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)

A shorter title than the book's

My favorite niche in audible books seems to be books that examine technical advances and the sociological theatre that surrounds the development. In this regard, this is a great, fascinating book, more interesting than I anticipated. The development of agricultural additives might not sound thrilling, but the history of how Europeans and Americans cultivated their food is really wrapped up in a wide range of influences - people at their best, and at their worst. Nonfiction lovers should really like this one.

How to feed 7 billion people

Sufficient food for all of us can not be grown using naturally occuring fertilizers and/or nitrates. Enter two geniuses who successfully thunk up a process for creating unlimited nitrates from the unlimited nitrogen in the air. WahLah! Today we all eat well (except for those in a society where corruption is the rule).

These two German geniuses did it to make money, a lot of money (feeding the masses was the by-product, not their motivation). They succeeded in mastering the technology and exporting the technology to the globe inspite of despot governments in Germany (Think WWI and WWII and before).

The importance of this miracle can not be overstated. One interesting application was that President Nixon's initial visit to China was followed by China importing this technology to feed its masses.

Any student of modern European history should consider this book a must!


Cecil R. Williams

Excellent

Excellent. I couldn't stop listening. One of the most enjoyable productions I've encountered since downloading Audible. I look forward to enjoying Thomas Hager other works.

The untold history of chemical weapons

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

Top listens!

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

the British tested chemical weapons and killed more of their own men than the "enemy."

Which scene was your favorite?

The relationship between Fritz Haber and Einstein and how they respond to German antisemitism. Haber totally renounced his Jewish religion.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It makes me cry to know of man's inhumanity to man and how justified we all become about literally killing the other side. As we all know, WWI was a horror and not the Great War but the beginning of using "technology" to destroy the enemy. Most soldiers had NO idea what they were dying for, and really neither did the leaders.

Any additional comments?

Maybe if we studied more real history we wouldn't be so doomed to repeat it. We study war with events that instill nationality and prowar sentiment. In schools, history is military history and only the "battles" the US won.

Great story of science, engineering and history

Would you listen to The Alchemy of Air again? Why?

I'll probably listen again - It's a great story with fascinating characters and interesting science.

What other book might you compare The Alchemy of Air to and why?

the first human, 4% universe, the black hole war

Absolutely MUST listen

True story of incredible ingenuity, perseverance and world-altering discoveries that continue to have an impact on humanity today.

Slow to start but worth the wait

At first I wasn't pulled in but after the 3rd chapter I couldn't put it down. I learned more then I thought I would from this book.

Fantastic!

This book was amazing from start to finish. Highly recommend!! Do yourself a favor and listen to this!

A Most Interesting History Lesson

Although the narration prompted my husband to ask if it was a computer generated voice the story itself was fascinating. The best history speaks of past effects on present life. I highly recommend this read for anyone interested in history.

very interesting <br />

It's a book that will make you wish you had majored in chemistry. It also contains some very interesting history.