What do you think?
Rate this book
A Grain of Sand: Nature's Secret Wonder
A Grain of Sand uses incredible micro-photographic techniques to present you with high-resolution glimpses of the strange and wonderful world that each grain of sand contains.
"To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower. To hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour." William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence" 1805
Here is the world viewed within a grain of sand, thanks to the stunning three-dimensional micro-photography of Dr. Gary Greenberg. To some, all sand looks alike--countless grains in a vast expanse of beach. Look closer--much closer--and your view of sand will never be the same.
Employing the fantastic micro-photographic techniques that he personally developed, Greenberg invites you to discover the strange and wonderful world that each grain of sand contains. See, truly see, the sands of Hawaii and Tahiti, the Sahara and the Poles, a volcano, each exquisitely different, and each telling a fascinating geological story.
Red sand and yellow, white sand and black, singing sand and quicksand: Greenberg's pictures reveal the subtle differences in their colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. And as this infinitesimal world unfolds so does an intriguing explanation of how each grain of sand begins and forms and finds itself in a particular place, one of a billion and one of a kind.
"To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower. To hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour." William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence" 1805
Here is the world viewed within a grain of sand, thanks to the stunning three-dimensional micro-photography of Dr. Gary Greenberg. To some, all sand looks alike--countless grains in a vast expanse of beach. Look closer--much closer--and your view of sand will never be the same.
Employing the fantastic micro-photographic techniques that he personally developed, Greenberg invites you to discover the strange and wonderful world that each grain of sand contains. See, truly see, the sands of Hawaii and Tahiti, the Sahara and the Poles, a volcano, each exquisitely different, and each telling a fascinating geological story.
Red sand and yellow, white sand and black, singing sand and quicksand: Greenberg's pictures reveal the subtle differences in their colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. And as this infinitesimal world unfolds so does an intriguing explanation of how each grain of sand begins and forms and finds itself in a particular place, one of a billion and one of a kind.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2008
About the author
Gary Greenberg
5 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the goodreads data base.
A photographer and filmmaker with a Ph.D. in biomedical research, Gary Greenberg creates new ways to capture the spectacular landscapes that are hidden from everyday perception inside grains of sand, human cells and flower petals. Using high-definition, three-dimensional light microscopes -- for which he holds 18 patents -- Greenberg makes the miracles of nature tangible, exposing their hidden details. Most recently, Greenberg turned his attention to sand grains, photographing samples from around the world for the book, A Grain of Sand: Nature's Secret Wonder. For it, Greenberg even photographed moon sand returned from NASA’s Apollo 11 Mission.
Greenberg has also taught at the University of Southern California and has been a featured artist at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
A photographer and filmmaker with a Ph.D. in biomedical research, Gary Greenberg creates new ways to capture the spectacular landscapes that are hidden from everyday perception inside grains of sand, human cells and flower petals. Using high-definition, three-dimensional light microscopes -- for which he holds 18 patents -- Greenberg makes the miracles of nature tangible, exposing their hidden details. Most recently, Greenberg turned his attention to sand grains, photographing samples from around the world for the book, A Grain of Sand: Nature's Secret Wonder. For it, Greenberg even photographed moon sand returned from NASA’s Apollo 11 Mission.
Greenberg has also taught at the University of Southern California and has been a featured artist at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 2, 2010
In one of the first chapters, Dr. Greenberg describes what happened when he told his grandfather he wanted to be a photographer (after graduating from college with a science degree.) He expected to be berated. However, instead his grandfather said, "You are going to show people things they never knew existed."
So much is that the case!
Using a microscope and his own patented methods of lighting, Dr. Greenberg examined (and subsequently photographed) sand grains from beaches in various parts of the globe. What he found and treats his readers to is shocking--rather than being little brown rocks, individual grains of sand are brightly colored, sometimes iridescent, and no two grains are shaped exactly alike.
His photos are beautiful and arresting. I came away from reading it thinking of the promise Jehovah made to Abraham in Genesis 22:17, that his seed would be like the sand which is on the sea shores. All my life I've thought that merely meant quantity, but today, after seeing the amazing photos and reading the research of Dr. Greenberg, I know how much richer that promise is than I would ever have guessed.
Highly recommend this beautiful book!
PS--Emailed Dr. Greenberg to say thank you and he sent me additional photos, this time of two individual grains of moon sand under a microscope. Breathtaking. As he said in the final text of the book, the universe is endlessly surprising and praiseworthy.
So much is that the case!
