Pushing the Limits (A Pushing the Limits Novel)

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McCalla, E. et al. Visualization of O–O peroxo-like dimers in high-capacity layered oxides for Li-ion batteries. Science 350, 1516–1521 (2015). Luo, K. et al. Anion redox chemistry in the cobalt free 3 d transition metal oxide intercalation electrode Li[Li 0.2Ni 0.2Mn 0.6]O 2. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 11211–11218 (2016). Her eyes met mine again. "So what does this mean for us?" I lowered my forehead to hers "it means your mine."

Qiao, R. et al. Transition-metal redox evolution in LiNi 0.5Mn 0.3Co 0.2O 2 electrodes at high potentials. J. Power Sources 360, 294–300 (2017). There is a mystery behind Echo's injuries that is gradually revealed to her. What we find out is so heartbreaking and INFURIATING at the same time. BE WARNED, you are going to HATE Echo's parents and the self-centered step-mother, Ashley!! The father constantly put Ashley before Echo, even when she desperately needed him! I was overjoyed when Echo started standing up to her father and told him things he needed to hear! Don't even get me started on the mother. Still, I think the parents got off way too easy in my opinion! Trust me, you are going to shake a fist or two while reading this story because of them! Ms. McGarry did an excellent job writing these awful people. Qiu, B. et al. Metastability and reversibility of anionic redox-based cathode for high-energy rechargeable batteries. Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 1, 100028 (2020). House, R. A. et al. First-cycle voltage hysteresis in Li-rich 3 d cathodes associated with molecular O 2 trapped in the bulk. Nat. Energy 5, 777–785 (2020).Rana, J. et al. Quantifying the capacity contributions during activation of Li 2MnO 3. ACS Energy Lett. 5, 634–641 (2020). Hu, E. et al. Evolution of redox couples in Li- and Mn-rich cathode materials and mitigation of voltage fade by reducing oxygen release. Nat. Energy 3, 690–698 (2018). Zhuo, Z. et al. Full energy range resonant inelastic X-ray scattering of O 2 and CO 2: direct comparison with oxygen redox state in batteries. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 11, 2618–2623 (2020). I decided to continue their story because I didn't feel like it was finished. At the end of Pushing the Limits, Echo and Noah finally feel that there is hope for a future, but they still have some hurts that they need to work out before they can truly be happy. Breaking the Rules follows them as Echo and Noah work through their grief. I approached this young adult romance with the caution I always approach young adult romance novels with. Plus an extra shot of it because of the bad boy/good girl cliche we are promised. As far as these types of cliched stories go, I'd say Pushing the Limits is one of the best and is far better than those of Simone Elkeles. I personally think McGarry has written a great debut and the novel would have fully achieved excellence had she not played in the safe zone and used the same old format and character types. Everything was a little too predictable. However, I see enough promise here to want to try her next novel - Dare You To - and see if Beth's story can avoid the same mistakes (based on her character, I think it might).

Noah inhaled and slowly let the air out. His stance softened and so did his voice. “If you’re scared, tell me. If you need to cry and scream, then do it. And you sure as hell don’t walk away from us because you think it would be better for me. Here’s the reality, Echo: I want to be by your side. If you want to go to the mall stark naked so you can show the world your scars, then let me hold your hand. If you want to see your mom, then tell me that, too. I may not always understand, but damn, baby, I’ll try.” Li, N. et al. Unraveling the cationic and anionic redox reactions in a conventional layered oxide cathode. ACS Energy Lett. 4, 2836–2842 (2019).Renfrew, S. E. & McCloskey, B. D. Quantification of surface oxygen depletion and solid carbonate evolution on the first cycle of LiNi 0.6Mn 0.2Co 0.2O 2 electrodes. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2, 3762–3772 (2019). Yes I'm a weeper, but mostly I just get misty-eyed, this was full-on crying! Gah. Anyway. I think that scene is my favorite from the book :))) Anyway, Echo's remembering was really, REALLY tough to read, and I am so glad Noah was there to support her most of the way <3

Liu, J. et al. General synthesis of xLi 2MnO 3·(1- x)LiMn 1/3Ni 1/3Co 1/3O 2 nanomaterials by a molten-salt method: towards a high capacity and high power cathode for rechargeable lithium batteries. J. Mater. Chem. 22, 25380–25387 (2012). Always be on the lookout for the signs that your body and mind are giving you that show where your limits are in terms of prolonged effort.

1. Dismantle your limiting beliefs.

Sathiya, M. et al. Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging for real-time monitoring of Li-ion batteries. Nat. Commun. 6, 6276 (2015).

Carroll, K. J. et al. Probing the electrode/electrolyte interface in the lithium excess layered oxide Li 1.2Ni 0.2Mn 0.6O 2. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 11128–11138 (2013). Sun, G. et al. Local electronic structure modulation enhances operating voltage in Li-rich cathodes. Nano Energy 66, 104102 (2019). Part way through Pushing The Limits, I put down my kindle and thought: Am I (gasp) too old crotchety and cynical for this? I wanted to like this book, but ultimately I just ended up feeling like I’d been caught in a stampede of drama llamas. Lyu, Y. et al. Correlations between transition-metal chemistry, local structure, and global structure in Li 2Ru 0.5Mn 0.5O 3 investigated in a wide voltage window. Chem. Mater. 29, 9053–9065 (2017).Qiao, Y., Deng, H., He, P. & Zhou, H. A 500 Wh/kg Lithium-metal cell based on anionic redox. Joule 4, 1445–1458 (2020). One good way to do that is to adopt the approach of “No Zero Days.” That is, there is not a day that you don’t work on your big goals, at least a little bit. It doesn’t have to be anything major! It can be fifteen minutes dedicated to doing one small thing that will get you closer to that big thing that you want to accomplish. Li, J., Shunmugasundaram, R., Doig, R. & Dahn, J. R. In situ X-ray diffraction study of layered Li-Ni-Mn-Co oxides: effect of particle size and structural stability of core-shell materials. Chem. Mater. 28, 162–171 (2016). Are you trying to push yourself in terms of your work or career? Why? What makes you want to put in more hours working or studying? Do you want to reach the top of your field? Is it a highly competitive industry in terms of jobs where you need an edge to secure employment? Is it for the money and the lifestyle that money can give you? Do you want to make a difference in the world?