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Nature 455, 732-733 (9 October 2008) | doi:10.1038/455732a; Published online 8 October 2008

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The many faces of carbon

John Meurig Thomas1

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An enticing new book ties together the vital roles this element has in life, the Universe and climate change, explains John Meurig Thomas.

BOOK REVIEWEDThe Carbon Age: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat

by Eric Roston

Walker & Company: 2008. 304 pp. $25.99

Eric Roston is a journalist and science writer who covered the 9/11 attacks as a reporter for Time magazine. In his fascinating book The Carbon Age, Roston weaves together the story of the element carbon, mining his facts largely from electronic research databases, particularly Google Scholar.