Caesar's Last Breath by Sam Kean

After reading the Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist Thumb, the latest book by Sam Kean,
Caesar's Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us filled me with the expectation of another good read about the world of science. I was not disappointed.

This time Sam Kean tackles the chemistry of gases. To introduce each chapter, he lists the level of gas in the outside air in parts per million then give the number of molecules that each of us breath in with each breath. That number impressed me. It is amazing how many molecules of a chemical are contained in concentrations of less than a part per million.

The story of the people involved with discovering and developing uses for the chemical reminds me of Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story radio show.  Alfred Nobel's work to develop dynamite to stabilize nitroglycerin and gun powder resulted in many deaths during development and other uses. These chemicals produce energy by the rapid liberation of gas molecules liberated when the chemical solids react.

The chapter on Joseph Pujol (Le Petomane -wikipedia) describes unique ability of the early 20th century star of Mulan Rouge to pull in air through his backside and produce auditory vocalizations on the way out.

The author clearly explains the gases that regulate temperatures on earth and nearby planets. He is pessimistic that people will engage in behaviors to reduce greenhouse gas emission but optimism that we will engage in the difficult task of "coming up with a technological fix for the problem... [that]...exploits what humans do well - rally around a cause when things get desperate, then start building sh*t."

Sam Kean - Caesar's Last Breath - 50 minutes