Why are most gases invisible, odorless, and tasteless? Why do some poison us while others make us laugh? And why do some fuel our engines while others make drinks fizzy? In the book "It's a Gas," Mark Miodownik brilliantly reveals an invisible world through his unique approach to scientific storytelling.

He will guide us through the fascinating—and often dangerous—moments when scientists were trying to understand exactly what they had discovered. Miodownik shows that gases are the fundamental substances of our modern age, each with its own peculiar and wonderful personality.

We will see how the laughing parties of the 17th century led to the first use of anesthetics in surgery, how the invention of the air valve in musical instruments gave us bicycles, cars, and sports shoes, and how gases made us masters of the seas (with huge steamships) and the skies (through highly flammable balloons).

This impressive book reveals the significant importance of gases to modern civilization.

Pages: 304, Dimensions: 12.8x12.8cm