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More copies of this ISBN:Coal: A Human Historyby Barbara Freese
Staff Pick
Coal generates over half of the electricity we consume yet we know little about this charred material save a few mining songs and horror stories about canaries and black lungs. In this sumptuous book we follow the black rock through time and discover its link to our past and future. Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:The fascinating, often surprising story of how a simple black rock has altered the course of history. Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, powered navies, fueled economies, and expanded frontiers. It made China a twelfth-century superpower, inspired the writing of the Communist Manifesto, and helped the northern states win the American Civil War. Yet the mundane mineral that built our global economy — and even today powers our electrical plants — has also caused death, disease, and environmental destruction. As early as 1306, King Edward I tried to ban coal (unsuccessfully) because its smoke became so obnoxious. Its recent identification as a primary cause of global warming has made it a cause célèbre of a new kind. In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins three hundred million years ago and spans the globe. From the "Great Stinking Fogs" of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic city streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance that has done extraordinary things — a simple black rock that could well determine our fate as a species. Book News Annotation:An environmental attorney for the state of Minnesota for some 12
years, Freese acquired an interest in coal while working on a legal
case involving global warming and the effect of emissions from
coal-burning power plants that generate electricity. She traces the
history of coal use in Britain, the U.S., and China, and examines the
ongoing tension between its creative and destructive capacities, the
role it has played in the urbanization, centralization,
industrialization, and mechanization of the world, and the severe
environmental threat it poses today. Academic but accessible to the
general reader.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Review:"An interesting and revealing book on the history of coal as it affects human lives." Desert News Review:"An exquisite chronicle of the rise and fall of this bituminous black mineral....Part history and part environmental argument, Freese's elegant book teaches an important lesson about the interdependence of humans and their natural environment both for good and ill throughout history." Publishers Weekly Review:"Part history and part environmental argument, Freese's elegant book teaches an important lesson about the interdependence of humans and their natural environment both for good and ill throughout history." Publishers Weekly Review:"Freese's combination of labor and technological history is fluid and evenhanded; she is a solid inductee into the popular club of 'biographers' of materials such as salt (Mark Kurlansky) and water (Philip Ball)." Gilbert Taylor, Booklist Review:"[A] unique and absorbing book...Essential." Choice Review:"Direct and charming, full of literary allusions from Marco Polo to Dickens." The Federal Lawyer May, 2003 Review:"[Freese] enlivens her meticulously researched history with anecdotes and surprising facts...[she] is a strong story teller who captivates with detail." Minneapolis Star Tribune Review:"A masterful piece of research and writing." Roanoke Times Review:"Engrossing and sometimes stunning... [a] strongly argued and thoroughly researched book...Coal, to borrow a phrase, is king." New York Times Book Review Review:"Books as lucid as Freese's make a welcome contribution to the search for a sustainable energy economy." Natural History Review:"Concise and highly readable prose...eloquent imagery chillingly elucidates the impacts of burning coal on human health and the environment." Toronto Globe and Mail Review:"Ms. Freese writes her story well." Richmond Times-Dispatch Synopsis:Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewellery out of it, coal has transformed societies, powered navies, fueled economies and expanded frontiers. This text presents a narrative about an ordinary substance that has done extraordinary things. Synopsis:Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, powered navies, fueled economies, and expanded frontiers. It made China a twelfth-century superpower, inspired the writing of the Communist Manifesto, and helped the northern states win the American Civil War. Yet the mundane mineral that built our global economy — and even today powers our electrical plants — has also caused death, disease, and environmental destruction. As early as 1306, King Edward I tried to ban coal (unsuccessfully) because its smoke became so obnoxious. Its recent identification as a primary cause of global warming has made it a cause célèbre of a new kind. In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins three hundred million years ago and spans the globe. From the "Great Stinking Fogs" of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic city streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance that has done extraordinary things — a simple black rock that could well determine our fate as a species. Synopsis:Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-291) and index.
About the AuthorAn Assistant Attorney General of Minnesota for more than twelve years, Barbara Freese not only helped enforce her state's environmental laws but also became fascinated by the very substance causing the worst pollution. She lives in St. Paul. Table of ContentsA portable climate — The best stone in Britain — Launching a revolution — Full steam ahead — A precious seed — The rise and fall of King Coal — Invisible power — A sort of black stone — A burning legacy.
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