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Material World

A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future
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( 7,200 ratings, 853 reviews)
Brief Description
A bold new story of human progress, told through six materials that built our world and will transform our future. For fans of Tim Marshall, Lewis Dartnell, Jared Diamond and Yuval Harari. The Sunday Times Bestseller and Radio 4 Book of the Week An Economist, Financial... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A bold new story of human progress, told through six materials that built our world and will transform our future. For fans of Tim Marshall, Lewis Dartnell, Jared Diamond and Yuval Harari.

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


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.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780753559178

Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: W H Allen

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 345g

Pages: 512

About the Author

Ed Conway is a writer and broadcaster. He is the Economics and Data Editor of Sky News and a regular columnist for The Times and Sunday Times. He has written two critically acclaimed and bestselling books and has won numerous awards for his journalism. He lives in London.

Also by Ed Conway

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  • Material World
    THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Finalist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. These fundamental materials have created empires, razed civilizations and fed our ingenuity and our greed for thousands of years. Without them, our modern...
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  • Trade World
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    Trade World
    Bestselling, award-winning author Ed Conway follows his landmark bestseller Material World (over 150k shipped) with a timely story of how trade shaped our past, controls our present, and will determine our future, told through three commonplace items: bread, cloth, and cars. From the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of Material World, a story that will take you from ancient...
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  • Material World
    A bold new story of human progress, told through six materials that built our world and will transform our future. For fans of Tim Marshall, Lewis Dartnell, Jared Diamond and Yuval Harari. Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award Longlisted for the Wainwright Conservation Writing Prize Picked as a Book of the Year by...
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