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Praise for Slime An Amazon Best Science Title of 2019 A Science News Best Title of 2019 A New York Times New and Noteworthy Title A Science Friday Best Book of the Summer A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of 2019 A BookPage Best Book of 2019 “Kassinger gives these Plain Janes their time in the sun…Great reading.” —Ira Flatow, NPR’s “Science Friday” "Algae are among the earth's oldest life-forms, pervasive in everything from pond scum to crude oil. Kassinger explains their history and biology, and makes a persuasive case for their future importance." —New York Times Book Review “No organisms are more important to life as we know it than algae. In Slime, Ruth Kassinger gives this under-appreciated group its due. The result is engaging, occasionally icky, and deeply informative.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, New York Times-bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize-winner The Sixth Extinction "Kassinger, a popular-science writer whose previous books are on gardening and botany, packs an impressive amount of biochemistry into digestible terms." —New York Review of Books "Kassinger has found in algae an undervalued topic truly worthy of closer attention...In the end, Kassinger has us rooting for pond scum—it might just save us yet." —Science News "In spite of having studied algae for more than 30 years, I learnt much from Slime...Compelling...There is something for everyone, from committed phycologists to people who hitherto (but hopefully no longer) regarded algae as an inconvenience or worse. Blanket weed may never seem the same again." —Nature "Slime illustrates the important role algae have played in the world...Overall, Slime gives a distinct view into these underappreciated organisms and demonstrates our intertwined history with algae. Hopefully, it will help readers see algae in a different light." —Science Magazine "Fascinating and relevant...As Kassinger finds unique nuggets within algae's backstory and possible future, she unravels amazing, microscopic details of this vital resource...Where it gets really interesting is her detailed explanation of the large role algae played in the complicated, multistep process of human evolution, supplementing our ancestors’ diets with iodine and the omega-3 oil DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both essential ingredients for developing larger brains. And it has continued to serve as a nutritious food source for many cultures ever since...Kassinger has penned a wondrous story of this multifaceted, often misunderstood microorganism whose existence is vital to our own." —BookPage, starred review "We often look for big solutions, but the reality is that the smallest things often offer hope. This globetrotting book showcases the 'algae innovators' (the phrase of the month) exploring what we can learn from these often-ignored plants." —EcoWatch “A book full of delights and surprises. Algae are the hidden rulers of our world, giving us oxygen, food, and energy. This is a beautiful evocation of the many ways that our past and future are entangled in their emerald strands.” —David George Haskell, author of The Songs of Trees and Pulitzer —