Say “algae” and most people think of pond scum. What they don’t know is that without algae, none of us would exist.

There are as many algae on Earth as stars in the universe, and they have been essential to life on our planet for eons. Algae created Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere, abundant oceans, and coral reefs. Crude oil is made of dead algae, and algae are plants’ ancestors. Today, seaweed production is a multibillion-dollar industry, with algae at work in your sushi, beer, shampoo, and more. And in Slime we’ll meet the algae innovators working toward a sustainable future, from South Korea’s seaweed farmers to entrepreneurs fighting to bring algae fuel and plastics to market. Full of surprising science and history, Ruth Kassinger takes readers on an “engaging . . . deeply informative” around-the-world, behind-the-scenes, and into-the-kitchen tour, proving once and for all that “no organisms are more important to life as we know it than algae” (Elizabeth Kolbert).