Coal:a human history

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Freese Barbara (Barbara E.)
Published: Perseus Pub.,
Publisher Address: Cambridge, MA
Publication Dates: c2003.
Literature type: Book
Language: English
Subjects:
Carrier Form: v, 308 p., [8] p. of plates: ill. ; 20 cm.
ISBN: 0738204005 (hc.)
9780738204000
Index Number: TQ52
CLC: TQ52-09
Call Number: TQ52-09/F857
Contents: Donation.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-291) and index.
A 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.
Publisher's description: The fascinating history of a simple black rock that has shaped our world--and now threatens it. In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins hundreds of millions of years ago and spans the globe. Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, expanded frontiers, and sparked social movements, and still powers our electric grid. Yet coal's world-changing power has come at a tremendous price, including centuries of blackening our skies and lungs--and now the dangerous warming of our global climate. Ranging from the "great stinking fogs" of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance with an extraordinary impact on human civilization.