Worlds in the Making: The Evolution of the Universe
New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1908. First English language edition. Hardcover. 8vo. [6], vii-xiii, [1], 1-229, [1] pp. Red publisher's cloth with gold lettering on the front board and gold lettering on the spine. With several full-page and in-text black and white illustrations throughout, several of the illustrations depict stars and constellations. Translated from the Swedish into English by Dr. H. Borns. In 1896 Arrhenius first proved that CO2 caused atmospheric warming, or global warming. His work on the subject is discussed in this book, which was written for an educated audience, but not one that necessarily had expertise in science: "To a certain extent the temperature of the earth's surface, as we shall presently see, is conditioned by the properties of the atmosphere surrounding it, and particularly by the permeability of the latter for the rays of heat." (found on page 46 of this book). While the science of the Earth's climate has made great strides forward during the twentieth century, Arrhenius' work started the discourse around atmospheric warming and its effects on the surface of the planet and its organisms. During his career, Arrhenius made contributions to chemistry, climatology, astronomy, physics, and botany. He is in fact distantly related to the climate activist Greta Thunberg. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1903. This book is difficult to find in the first edition, and stands as a valuable contribution to the history of science and climatology. Very Good. Item #000017247
A name and address from 1908 on the free front endpaper, both hinges neatly repaired, traces of rubbing to the spine.
Price: $325.00