Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet[食日]

EatingtheSunisthestoryofthediscoveryofamiracle:thesourceoflifeitself.Fromtheintricaciesofitsmolecularprocessestothebeautyofthenaturethatitsupports,'EatingtheSun'isawonderingtributetotheextraordinaryprocessthathasallowedplantstopowertheearthforbillionsofyears.Photosynthesisisthemostmundaneofmiracles.Itsurroundsusinourgardensandparksandcountryside;evenourcityscapesareshotthroughwithtrees.Itmakesnaturegreen-thesignatureofthepigmentswithwhichplantsharvestthesun;wherevernatureoffersusgreenery,themolecularmachineryofphotosynthesisismakingoxygen,energyandorganicmatterfromtherawmaterialofsunlight,waterandcarbondioxide.Werarelygivethegreenmachinerythatbringsaboutthistransformationmuchthought,andfewofusunderstanditsbeautifullyhonedmechanisms.Butwearedimlyawarethatthosephotosyntheticmechanismsarethebasisofourlivestwiceover:theultimatesourceofallourfoodandtheultimatesourceofeverybreathwetake.'EatingtheSun'willfosterandenrichthatawareness.Andbyconnectingaspectsofphotosynthesisthatarevitaltoourlives,tothecrucialroleitsmolecularmechanismshaveplayedthroughmorethantwobillionyearsoftheearth'shistory,EatingtheSunwillchangethewaythereaderseestheworld.