Skip to product information
1 of 1

Ed Conway

Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future

Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future

Low Stock: Only 1 copies remaining
Regular price £15.84 GBP
Regular price £22.00 GBP Sale price £15.84 GBP
28% OFF Sold out
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

YOU SAVE £6.16

  • Condition: Brand new
  • UK Delivery times: Usually arrives within 2 - 3 working days
  • UK Shipping: Fee starts at £2.39. Subject to product weight & dimension
Trustpilot 4.5 stars rating  Excellent
We're rated excellent on Trustpilot.
  • More about Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future

In Material World, Ed Conway explores the six most crucial substances in human history, from sand to lithium, and reveals the hidden world we rarely see. He shows how the battle to control them will shape our geopolitical future as we wrestle with climate change, energy crises, and global conflict.

Format: Hardback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2023
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

**Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award**
Picked as a Book of the Year by THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST and NEW STATESMAN
A BBC RADIO 4 Book of the Week

'A compelling narrative of the human story'
TIM MARSHALL, author of Prisoners of Geography

'Lively, rich and exciting... full of surprises' PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
_____________


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.

Weight: 754g
Dimension: 164 x 243 x 49 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780753559154

This item can be found in:

UK and International shipping information

UK Delivery and returns information:

  • Delivery within 2 - 3 days when ordering in the UK.
  • Shipping fee for UK customers from £2.39. Fully tracked shipping service available.
  • Returns policy: Return within 30 days of receipt for full refund.

International deliveries:

Shulph Ink now ships to Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, India, Luxembourg Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America.

  • Delivery times: within 5 - 10 days for international orders.
  • Shipping fee: charges vary for overseas orders. Only tracked services are available for most international orders. Some countries have untracked shipping options.
  • Customs charges: If ordering to addresses outside the United Kingdom, you may or may not incur additional customs and duties fees during local delivery.
View full details