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The World in a Grain
Book

The World in a Grain

The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization

Vince Beiser
Riverhead, 2018
First Edition: 2018
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Analytical
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Sand is the groundwork for virtually everything in modern life. The buildings you live and work in and the roads you drive on are made of sand. Sand enables modern life, but it’s starting to run out, and its mining and use destroy the environment. Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser illuminates what sand makes possible, why sand grips the human imagination, and offers insights into the political and environmental issues surrounding sand.

Summary

Sand is the most significant material in the world.

You may think sand is the most ordinary substance, useful for recreational spots like beaches, but in fact it’s necessary for the greater part of the world most people live in today. If you consider how you live and work on an average day, much of what you do relies on sand. The buildings you live and work in, for example, contain vast amounts of concrete, of which sand is a foundational material. Sand is a crucial material in the windows you gaze out of in your office or living room. They are glass, which is made of sand, as are the roads and sidewalks you drive and walk on, and the shopping malls you visit. The chips that make your smartphone, iPad and laptop intelligent and useful require sand.

Sand makes 21st-century life possible. But sand has become scarce, and people pursue it fiercely. Earth’s population keeps growing, and people need more and more sand to live and work, especially in today’s digital, globalized economy.

The invention of concrete – which sand and gravel comprise – transformed the way people live.

The invention of concrete fundamentally changed human life as much as fire and electricity...

About the Author

Vince Beiser is an award-winning journalist.

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