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Every Breath You Take: Exploring the Science of Our Changing Atmosphere
With seven million early deaths a year linked to air pollution, air quality is headline news around the world. But even though we breathe in and out every few seconds, few of us really know what’s in the air all around us. In Every Breath You Take, air quality specialist—and full-time breather—Dr. Mark Broomfield connects the dots from the atmosphere on distant planets to the holes in the ozone layer to the particles in our lungs.
How do we measure air pollution and what on earth is an odor panel? Why are property prices higher upwind of cities? And will our grandchildren inherit an atmosphere worth breathing? With keen insights on the atmospheric effects of climate change, industrial air pollution, and urbanization in the twenty-first century, Every Breath You Take combines the latest scientific research with Mark’s personal stories to answer these questions and many more in a readable and surprising journey through the atmosphere.
How do we measure air pollution and what on earth is an odor panel? Why are property prices higher upwind of cities? And will our grandchildren inherit an atmosphere worth breathing? With keen insights on the atmospheric effects of climate change, industrial air pollution, and urbanization in the twenty-first century, Every Breath You Take combines the latest scientific research with Mark’s personal stories to answer these questions and many more in a readable and surprising journey through the atmosphere.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2020
10 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 13, 2022
The mix of nitrogen and oxygen that we breathe every day without fail has kept us and countless other humans and other animals alive for hundreds of millions of years now. But since the industrial revolution, the amount of particulates and pollution has increased in the atmosphere relentlessly. This low-quality air is what we breathe in now and it is contributing to seven million deaths each year.
But what are these substances that we are breathing in? How do they affect us? And what is being done to reduce this pollution? In this fascinating book, Mark Broomfield sets about trying to answer some of these questions on a journey that begins on another planet and will take us all around the world to discover where this pollution comes from and the most recent science on how it affects us.
I liked this book, Broomfield, obviously knows his facts, which you would kind of hope for given his background and experience, but he has made the subject of air pollution both readable and interesting. He has laid the book out in a logical order too moving from the air that we breathe around us right up to the stratosphere. It is a popular science book, so sometimes the really technical details aren’t there, but there is a comprehensive series of notes in the rear of the book should they be needed. There were a couple of flaws, the occasional attempt at humour wasn’t really needed, and for me, the final chapter on one possible future ahead I didn’t think was really necessary. I would have preferred action points on how to go about improving the air quality around us. Worth reading if you are concerned with air pollution.
But what are these substances that we are breathing in? How do they affect us? And what is being done to reduce this pollution? In this fascinating book, Mark Broomfield sets about trying to answer some of these questions on a journey that begins on another planet and will take us all around the world to discover where this pollution comes from and the most recent science on how it affects us.
I liked this book, Broomfield, obviously knows his facts, which you would kind of hope for given his background and experience, but he has made the subject of air pollution both readable and interesting. He has laid the book out in a logical order too moving from the air that we breathe around us right up to the stratosphere. It is a popular science book, so sometimes the really technical details aren’t there, but there is a comprehensive series of notes in the rear of the book should they be needed. There were a couple of flaws, the occasional attempt at humour wasn’t really needed, and for me, the final chapter on one possible future ahead I didn’t think was really necessary. I would have preferred action points on how to go about improving the air quality around us. Worth reading if you are concerned with air pollution.
October 23, 2020
As an environmental scientist, I thought I would love the book; it was tough to get through.
Broomfield’s delightful British humour makes the book more enjoyable that it would otherwise be.
Broomfield’s delightful British humour makes the book more enjoyable that it would otherwise be.
September 8, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Even though a big part of it was just a pointless ramble about problems with air pollution, I would say that everything complimented everything else and so - making this book a rather fascinating science book involving some humour, chemistry, mathematics and whole lot of love for the subject from the author himself :)
October 15, 2022
It is not often I will pick up a book that is a 'popular science' book. Just I do not do science. This book is different as well as being an engrossing read about one of today's important subjects, climate change.
This book introduces what happens in our atmosphere and how we humans have done everything in our power to poison it. This book is not a polemic though. This is engaging scientific argument which explains to the general reader about our atmosphere.
The advantage of this book it has been written by someone who is used to explaining about air pollution to the public without blowing people's minds with science.
This book introduces what happens in our atmosphere and how we humans have done everything in our power to poison it. This book is not a polemic though. This is engaging scientific argument which explains to the general reader about our atmosphere.
The advantage of this book it has been written by someone who is used to explaining about air pollution to the public without blowing people's minds with science.
August 14, 2022
I am sure there are people out there who would absolutely love this book. It got a little bit too much of the details for me, probably would've liked it if he would've just filled it out instead of putting in all of the scientific data I still got a lot and probably should re-read this!
August 17, 2020
What a great book, it does exactly what it says on the tin. I am now on the look out for diffusion tubes.
November 26, 2020
Someone recommended this book and I borrowed it using Hoopla, but it was very forgettable.
August 10, 2019
Four out of five NOx particles to Every Breath You Take: Exploring the Science of our Changing Atmosphere by Mark Broomfield.