Using a microscope and his own patented methods of lighting, Dr. Greenberg examined (and subsequently photographed) sand grains from beaches in various parts of the globe. What he found and treats his readers to is shocking--rather than being little brown rocks, individual grains of sand are brightly colored, sometimes iridescent, and no two grains are shaped exactly alike.
His photos are beautiful and arresting. I came away from reading it thinking of the promise Jehovah made to Abraham in Genesis 22:17, that his seed would be like the sand which is on the sea shores. All my life I've thought that merely meant quantity, but today, after seeing the amazing photos and reading the research of Dr. Greenberg, I know how much richer that promise is than I would ever have guessed.
Highly recommend this beautiful book!
PS--Emailed Dr. Greenberg to say thank you and he sent me additional photos, this time of two individual grains of moon sand under a microscope. Breathtaking. As he said in the final text of the book, the universe is endlessly surprising and praiseworthy.
April 5, 2026
A beautiful collection of stunningly sharp microphotographs.
Sand will never look the same again after this book.
Greenberg's work is inspiring.
Sand will never look the same again after this book.
Greenberg's work is inspiring.
February 1, 2014
MORE PICTURES! These were beautiful! And I loved the information about different beaches and different types of sand. I'm going to give this to my 9-year-old who loves rocks and minerals to look at the pictures even if the text will be way over his head (maybe--sometimes he surprises me about what he understands!).
June 3, 2021
A fascinating look at sand under the microscope!!!
I tried to buy it from Amazon but it's out of print, and they wanted from $500-999.95 for it. So I googled the author, who sells it for $20 or $25. autographed and I got it within 5 days from Hawaii!!! Much better deal.
I tried to buy it from Amazon but it's out of print, and they wanted from $500-999.95 for it. So I googled the author, who sells it for $20 or $25. autographed and I got it within 5 days from Hawaii!!! Much better deal.
September 24, 2008
Arresting microphotography of sand grains in all their diversity, along with accessible scientific information about their origin, composition, colors, shapes, etc. A real combination of art and science.
May 19, 2022
This book has me thinking about everything from the millions of tiny sea creatures that build intricate shells to the millions of years of movement and upheaval of the earth's crust. Super fascinating photos and text.
February 1, 2024
A book full of complete wonder. The complexity of design and colour in sandgrains under a microscope is truly mindblowing. The author is an amazing photographer and states " One of my greatest rewards is when people ....say " I never walk along the beach the same way again after seeing your images of sandgrains. Its awesome"". This really sums the book up. However, this is not just a book of photographs, but full of interesting scientific information on the nature of sand.
A fusion of art in nature, the author states that "understanding how things come together on the microscopic level adds to (the ) appreciation of the ordinary and everyday events of life...."
A fusion of art in nature, the author states that "understanding how things come together on the microscopic level adds to (the ) appreciation of the ordinary and everyday events of life...."
August 5, 2009
Great pictures! And well researched information about sand. Easy read and interesting.
March 10, 2014
Intriguing book. Lots of interesting science as well. Absolutely amazing what is in everyday sand when magnified and artistically considered.
September 1, 2016
Amazingly beautiful book. Worth every second of reading.
November 3, 2016
A unique coffee table book that gives you a fresh perspective on our planet.
dnf
October 5, 2021DNF-
This was listed as a photo book and it's a stretch to call it that. Yes, there is some amazing photos scattered throughout but I don't think there was enough. The majority of it is just the author talking about himself, his work, and sand. Maybe the real reason I disliked it is that it's just like reading a textbook about sand.
This was listed as a photo book and it's a stretch to call it that. Yes, there is some amazing photos scattered throughout but I don't think there was enough. The majority of it is just the author talking about himself, his work, and sand. Maybe the real reason I disliked it is that it's just like reading a textbook about sand.
March 18, 2020
This book has a lot of nice pictures. It is short and pretty, more like a coffee table book. If you understand that's how it is intended, then it shouldn't disappoint. I picked it up from the library, so I definitely got my money's worth.
Read
November 5, 2023Beautiful photography; the writing was an odd cross that was not quite textbook and not quite living book. But I learned some things and enjoyed reading it; would consider it as a free read or supplement to middle school/high school earth science.
November 14, 2023
Such beauty in grains of sand and how fortunate we are to witness the images by Greenberg.
August 21, 2011
This book is really fascinating; the text can be a tad dry, but it's interesting information on the process used to take these amazing photographs. Worth taking the time to read and definitely worth looking at all the pictures!
Want to Read
December 1, 2008Saw this in Discover magazine. Amazing!
Some pics posted here: http://discovermagazine.com/photos/01...
Some pics posted here: http://discovermagazine.com/photos/01...
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews