Material World
A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future
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4.8 • 11 Ratings
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
*An Economist, Financial Times, Times and New Statesman Book of the Year*
Shortlisted for the FT Business Book of the Year Award and the British Academy Book Prize, Longlisted for the Wainwright Conservation Writing Prize
'Compelling' TIM MARSHALL
'Lively, rich and exciting' PETER FRANKOPAN
'Vitally important' TIM HARFORD
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Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. They built our world, and they will transform our future.
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 these six crucial materials completely for granted.
In Material World, Ed Conway travels the globe to uncover a secret world we rarely see. 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.
Customer Reviews
A work of substance
The author is a British journalist, who is currently economic editor for SkyNews UK. He has published two previous non-fiction works on economics, including The Summit (2014) about Bretton-Woods, which I recommend if you’re interested. (If the name Bretton-Woods made you think it was about golf, don’t bother.)
Here, Mr C does a deep dive on “the six most crucial substances in human history,” which are sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium, in case you were wondering. The history, both scientific and socio-cultural, is fascinating. The case the author makes for the importance of these substances in our future is compelling. The prose is crisp, clear and never drags. The reference list is extensive. Best non-fiction I have read this year.