The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler
by Thomas Hager
List Price:
Our Price: $8.22
You Save: $6.78 (45%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $6.35 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Thomas HagerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-08-18
ISBN: 0307351793
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Broadway
Book Reviews of The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler
Book Review: On Par with the Best Thillers; Excellent Book on Synthetic Nitrogen
Summary: 5 Stars
History is full of excellent stories. The problem, usually, is that some of the books detailing them are poorly written or edited, reducing the audience to a handful of readers. That fate does not befall The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, A Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler, by Thomas Hager. Written extremely well, Hager makes the story of the discovery and dual use of synthetic nitrogen accessible, enlightening, and very enjoyable, The problem I have with this excellent book, and it is quite minor, is the lack of pictures of the principle characters and, maybe, some maps. However, this is one of the best books I have read in 2009.
Contents:
Introduction: Creatures of the Air
I: The Ends of the Earth
II: The Philosopher's Stone
III: Syn
Source Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index
During his 1892 speech as the incoming president of the British Academy of Sciences, Sir William Crookes warned of a coming global food shortage. More people were leaving farms for the industrialized cities, reducing the number of farmers and the amount of new, available farm land was dwindling while the global population was rising. For the industrialized countries, it would mean mass starvation. His solution? The creation of synthetic fertilizer in massive amounts; as the earth was farmed, it lost vital nutrients such that subsequent crops were not as plentiful as the first ones cultivated. Even the rotation of crops did not replenish the soil fast enough. From this speech, Hager relates the interesting story of fertilizer, the many scientists that worked on a solution, and the final, incredible answer; Haber-Bosch. In 1905, Fritz Haber, a German chemist, discovered a process to remove nitrogen from the air and convert it into ammonia. Carl Bosch, a German chemist with amazing engineering skills, took Haber's desktop machine and transformed it into an industrial powerhouse that created tons of ammonia from air, saving the world from starvation. Both earned the Nobel Prize for their efforts. Along the way, Bosch eventually led the giant German chemical company, BASF and made millions. Haber achieved success as one of the world's leading scientists as a director at Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes. The irony of nitrogen; it can be used to feed millions or it is a key ingredient in weapons. The latter haunted Bosch as he looked to Hitler's government for financial assistance to increase production of his huge factory and to fund research into synthetic gasoline and rubber. Haber was hampered by anti-Semitism in his beloved homeland and tried his best to assimilate, only to leave the country, and his prestigious directorship as the Nazi's rose to power. Both men, while reaching the pinnacle of scientific achievement struggled in their private lives, which makes this story more than just about synthetic nitrogen.
Hager does an excellent job of making this story accessible to the reader, regardless of the reader's knowledge of science. At times it reads as if it is a thriller, and in some cases it is. especially when Hitler rises to power and both men are struggling with that fact. Further, while this is a very interesting story of the discovery of synthetic nitrogen, Hager uses the second half of the book to focus on Haber and Bosch; fascinating, conflicted, troubled men who struggle with their legacies. In addition, the reader is given a perspective of Germany before, during, and after both World Wars which really contributes to the story. The final chapter deals with the ramifications of the Haber-Bosch machine, which is thought provoking, but is also, I think, low key. A fitting end to the book. One of the most interesting, important discoveries in human history, presented in a book that is well written and engaging, The Alchemy of Air is a book that will remain with you long after the last page has been turned.
Disclosure:
Obtained from: Library
Payment: Borrowed
More The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler reviews:
1 2 3
1 2 3
Summary of The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler
Tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the discovery that changed billions of lives?including your own.At the dawn of the twentieth century, humanity was facing global disaster: Mass starvation was about to become a reality. A call went out to the world?s scientists to find a solution.
This is the story of the two men who found it: brilliant, self-important Fritz Haber and reclusive, alcoholic Carl Bosch. Together they discovered a way to make bread out of air, built city-sized factories, and saved millions of lives.
But their epochal triumph came at a price we are still paying. The Haber-Bosch process was also used to make the gunpowder and explosives that killed millions during the two world wars. Both men were vilified during their lives; both, disillusioned and disgraced, died tragically.
The Alchemy of Air is the extraordinary, previously untold story of a discovery that changed the way we grow food and the way we make war?and that promises to continue shaping our lives in fundamental and dramatic ways.
Historical Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Historical Books
Alexander Hamiltonby Ron Chernow
Penguin Audio; Published: 2004-04-26; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $153.76
America and Americans and Selected Nonfiction (Penguin Classics)by John Steinbeck
Penguin Classics; Published: 2003-04-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Sailing Alone around the World (Penguin Classics)by Joshua Slocum
Penguin Classics; Published: 1999-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sistersby Charlotte Mosley
Harper; Published: 2007-11-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.55
Price in other shops:
Profiles in Courage (slipcased edition): Decisive Moments in the Lives of Celebrated Americansby John F. Kennedy
Harper; Published: 2006-10-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops:
Lost Years: A Memoir 1945 - 1951by Christopher Isherwood
HarperCollins; Published: 2000-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.14
Price in other shops:
Thomas Jefferson: A Lifeby Willard Sterne Randall
Harper Perennial; Published: 1994-06-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.18
Price in other shops:
The Professor and the Madmanby Simon Winchester
Harper; Published: 1998-08-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.73
Price in other shops:
Patton: A Genius for Warby Carlo D'Este, este, Carlo D'
Harpercollins; Published: 1995-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $49.94
Stonewall Jacksonby James Robertson
Macmillan Pub.; Published: 1997-02-18; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $47.66
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Dark Light: Electricity and Anxiety from the Telegraph to the X-rayby Linda Simon
Mariner Books; Published: 2005-04-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops:
Feeding the Ten Billion: Plants and Population Growthby Lloyd T. Evans
Cambridge University Press; Published: 1998-11-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Powerby James Mahaffey
Pegasus; Published: 2010-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.55
Price in other shops:
The Ethical Chemist : Professionalism and Ethics in Scienceby Jeffrey Kovac
Prentice Hall; Published: 2003-08-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $30.22
Price in other shops:
The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactorby Ken Silverstein
Villard; Published: 2005-01-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.86
Price in other shops:
Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Scienceby Richard Preston
Random House Trade Paperbacks; Published: 2009-06-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.12
Price in other shops:
Master Mind: The Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber, the Nobel Laureate Who Launched the Age of Chemical Warfareby Daniel Charles
Ecco; Published: 2005-08-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elementsby Sam Kean
Back Bay Books; Published: 2011-06-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.44
Price in other shops:
Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed Historyby Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson
Jeremy P Tarcher; Published: 2004-05-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.61
Price in other shops:
The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drugby Thomas Hager
Broadway; Published: 2007-08-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.53
Price in other shops: