The Substance of Civilization: Materials and Human History from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon 1st Edition PDF

The Substance of Civilization: Materials and Human History from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon 1st Edition
Author: Visit ‘s Stephen L. Sass Page ID: 1611454018

From Scientific American

Although the author and his publisher committed the unforgivable sin of omitting an index, The Substance of Civilization indeed contains much of substance and is a good starting place to develop an appreciation for the history and nature of materials science.

–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The word civilization brings images of the pyramids of Egypt, Greek temples, or great libraries and museums to mind, monumental structures that not only reflect idealized social order but offer evidence to support Sass’ claim that “materials guided the course of history.” None of these awe-inspiring constructions or their contents would have been possible without the ingenious manipulation of raw materials. The symbiotic relationship between the shape of culture and the evolution of technology is acknowledged in terms such as the Bronze Age, and Sass, a professor at Cornell University and a writer of both affability and precision, bridges the divide between history and science as he explains the unique properties of such key substances as clay, iron, glass, polymers, and silicon, and how they have affected every aspect of civilization from warfare to religion, politics, education, art, and economics. Noting the direct correlation between the complexity of any given society and the sophistication of the materials it uses, Sass provides diverse and illuminating examples with unflagging and infectious enthusiasm. Donna Seaman –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Paperback: 328 pagesPublisher: Arcade Publishing; 1 edition (August 1, 2011)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1611454018ISBN-13: 978-1611454017 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.6 x 8.2 inches Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #260,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #119 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Reference > Patents & Inventions #251 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Reference > History #268 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Materials & Material Science
"History is an alloy of all the materials that we have invented or discovered,manipulated,used,and abused,and each has its tale to tell." These are the words of the author,a professor of material sciences at Cornell University.He is obviously in love with the subject he teaches.He reminds me of one of my Chemistry professors who was in the lab on a Saturday afternoon when a student happened to come by,and said;"Do you have to work on Saturday’s?" He replied;"Son this isn’t work,it’s my hobby." Reading this book,one gets the feeling you are just having a friendly discussion with him about the subject that is his work,interest,fascination,and most of all what his love resolves around.Just the opposite of a Librarian I was having a social chat with one day.I asked what she liked to read;and the reply stunned me."I really don’t like to read much;I get too much of it at work every day".

Sass is a very good writer,particularly considering his profession.I don’t say this as a slur;but generally good ,interesting writing is not the strong point of technical people.Carl Sagan is a great exception to this,and it shows Sass loves materials like Sagan loved the universe.Although I am an engineer,took courses in materials;I never heard them talked about like this.

Sass shows how materials have influenced civilizations from the Stone Age to the present time and will continue to do so for the future.Not only that,but there will be materials invented at an astonishing rate,even more so than the last half century.Just imagine the things that have become commonplace in that time and how much their existance is dependent on space age materials.Dreams are the ideas behind inventions;but materials are what makes them happen.

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