Discusses the unusual nature of glass, how it is made, and the many uses to which it has been put, from fine art to industrial applications, throughout history.

Discusses oil as a source for plastics, the importance of recycling, and possible uses for plastics in the future.

Explores the many uses of wood, from paper and cloth to chemicals to works of art, discussing how wood is processed for these different purposes and how we can help protect this valuable resource.

Without coal, our lives would be profoundly different. Formed over millions of years, coal provides one-fifth of the energy we use today. But burning coal also produces more pollution and greenhouse gases than other energy sources, which contributes to the growing problem of climate change. In the future, it will be more important than ever to find ways to make coal a "cleaner" form of energy. The countries of North America have always had plentiful...