Book
Silk : a world history / Aarathi Prasad.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063160255 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: viii, 293 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour) ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2024]
- Copyright: ©2024
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Bombyx mori. Lepidopterology > History. Sericulture > History. Silk > History. Silkworms. Silkworms > History. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | 677.39109 Pra | 31681010370344 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
This intricately woven tapestry of the global, natural and cultural history of silk, one of the strongest biological materials ever known, explores the technologies it has inspired, from sutures to pharmaceutical, from replacement body parts to holograms, and looks to its future as a resource with incredible, untapped potential. Illustrations. - Baker & Taylor
"In a gorgeous history that spans continents and millennia, Aarathi Prasad weaves together the complex story of the queen of fabrics. Through the scientists who have studied silk, and the biology of the animals from which it has been drawn, Prasad explores the global, natural, and cultural history (and future) of a unique material that has fascinated the world for thousands of years"-- - HARPERCOLL
A Smithsonian Magazine Best History Book of 2024
A Library Journal Selection for Best Nonfiction of 2024
A Next Big Idea Book Club Must-Read for April
âAarathi Prasadâs Silk: A World History is a love song to this protean material. . . . Beautiful [and] fascinating.â âWall Street Journal
"Aarathi Prasad spins a masterpiece of a story, as luminous, supple, and surprising as the wondrous threads themselves." âSy Montgomery, bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus and Of Time and Turtles
Throughout history, across cultures and countries, silk has reigned as the undeniable queen of fabrics, yet its origins and evolution remain a mystery. In a gorgeous and sweeping narrative, Silk weaves together its intricate story and the indelible mark it has left on humanity.
Some four thousand years ago, the cultivation of silkworms began, the practice spreading to the far reaches of civilization. With it came a growing obsession with unlocking silkâs secrets to understand how the strongest biological material ever known could be harnessed.
Explorers and scientists, including groundbreaking women who pushed the boundaries of societal expectations, dedicatedâeven sacrificedâtheir lives to investigate the anatomy of silk-producing animals. They endured unbelievable hardships to discover and collect new specimens, leading them to the moths of China, Indonesia, and India; the spiders of Argentina, Paraguay, and Madagascar; and the mollusks of the Mediterranean.
Rich with the complex connections between human and nonhuman worlds, Silk not only peers into the past but also reveals the fiberâs impact today, inspiring new technologies across the fashion, military, and medical fields, and shows its untapped potential to pioneer a more sustainable future.
The culmination of author and biologist Aarathi Prasadâs own lifelong passion and grounded in years of research and writing, Silk is an intoxicating read that provides an essential illumination of natureâs most glamourous thread.
