Eating the Sun
Oliver Morton (Fourth Estate £9.99) The subtitle of Morton’s brilliant book, The Everyday Miracle of How Plants Power the Planet, says what it’s about. It comes in three parts: the first tells how we gradually put together an understanding of the science of photosynthesis; part two is more about Gaia, covering the Earth’s chemistry, climate and habitability; and finally there is a thorough consideration of the impact of fossil fuel use on the carbon cycle and, inevitably, consideration of climate change. Overall, it is a tribute to how plants beat the relentless progress of the second law of thermodynamics to push back the tyranny of entropy and enable life on the planet to prosper. Photosynthesis is something that this planet does, and how it is done is amazing. The book is a sound primer on the topic, full of wonder and excitement, and it is written in a most engaging and informative way.
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