Uncle Tungsten

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
Author Oliver Sacks
Cover artist John Gall
Country United States
Language English
Genre Memoir
Science
Publisher Vintage Books
Publication date
 2001
Pages 317
ISBN 0-375-40448-1
OCLC 46937635
616.8/092 B 21
LC Class RC339.52.S23 A3 2001
Followed by Oaxaca Journal (2002)

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood is a memoir by Oliver Sacks about his childhood published in 2001. The book is named after Sacks's Uncle Dave, secretary of a business named Tungstalite[1], which made incandescent lightbulbs with a tungsten filament, whom Oliver nicknamed Uncle Tungsten. According to family members, Oliver used the single nickname, Uncle Tungsten, to refer to a combination of Dave with several other individuals in the same family. Uncle Tungsten was fascinated with tungsten and believed it was the metal of the future.

The book combines autobiographical elements with a primer in the history and science of chemistry. However, it is not all about his youthful passion for chemistry, but also is eclectic, relating his memories of the catastrophic fire at the Crystal Palace, his terrible experiences of sadism at school, his interest in amateur chemistry, and a passing obsession with coloring his own black-and-white photographs in his home laboratory.

References

  1. ↑ "1951 Directory for the British Glass Industry: Users T - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-08-10.


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