nature Magazine Science Book Reviews – August 4, 2023: The bitter-sweet history of sugar, and the marvels of measurement. Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.

Life and Afterlife in Ancient China

By Jessica Rawson 

When constructing monumental tombs thousands of years ago, “the Egyptians built up” — with their pyramids — whereas “the Chinese built down”, writes sinologist Jessica Rawson. The geology of China’s dry Loess Plateau permitted the excavation of shafts more than 10 metres deep. These tombs were filled with objects for the afterlife. Rawson’s majestic history explores 11 such monuments and one large sacrificial deposit, dating from 5,000 years ago to the third century bc, with the First Emperor’s protective Terracotta Army.

The World of Sugar

Ulbe Bosma 

Sugar’s societal dominance is a recent development. Granulated sugar was eaten from the sixth century bc in India, but refined sugar became widely available in Europe only in the nineteenth century. Its history is both a story of progress and a bitter-sweet tale of “exploitation, racism, obesity, and environmental destruction”, writes historian Ulbe Bosma in his authoritative, highly readable study — the first to be truly global. Of 12.5 million Africans kidnapped in the Atlantic slave trade, between half and two-thirds were enslaved on sugar plantations.

The Seven Measures of the World

Piero Martin (transl. Gregory Conti) 

The great civilizations of the ancient world could use precise measurements — witness the Egyptian pyramids. But their units differed. Not until 1960 was the international system of measurement (SI) introduced, defining the metre, second, kilogram, ampere, kelvin and candela — then the mole in 1971. Each gets a chapter in this concise, anecdotal history by experimental physicist Piero Martin. He stresses the subjective aspect of measurement, such as the idea that the quality of scientific publications matters more than their quantity.

Unearthing the Underworld

By Ken McNamara 

Earth scientist Ken McNamara focuses on palaeontology and evolution. His appealing book about rocks and their lessons — illustrated with fine photographs of fossils — leaves aside igneous and metamorphic rocks, and the wonders of mineralogy. It concentrates instead on sedimentary rocks: mudstones, siltstones, sandstones and limestones, scattered over three-quarters of Earth’s surface in “endless piles”. As he jokily advises: “Ignore rocks at your peril.” But then surely continental drift deserved proper discussion?

In Light-Years There’s No Hurry

Marjolijn van Heemstra (transl. Jonathan Reeder)

Dutch space reporter Marjolijn van Heemstra is also a poet, novelist and playwright. This translation of her highly personal meditation on the Universe reflects lyrically on the fact that the atmosphere “signifies a boundary”, whereas space “appeals to our notion of boundlessness”. She notes a growing difference of opinion between those who see space exploration as irresponsible because our planet is in deep trouble — environmental and otherwise — and those who regard space as a potential refuge from Earth.