Material world : a substantial story of our past and future
Conway, Ed, 1979-2024
Book
Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. They built our world, and they will transform our future. These are the six most crucial substances in human history. They took us from the Dark Ages to the present day. They power our computers and phones, build our homes and offices, and create life-saving medicines. But most of us take them completely for granted. In Material World, Ed Conway travels the globe - from the sweltering depths of the deepest mine in Europe, to spotless silicon chip factories in Taiwan, to the eerie green pools where lithium originates - to uncover a secret world we rarely see. Revealing the true marvel of these substances, he follows the mind-boggling journeys, miraculous processes and little-known companies that turn the raw materials we all need into products of astonishing complexity. As we wrestle with climate change, energy crises and the threat of new global conflict, Conway shows why these substances matter more than ever before, and how the hidden battle to control them will shape our geopolitical future.
Main title:
Author:
Conway, Ed, 1979-, author
Imprint:
London : WH Allen, part of Penguin Random House group, 2024.©2023.
Collation:
viii, 501 pages ; 20 cm.
Notes:
First published in 2023.Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
9780753559178
Dewey class:
338.2
LC class:
HF1051
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
2292477