I don’t read a huge amount of non-fiction these days because it takes a lot more energy than reading fiction, and a lot more concentration. This sounded really interesting though, so I requested it from Netgalley and was sent a copy. And it did indeed take about a week to read which, even now, is a pretty long time for me.
There’s a ton of information in Every Breath You Take. Seriously, if you’ve ever had a question about air quality and pollution you’ll almost certainly find it in this book. Mark Broomfield is an air quality scientist and it’s clearly a subject he’s passionate about, plus having done a huge amount of research for this book.
I also have to mention the writing style. I hate it when experts write a book but half the words are over four syllables and most of the sentences are at least three lines long. It makes them incredibly inaccessible and also bloody boring. Sometimes they’re bloody boring even when they use normal language and sentence structure. Mark Broomfield does not have this problem. His style is down-to-earth and easy to read, even mildly humorous on occasion. It’s nice to read a book by an expert which is chock-full of information and technical detail but still very readable.
It’s worth noting, since the book description doesn’t mention it, that Every Breath You Take is almost exclusively about air quality and pollution in England (occasionally Scotland). Mark Broomfield does branch out and talk about the rest of the world once or twice, mainly to mention pollution issues in, notably, China and India. This is a bit frustrating to be honest, because he talks about whether they’re dealing with their problems well or not, but barely acknowledges the UK’s – and other European countries’ – role in causing this by sending so much of our manufacturing overseas. Also I was not here for him calling a Chinese place name ‘pleasing if mystifying’. It was not mystifying. It was a perfectly simple abbreviation of the names of three Chinese cities, as I discovered after a quick google (and not an acronym as he also says). Not cool.
Luckily these parts are so brief as to be almost non-existent in the book and the rest of it is really excellent. I have the Kindle edition but this is the sort of book where I’d probably prefer to read a hard copy because it’s so much easier to flip back and forth if you want to check something that came up several chapters – or even a few pages – ago. But if air quality and pollution is a topic that interests you, I highly recommend Every Breath You Take. It’s well written, well researched, and will definitely teach you a lot.
Read more book reviews on my blog https://thewearybookcase.home.blog/
I don’t read a huge amount of non-fiction these days because it takes a lot more energy than reading fiction, and a lot more concentration. This sounded really interesting though, so I requested it from Netgalley and was sent a copy. And it did indeed take about a week to read which, even now, is a pretty long time for me.
There’s a ton of information in Every Breath You Take. Seriously, if you’ve ever had a question about air quality and pollution you’ll almost certainly find it in this book. Mark Broomfield is an air quality scientist and it’s clearly a subject he’s passionate about, plus having done a huge amount of research for this book.
I also have to mention the writing style. I hate it when experts write a book but half the words are over four syllables and most of the sentences are at least three lines long. It makes them incredibly inaccessible and also bloody boring. Sometimes they’re bloody boring even when they use normal language and sentence structure. Mark Broomfield does not have this problem. His style is down-to-earth and easy to read, even mildly humorous on occasion. It’s nice to read a book by an expert which is chock-full of information and technical detail but still very readable.
It’s worth noting, since the book description doesn’t mention it, that Every Breath You Take is almost exclusively about air quality and pollution in England (occasionally Scotland). Mark Broomfield does branch out and talk about the rest of the world once or twice, mainly to mention pollution issues in, notably, China and India. This is a bit frustrating to be honest, because he talks about whether they’re dealing with their problems well or not, but barely acknowledges the UK’s – and other European countries’ – role in causing this by sending so much of our manufacturing overseas. Also I was not here for him calling a Chinese place name ‘pleasing if mystifying’. It was not mystifying. It was a perfectly simple abbreviation of the names of three Chinese cities, as I discovered after a quick google (and not an acronym as he also says). Not cool.
Luckily these parts are so brief as to be almost non-existent in the book and the rest of it is really excellent. I have the Kindle edition but this is the sort of book where I’d probably prefer to read a hard copy because it’s so much easier to flip back and forth if you want to check something that came up several chapters – or even a few pages – ago. But if air quality and pollution is a topic that interests you, I highly recommend Every Breath You Take. It’s well written, well researched, and will definitely teach you a lot.
Read more book reviews on my blog https://thewearybookcase.home.blog/
August 30, 2019
Every Breath You Take is a highly informative book on the Earth's atmosphere and everything that humanity has been polluting it with. Chapter by chapter environmental scientist Mark Broomfield describes harmful and hazardous substances, how their levels are monitored and what steps have been taken to reduce their emission.
While the book is packed with information and is at times very technical, there are also fun stories and witty remarks dispersed in there.
Broomfield's passion for the subject and his engaging writing style make Every Breath You Take a truly enjoyable and recommendable read!
While the book is packed with information and is at times very technical, there are also fun stories and witty remarks dispersed in there.
Broomfield's passion for the subject and his engaging writing style make Every Breath You Take a truly enjoyable and recommendable read!
July 21, 2019
The author's painstaking research and attention to detail is obvious in the writing of this book. There were many facts that I only discovered after reading this!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews