By John B. West. 493 pp., illustrated. New York, Oxford University Press, 1998. $79.50. ISBN 0-19-512194-5.
The nature of the atmosphere in which we live has fascinatedhumanity for thousands of years. It had always been clear thatair was necessary for life — but why? Observations ofthe motion of the lungs and the beating of the heart slowlybrought understanding of the intertwining relations among air,respiration, circulation, and life. When oxygen, the "vitalprinciple," was isolated, its importance was appreciated immediately.People began to explore mountains, which they had long worshipedfor their remote beauty and later feared as they experiencedtheir dangers. The venturesome soon wondered why going to ahigh altitude . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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