in old world superstitions or traditional gods. One reason I loved the previous books is because the author was able to just get straight to the details without filler content divagating into personal beliefs. The reason he gives is that people have a problem understanding things that are invisible.. which does not address valid arguments surrounding the discussion of skepticism of science at all but takes easy swings at the lowest hanging fruit to try to easily dismiss anyone who questions scientific institutions as always irrational.

Regardless of where you stand on these issues, the fact remains that science can only inform the basis for our moral decisions and never tell us what is actually right or wrong. When you try to moralize with science it can actually turn people off from the ideas you are trying to relay.

Ironically, if you read between the lines, the stories he tells explain how science alone has caused global warming through the discovery of how to use gases thereby not giving the most positive view on how science can solve these problems without creating others. This is simply true no matter what which is why the moralizing was never necessary.

Depends What You Are Looking For

I’m torn about where I stand with this book. After reading Liquid Rules by the same author and loving it, I eagerly picked up It’s a Gas hoping for more of the same. In some ways, I got what I was looking for… but not entirely.

First, the performance: the narrator did a fantastic job. I have no complaints about the narration—it was engaging and well-paced throughout.

Now, onto the content. My biggest critique is that, for much of the book, the concept of "gases" felt more like a backdrop than the central focus. It often seemed like the author was using gases as a springboard to dive into various unrelated historical topics. Each chapter would start with a brief discussion of a gas, and then the narrative would meander through different topics before hastily tying everything back to the gas in question. While this isn’t necessarily bad, it left me feeling like the book didn’t quite stay true to its premise.

Also, while I understand the author’s personal viewpoints, there were moments where his opinions, particularly on religion, felt overly dismissive. If you’re someone who holds those beliefs, it could be alienating. Some of the political opinions shared in the book didn’t bother me, but they might rub others the wrong way.

What I did enjoy, ironically, was the very thing I criticized earlier: the historical meandering. Despite the book's occasional lack of focus, the topics the author explored were often fascinating. He brought up stories and facts I hadn’t heard before, which made for an entertaining and educational read.

So, would I recommend it? It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a deep dive into gases and their properties, this probably isn’t the book for you. But if you're after an entertaining scientific history with some loose connections to gases, then absolutely give it a read.

Pretty good

He goes down a lot of rabbit holes, but they're always interesting. not always about gas

Thought provoking and solution oriented

Another accessible yet extremely informative work by this author, weaving scientific principles and feats of engineering into interesting narratives. “It’s a Gas” is especially relevant because it explains how humanity got to where it is now and how we can work together to shift toward the greater sustainability that must be achieved for the survival of our species.

Beautifully written account of the science of gases and how they shaped the development of civilization

Not quite as much scientific explanation as his prior 2 books, but compensated by adding a personal touch (stories about his own inner turmoil and wonder) and a much grander vision of the arc of civilization and the role technology played.

too short, leaves you wanting more!

great book, great information and wonderful narratives to explain the significance of the gases and how they are used or how they were discovered. I enjoyed all three of the author's books.

A Nice Addition to the Other Books

Although it's difficult to beat the first book in this series ('Stuff Matters'), the second book ('Liquid Rules') came close. This book is easily the weakest in the series, but is still a decent addition to complete the trilogy.

The narrator

I was very disappointed at the narration. It changed the wonderful atmosphere present in the first and second books. So disappointed 🫤