This is the dramatic story of a single atom—the carbon atom. The reader follows the life of a carbon atom from its explosive birth in a star, billions of years ago, on its journey through space, until it becomes part of the earth and finally part of a human being. He comes to see how the carbon atom is a never-ending link between himself and the stars.

The book includes up-to-date information from the fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry, and biology, yet the authors tell it all so lucidly and simply that the young reader will not only understand but feel the excitement and wonder of this biography of an atom.

Weimer Pursell's clear, strong drawings are an extremely effective complement to the text.

From the dust jacket