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)

File this under "just as bad as global warming"

I think the story of fixed nitrogen for fertilizer and then arms may end up being more compelling than the story of global warming. As a global community, we need to come together and realize the delicate balance which we maintain on this planet. This book represents a step on that journey.

A must “read”

The book provides insights into today’s world and the sheer genius of two of the great minds in science

long winded

fascinating story about two men shaping history still impacting all human life on earth. A bit long winded as the author spends much more time on Haber and Bosch's personal lives and less on the inventions and their impacts.

I highly recommend this book if you love learning about chemistry

This was a great book. The writing was excellent and it is very easy to listen to. The flow is great and each chapter holds your interest.

Excellent

Great book. Excellent story and detailed historical facts. Highly recommended for engineers, chemists and scientists.

Another good one by Thomas Hager

I got this after reading Mr. Hager's "Demon Under the Microscope," which is one of the best books I've read in a long time. "The Alchemy of Air" isn't in the same class but is written with the same level of completeness and mix between science and social factors. Thomas Hagar has a great way of taking history and making it seem like someone is just telling you a great story.

I never knew the importance of fixing nitrogen and the large amount of roles it played. I recommend reading "Demon" first then this one.

Science, technology, personalities entangled.

I like Hager as a science writer. I had not known much about the Haber-Bosch process or its developers. It illustrates that, as usual, scientific and technological progress is a double-edged sword with potential for both good and evil. Of the two main characters, I found Bosch the engineer/businessman to be the more admirable, however brilliant a chemist Haber may have been. The narration is good, except that certain scientific or German words are completely mispronounced.

Facinating Work of Industrial History

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book should be required reading/listening in schools in my opinion. It explains how we got to where we are today in terms of World population growth and it also explains how the two world wars went on for the length of time they did.

I really enjoyed this book both from the science content and from the detailed descriptions of the key people involved in this discovery. I wish there were more books like this availabe

Genius & Demon: A Man's Invention feeds the World

Where does The Alchemy of Air rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Probably one of the best as far as the storyline goes. Really very interesting

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Alchemy of Air?

I thought it was fascinating to read how Haber developed poison gas for use by the Germans in World War I. Haber then developed a system for deploying/distributing the gas, and supervised the release of the gas at the front lines. Haber's wife committed suicide, using his service revolver, soon after the chemical warfare was initiated.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

There are parts of the book that sound like an "Introduction to Chemistry" textbook. An understanding of the chemistry involved helped tell the story. Although engrossing, this was not a book that I personally would have enjoyed in "one sitting".

Any additional comments?

This was an all-round fascinating biography of a man whose discoveries/inventions have had both positive and negative impact of the lives of millions (if not billions) of people. Highly Recommended!

German chemists and the nitrogen cycle

fascinating combination of history, science, and environmentalism. one of the most interesting non-fiction books of the year