No Small Matter

Science on the Nanoscale

Harvard University Press, 2009. Coauthored with G. M. Whitesides.

Kurt Andersen, author of RESET and Heyday, host of public radio’s
Studio 360: “Holy cow! It’s exceptionally rare that science is rendered in such lucid, thoughtful, charming fashion. But I am not sure I’ve ever encountered a beautiful book as important as this one, or vice-versa. “Awesome” is an overused phrase these days, but No Small Matter is exactly, totally, gratifyingly that.”

Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art: “It is hard to grasp what we cannot see, even harder when not even a microscope can see it. With unmatched clarity and arresting elegance, Frankel and Whitesides have designed a narrative and visual voyage into the nanouniverse, revealing its basic constructs without sacrificing its magic.”

Publishers Weekly: “[Frankel and Whitesides] present a game, insightful attempt to illustrate reality at the very smallest scales, where lengths are measured in billionths of a meter…Frankel’s intricate work reveals a world of unexpected textures and landscapes…This visual and intellectual treat is best absorbed at leisure, with ample time for pondering the new relationships each topic reveals.”