The Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements - hosted by lalu

C - Carbon
The element of life. Most elements have the same (or the same few) oxidation number(s) in every compound (e.g. hydrogen is usually +1 and oxygen usually -2), but for carbon the oxidation number can range from -4 to +4. You don't have to understand what that means, just know that such a range is highly unusual. My chemistry professor said, that carbon doesn't abide to the usual rules of chemistry, but adapted itself to life.
Another cool thing about carbon: the radioactive isotope carbon-14 is used to in radiocarbon dating. Living animals and plants always acquire some 14C, but after death the amount of 14C starts to decrease because of radioactive decay. By measuring the amount of 14C archaeologists can determine when the animal or plant died.

Suggestions: a book with life in the title, a book about archaeology, a book with diamonds on the cover, ...
All books added
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin

Please Look After Mom

Kyung-sook Shin

254 pages • first pub 2008 (editions)

fiction contemporary emotional reflective slow-paced
Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean

Mika in Real Life

Emiko Jean

384 pages • first pub 2022 (editions)

fiction contemporary emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

Robin Wall Kimmerer

192 pages • first pub 2003 (editions)

nonfiction essays nature informative reflective slow-paced
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi

Yann Martel

460 pages • first pub 2001 (editions)

fiction classics literary magical realism adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced
No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby

No Life for a Lady

Hannah Dolby

400 pages • first pub 2023 (editions)

fiction historical mystery funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Tales by Trees - Special Print Edition by Iiro Küttner

Tales by Trees - Special Print Edition

Tales by Trees

Iiro Küttner

129 pages • first pub 2017 (editions) user-added

fiction literary nature
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Ghost Wall

Sarah Moss

132 pages • first pub 2018 (editions)

fiction literary dark tense fast-paced
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes by Adam Rutherford

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes

Adam Rutherford

416 pages • first pub 2016 (editions)

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Poveste imorală by Rodica Ojog-Braşoveanu
Poveste imorală
—
Rodica Ojog-Braşoveanu

Poveste imorală

Rodica Ojog-Braşoveanu

480 pages • first pub 1998 (editions)

fiction crime mystery
No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak

No Hard Feelings

Genevieve Novak

8 hours, 1 minutes • first pub 2022 (editions)

fiction contemporary emotional funny reflective medium-paced