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

Narrated by: Adam Verner

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the discovery that changed billions of lives - including your own.

At the dawn of the 20th century, humanity was facing global disaster. Mass starvation, long predicted for the fast-growing population, 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 enormously gifted, fatally flawed men who found it: the brilliant, self-important Fritz Haber and the reclusive, alcoholic Carl Bosch.

Together they discovered a way to make bread out of air, built city-sized factories, controlled world markets, and saved millions of lives. Their invention continues to feed us today; without it, more than two billion people would starve.

But their epochal triumph came at a price we are still paying. The Haber-Bosch process was also used to make the gunpowder and high explosives that killed millions during the two world wars. Both men were vilified during their lives; both, disillusioned and disgraced, died tragically. Today we face the other unintended consequences of their discovery - massive nitrogen pollution and a growing pandemic of obesity.

The Alchemy of Air is the extraordinary, previously untold story of two master scientists who saved the world only to lose everything and of the unforseen results of a discovery that continue to shape our lives in the most fundamental and dramatic of ways.

©2008 Thomas Hager (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This scientific adventure spans two world wars and every cell in your body." ( Discover magazine)

“I know of few other books that provide the general reader with a better portrait of chemistry as the most useful of sciences, and I intend to recommend it to scientists and non-scientists alike.” ( The Journal of Chemical Education)

Fascinating story about the Haber-Bosch process

The details of how the Haber-Bosch process was developed was quite interesting. I enjoyed hearing the backgrounds of these two men as well as what drove them to developing such an important technology in human history. The positive’s & negative outcomes of their discovery are detailed here. The delivery was dry at some points, but overall a good read.

Fascinating history

A small slice of history that is very interesting and informative. The author is not just a good historian, but a good writer as I was glued to the book until I finished it.

fascinating subject I didn't realize until now

I'll be another reviewer to say "how did I not know this?" ! There is so much in this book that should be well known but simply isn't, I was astounded. I'd never thought about how chemical fertilizers were discovered - about how difficult and ground-breaking it was, and how desperately the world needed it. I'd never thought about the geopolitical importance of fertilizers (organic and chemically created), though it was huge and had significant effects on world affairs. And that doesn't even get into the close association between chemical fertilizers and explosives/munitions.

Actually, the title of the book is a bit of a misnomer: This book is really about the work, life, and discoveries of two men - Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch. It starts with nitrogen and the need for fertilizer and continues through the discovery of the process and creation of chemical fertilizers, but it is much more. While Haber invented the original process and Bosch created the means and methods for making it practical on a large scale, it continues to follow the lives of the two men past the time when the Haber-Bosch process was novel (and unique to Germany) and through the rise of Hitler to the second world war. How the mechanisms Bosch used were turned to making synthetic fuel and rubber, how the chemical company BASF grew to be a part of the chemical giant IG Farben (most notable now for creating the Zyklon B gas used in the Holocaust), and how the changing fate of Jews in Germany in the 1930s affected both Haber and Bosch.

Both men were, by all accounts, devastated to see how their scientific discoveries intended to feed the world and support Germany after WWI were used to fuel the rise of a martial state with Hitler and his anti-Semitic policies. Haber was Jewish born and had been a proud veteran of World War I, and Bosch was heartbroken and shocked to see so many of his fellow scientists minimized and tossed out of their jobs because of their religion, and to see his inventions used to fuel and supply that process. Ultimately, those things led to their ill health and sad deaths - Haber in Switzerland on his way to Palestine, and Bosch in Germany.

Sadly, the narration was merely adequate, and it's the weak point of this audiobook.

Fantastic!

Any additional comments?

The author builds a narrative out of the disparate events leading to discovery of the Haber Bosch process. Much of the best and worst of the modern world is owed to this discovery. Hager's prose are clear and the story is well structured and deeply compelling.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in science or history.

Outstanding

This is an absolutely amazing story. A friend recommended it to me, and I didn't expect much, as I am not very interested in fertilizer. However, I was blown away by the history of fertilizer and the fascinating lives of the people who figured out how to fix nitrogen on a massive scale. I formerly had no appreciation for this achievement or its impact on our world. Hager draws a brilliant line through history, and Verner reads him well.

Full of useful facts

Any additional comments?

This book is very interesting. It gives a lot of facts about people's lives, history of BASF company, chemical reactions, World War I tactics. It has a little bit about a lot. I don't know a lot about chemistry, but it's definitely easy to grasp concepts. Definitely a great knowledge to have.

This is probably the best book I've ever read.

A tremendous wealth of information spanning eons and traversing history, sociology, agriculture, science, technology, engineering and ecology.

Something to talk about

This topic was something I knew nothing about and it was interesting enough I've brought it up with many people. They're all interested when I share it because its something they know little about also but effects us all.

science and progress effect our lives

a must read for anyone who has a feeling of care for themselves, this world, and the future of progress.

Excellent history and relevant today.

So much to learn in this well written book. An easy listen. I would recommend to anyone. Thomas Hager is an excellent story teller.