PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Les Johnson is a physicist and the author of numerous popular science and science fiction books. He is also the Senior Technical Adviser for NASA's Advanced Concepts Office at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where he serves as the Principal Investigator for the Near Earth Asteroid Scout solar sail mission that will launch in 2018. While at NASA he has managed the Interstellar Propulsion Research Project, the In-Space Propulsion Technology Program, and the Science Programs & Projects Office. He has thrice received NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal, and holds four space technology patents. Joseph E. Meany, PhD, is a laboratory consultant and is on the organizing committee of the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop, Oak Ridge, TN. Meany's research has focused on the development and manufacture of conductive carbon-based molecules in electrical circuits, a quickly developing subfield within nanotechnology. He has written articles for Baen Books and has appeared as a contributor in Nature Chemistry and Chemical and Engineering News.
With accessible anecdotes and reasoned speculation, Johnson and Meany's story of graphene will delight popular-science fans. --Booklist Graphene is a rarity: a book about a complex scientific subject that not only informs and enlightens but also entertains the reader. I came out of this with a new appreciation for something I'd known little about before but now realize is future-shaping. Read this book and behold a miracle of tomorrow. --Allen Steele, Hugo and Heinlein Award-winning science fiction author Purely carbon, graphene is a remarkable material whose properties amaze us and whose applications span all of human activity--from nanotechnology to interstellar flight--maybe even to the evolution of humans. This book delves into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of graphene, with interesting stories and facts, suggesting possibilities that Johnson and Meany say may change the world. With a mix of physics, engineering, history, and culture, there is much to learn as well as to be entertained by here. --Dr. Louis Friedman, cofounder and executive director emeritus, the Planetary Society Graphene is an enjoyable tour of the past, present, and future of the simplest form of carbon. It's a balanced exploration of the promises of graphene for technology, engineering, and health, along with the risks and challenges. With plenty of historical anecdotes, scientific primers, and forward-thinking speculation, the authors place graphene and graphene-like materials into familiar contexts. --Matthew R. Francis, physicist and science writer, BowlerHatScience.org An enjoyable ride through the history and science of carbon materials, with graphene as the focus of a larger discussion of business, chemical periodicity, unique molecules, and a science-driven future. The authors do a wonderful job describing the promise, problems, pitfalls, and possibilities that likely await graphene--this newest entry into the vibrant world of material science. --Monty Fetterolf, Professor of Chemistry and Endowed Chair, University of South Carolina Aiken Graphene is a rarity: a book about a complex scientific subject that not only informs and enlightens but also entertains the reader. I came out of this with a new appreciation for something I'd known little about before but now realize is future-shaping. Read this book and behold a miracle of tomorrow. --Allen Steele, Hugo and Heinlein Award-winning science fiction author Purely carbon, graphene is a remarkable material whose properties amaze us and whose applications span all of human activity--from nanotechnology to interstellar flight--maybe even to the evolution of humans. This book delves into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of graphene, with interesting stories and facts, suggesting possibilities that Johnson and Meany say may change the world. With a mix of physics, engineering, history, and culture, there is much to learn as well as to be entertained by here. --Dr. Louis Friedman, cofounder and executive director emeritus, the Planetary Society Graphene is an enjoyable tour of the past, present, and future of the simplest form of carbon. It's a balanced exploration of the promises of graphene for technology, engineering, and health, along with the risks and challenges. With plenty of historical anecdotes, scientific primers, and forward-thinking speculation, the authors place graphene and graphene-like materials into familiar contexts. --Matthew R. Francis, physicist and science writer, BowlerHatScience.org An enjoyable ride through the history and science of carbon materials, with graphene as the focus of a larger discussion of business, chemical periodicity, unique molecules, and a science-driven future. The authors do a wonderful job describing the promise, problems, pitfalls, and possibilities that likely await graphene--this newest entry into the vibrant world of material science. --Monty Fetterolf, Professor of Chemistry and Endowed Chair, University of South Carolina Aiken Purely carbon, graphene is a remarkable material whose properties amaze us and whose applications span all of human activity--from nanotechnology to interstellar flight--maybe even to the evolution of humans. This book delves into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of graphene, with interesting stories and facts, suggesting possibilities that Johnson and Meany say may change the world. With a mix of physics, engineering, history, and culture, there is much to learn as well as to be entertained by here. --Dr. Louis Friedman, cofounder and executive director emeritus, the Planetary Society PRAISE FOR THE WORK OF LES JOHNSON: Conceptually simple and romantic, solar sailing is an enchanting technological solution for space exploration. ... Solar Sails: A Novel Approach to Interplanetary Travel is the latest book to explore this topic ... . Aimed at undergraduates, the book convincingly captures the history of ideas about solar sails, their current state of play and their future promise. ... Suitable for aerospace students and keen enthusiasts alike, this book may one day inspire some of them to build a solar-sail-powered vessel. - Nature (reviewing Solar Sails) PRAISE FOR THE WORK OF LES JOHNSON: Conceptually simple and romantic, solar sailing is an enchanting technological solution for space exploration. ... Solar Sails: A Novel Approach to Interplanetary Travel is the latest book to explore this topic ... . Aimed at undergraduates, the book convincingly captures the history of ideas about solar sails, their current state of play and their future promise. ... Suitable for aerospace students and keen enthusiasts alike, this book may one day inspire some of them to build a solar-sail-powered vessel. - Nature (reviewing Solar Sails)
