Synopses & Reviews
Every grain of sand is a jewel waiting to be discovered. That’s what Dr. Gary Greenberg found when he first turned his specially designed 3-D microscope on beach sand. Gemlike mineral grains, colorful coral fragments, and delicate microscopic shells revealed that sand comprises much more than little brown rocks.
From the star-shaped sand of Japan to the volcanic green olivine of Hawaii to the marble grains of Greece, discover the diversity of sand on gorgeous, remote beaches around the globe. Learn about beach ecology and the fascinating origins of sand grains, including the singing sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. Marvel over Dr. Greenberg’s amazing microphotography that magnifies sand grains up to 300 times and showcases the spectacular colors, shapes, and patterns of these tiny natural wonders.
When we walk along a beach, we tread upon millions of years of biological and geological history. Join Dr. Greenberg as he explores the science and beauty of the sand grain. With this captivating volume, you will never look at a beach the same way again.
Review
Shutterbug, October 2008
Sand, it’s everywhere and may seem ordinary but Dr. Gary Greenberg expertly combined art and science to reveal the true beauty of each microscopic grain.
Sand consists of a vast collection of bits of crystals, coral, shells, sea urchin spines, silica, and calcium carbonate each with a unique shape and color.
Dr. Greenberg provided 235 vividly colored images and in depth information to provide a fascinating look at how nature is constantly reshaping the earth and
hiding tiny treasures at our feet.
Synopsis
"To see a world in a grain of sand. And a heaven in a wild flower. To hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour." William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence" 1805
Here is the world viewed within a grain of sand, thanks to the stunning three-dimensional microphotography of Dr. Gary Greenberg. To some, all sand looks alike: countless grains in a vast expanse of beach. Look closer, much closer, and your view of sand will never be the same. Employing the fantastic microphotographic techniques that he developed, Greenberg invites readers to discover the strange and wonderful world that each grain of sand contains.
Here are the sands of Hawaii and Tahiti, the Sahara and the Poles, a volcano, each exquisitely different, and each telling a fascinating geological story. Red sand and yellow, white sand and black, singing sand and quicksand: Greenberg's pictures reveal the subtle differences in their colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. And as this infinitesimal world unfolds so does an intriguing explanation of how each grain of sand begins and forms and finds itself in a particular place, one of a billion and one of a kind.
Synopsis
Employing fantastic micro photographic techniques, Greenberg invites readers into the strange and wonderful world that each grain of sand contains.
Synopsis
To some, all sand looks alike--countless grains in a vast expanse of beach. Look closer--much closer--Gary Greenberg suggests, and your view of sand will never be the same. Employing the fantastic microphotographic techniques that he developed, Greenberg invites readers to discover the strange and wonderful world that each grain of sand contains. Sand from the world over: Greenberg’s pictures reveal the subtle differences in their colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. And as this infinitesimal world unfolds so does an intriguing explanation of how each grain of sand begins and forms and finds itself in a particular place, one of a billion and one of a kind.
About the Author
Dr. Gary Greenberg is a visual artist who creatively combines art with science. The cofounder of Edge Scientific Instrument Corporation, he has a Ph.D. in biomedical research from University College London and holds 17 patents for high-definition three-dimensional light microscopes. He has worked as a photographer, a filmmaker, a biomedical researcher, an academic, an inventor, and an entrepreneur. Since 2001, Dr. Greenberg has been using his special microscopes to create dramatic landscapes of ubiquitous objects like grains of sand, flowers, and food. These everyday objects take on a new reality when magnified hundreds of times. Dr. Greenberg lives in Paia, Hawaii.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Stacy Keach
Introduction
Chapter 1 A Signature Written in Sand
Chapter 2 Erasing the Line Between Science and Art
Chapter 3 The Nature of Sand
Chapter 4 Colors in Sand
Chapter 5 Shapes of Sand Grains
Chapter 6 Patterns in Sand Grains
Afterword
Index
About the Author/Photographer