Material World

A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future

By: Ed Conway

Narrated by: Ed Conway

Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

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. This is the story of civilisation - our ambitions and glory, innovations and appetites - from a new perspective: literally from the ground up.

©2023 Ed Conway (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

A compelling narrative of the human story (Tim Marshall, author of PRISONERS OF GEOGRAPHY)

Lively, rich and exciting ... full of surprises. Underlines that to understand global geopolitics, you need to understand natural resources and geology (Peter Frankopan, author of THE SILK ROADS)

Expansive, erudite, and edifying. A stunning insight into the materials that shaped our history and built the modern world (Prof. Lewis Dartnell, author of 'BEING HUMAN: How our Biology shaped World History')

Illuminating and rational.

A useful and insightful study that demystifies lithium - white gold - and tempers the contemporary vilification of the petro- chemical industry. Especially enjoy that the author narrates as well. 5 stars.

Good food for thought about the world and material we rely on

Well written and well thought introduction for the layperson to some of the challenges we face in making the world more sustainable. Partly by accepting and evolving our evils, not parting with them.

Exceptional information which everyone should have

The book is well written and narrated! Important information for the whole of mankind, but all politicians should be forced to read it

Book of the year!

A Tour de Materiàl of how the world is woven together in its quest to find and prosess earth into raw materials that defines our built world and the devices that our lives revolve around.

I have worked in the field of material processing and industrial effluent research for most of my life,
But this is the book I wish someone wrote 30 years ago. It gives a laymans level window into this facinating foundation of human civilization, it benefits are obvious, the environmental challenges daunting and many of the socio-economic implications disturbing. Yet I feel the book gives a balanced view of all aspects.

I grew up picking copper ore along the rail lines of the Copperbelt in Zambia, then in the litteral shadow of one of those silicon smelters before they installed dust filter that capture the micro silica which is now a valued by-product. In my teens fish was dying from acidification of lakes and rivers. The local silicon plant is now "clean" and close to 80% of the energy is recuperated. Fishstocks in the lakes have returned (thank You Mrs Thatcher).

Humanity has been in tight spots before, and solved the problems. I think some of the stuff on the cost of getting to "net-zero" is especially important in the present partially polarized debate.

This is a book that will engage both scientists (social and technical), environmentalists, politicians and the curious minded layman.

Excellent book

Excellently researched and told. An essential book to understand the subject matter. A must for the library

Well written (and read) and very informative

This incredibly interesting book is packed with information on the history and present of a set of materials of critical importance to human civilization. Topics that might be considered boring to the layman, such as what happens in an oil refinery and what differentiates Soviet-era from modern-day concrete are somehow made intriguing. In so far as I can judge, the author seems to have made an honest effort to offer an objective and optimistic perspective on the issues discussed.

The author reads well and has a pleasant voice that adds to the audiobook quality.

I listened from start to finish with great and undiminished interest and finished the book a bit less ignorant on important topics I used to know embarrassingly little about.

Highly recommended.

Excellent!

Marvelously written and read - truly enjoyed it. Deserves many listeners- touching on so many key questions and dilemmas in our time, literally grounding us in many material realities!