Tears of the Tree: The Story of Rubber--A Modern Marvel

by John Loadman

Imagine a world without rubber--neither tires for driving or flying nor bouncing balls for sports, neither seals for washing machines and dishwashers, nor medical gloves--no elastics. This unique book tells the fascinating story of four thousand years of rubber--from its significance in Mayan religious rituals and culture to its pivotal role in today's world. It is seen through the lives of the adventurers and scientists who promoted it, lusted after it and eventually tamed it into the ubiquitous, yet crucial material of our lives today. It also examines the lives of those who caused the deaths of millions of natives in Africa and South America while seeking to satisfy the developing world's demand for this material. Written in a biographical format, the book examines why rubber ages and deteriorates and how the ravages of time may be ameliorated. It deals with our current concern for the environment and various options for 'waste disposal'. For the majority of people who
think they know 'the truth' about rubber, this book may offer many surprises.

Hardcover

First published July 7, 2005

Reviews

[Sam Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of dinky but useful book you get when you find the only public library book on a somewhat specific subject. Citation practices were abysmal though so -1 star just for that.

[Mike Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book is a very summation of the general history behind natural rubber. It quickly goes over some of the important historical stories around natural rubber, specifically around it's discovery, the first people to discover vulcanisation and a number of atrocities committed in the quest to feed the late 19th/early 20th century societal hunger for the material.

The second half gets very chemistry heavy at points, and despite the authors claim that this section is for every type, even with no scientific background, it can be very difficult to read. Somebody with a decent chemistry background might be able to appreciate what occurs on the micro level that makes antioxidants a marvel, but I found myself glancing through these sections due to difficulty in understanding. I do understand that someone obsessed with all aspects of rubber, which the author clearly is, that it can be difficult to reign in their knowledge in these sections. On the most second half does a decent job of covering the manufacturing of natural rubber blends, the various types of synthetic elastomers that exist and can give an appreciation to the reader about how difficult the chemistry of all the different types of rubber can be! The timeline of rubber at the end of the book is fairly compact and quite useful as a potential reference in the future.

Overall I would highly recommend this book with anyone with a passing interest in rubber, even if the chemistry sections may go over their heads. There's plenty of information in this book for the common reader.

[T Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The early parts of the book pack a real emotional wallop, particularly the stories of the Mayans, the exploitation of cultures, and the life of Charles Goodyear. Eventually, though, it starts getting into chemical details at a level that would leave the non-chemists behind.