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Uncle Tungsten : Memories of a Chemical Boyhood

by Oliver Sacks
$12.10
Uncle Tungsten : Memories of a Chemical Boyhood - Thryft
Uncle Tungsten : Memories of a Chemical Boyhood - Thryft

Scientist's childhood: Metals, chemistry, and discovery.

Uncle Tungsten is recommended for readers who are interested in science, chemistry, and want a glimpse into the early life of neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks. The book provides a unique and distinctive insight into the world of a young budding scientist and is full of charming anecdotes and fascinating experiments. Readers have praised the memoir for its passionate storytelling and detailed descriptions of chemical reactions, as well as its nostalgic and emotional tone.

Uncle Tungsten : Memories of a Chemical Boyhood

by Oliver Sacks
$12.10
ISBN: 9780375704048
Estimated First-hand Retail Price: $29.18
Authors: Oliver Sacks
Publisher: Vintage
Date of Publication: 2002-09-17
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: History, Biographies & Memoirs, Science
Related Topics: Autobiography, Biography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Chemistry, Psychology
Goodreads rating: 3.99
(rated by 6545 readers)

Description

Oliver Sacks's luminous memoir charts the growth of a mind. Born in 1933 into a family of formidably intelligent London Jews, he discovered the wonders of the physical sciences early from his parents and their flock of brilliant siblings, most notably "Uncle Tungsten" (real name, Dave), who "manufactured lightbulbs with filaments of fine tungsten wire." Metals were the substances that first attracted young Oliver, and his descriptions of their colors, textures, and properties are as sensuous and romantic as an art lover's rhapsodies over an Old Master. Seamlessly interwoven with his personal recollections is a masterful survey of scientific history, with emphasis on the great chemists like Robert Boyle, Antoine Lavoisier, and Humphry Davy (Sacks's personal hero). Yet this is not a dry intellectual autobiography; his parents in particular, both doctors, are vividly sketched. His sociable father loved house calls and "was drawn to medicine because its practice was central in human society," while his shy mother "had an intense feeling for structure ... for her [medicine] was part of natural history and biology." For young Oliver, unhappy at the brutal boarding school he was sent to during the war, and afraid that he would become mentally ill like his older brother, chemistry was a refuge in an uncertain world. He would outgrow his passion for metals and become a neurologist, but as readers of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat know, he would never leave behind his conviction that science is a profoundly human endeavor. --Wendy Smith
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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Scientist's childhood: Metals, chemistry, and discovery.

Uncle Tungsten is recommended for readers who are interested in science, chemistry, and want a glimpse into the early life of neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks. The book provides a unique and distinctive insight into the world of a young budding scientist and is full of charming anecdotes and fascinating experiments. Readers have praised the memoir for its passionate storytelling and detailed descriptions of chemical reactions, as well as its nostalgic and emotional tone.