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)

The most important element on earth

This book is a riviting story of, well, nitrogen. It's also a story of famine and war, since nitrogen's main industrial uses are fertilizer and gunpowder. I'll never read history the same, knowing that Europe, in the 1700's, and China, in the 1960's were both in famine, both relieved by fertilizer. It's amazing to plot the path from ship-to-ship barrages in the Napoleonic wars back to guano deposits in then-Bolivia, and before that, to compost trenches required on every British farm.
Poor Haber is as sad a bit of humanity as you can imagine. His effort to end hunger drove German into two wars, his effort to end all wars created poison gas, and his efforts at insecticide ended up gassing Jews. The only rough part of the book was the sweeping, brief summary of nitrogen in today's world.

Much more than air in this book

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

A very interesting and intertwined historically relevant story. Well written and well read by the narrator. A lot more substance than expected. Insights into chemistry, history, politics and sociology all in one book. Well worth the time to read or listen too!

What about Adam Verner’s performance did you like?

Smooth, clear and crisp presentation of an often technical topic. Never boring.

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

The depth of the interconnections in this book are very enlightening. Did Haber saved the world from the Malthusian dilemma... Or did he only postpone the inevitable?

Good overview of the development of Haber Bosch

This is a good overview of the development of the Haber Bosch process, which is central to modern agriculture and thus society as we know it. The book is a little brief, but gives a good overview. Haber, who developed the small scale process, led a very conflicting life. His invention fed the world but also led to ability to make endless munitions. Assimilation was central to his German identity, only to embrace his Jeweshness as his life came to an end. The author could have played up these dichoties and created a more compelling narative, but that would have likely been less honest. Bosch was the man who took Haber's impractical process and scaled it up. Haber even admits that he didn't think that would be possible.

Aside from the personal stories, this book shows how determination can take a seemingly impossible physical process and turn it into a reality. I am interested in the future of fuels, and one of the things that interested me about this book were the parallels between the difficulties that Bosch encountered and the difficulties that our society faces as we try to use similar technology (Fischer Tropsch) to generate fuel from CO2. This book makes it sound like Bosch was a man who could have turned CO2 into fuel economically, given an adequate source of cheap energy.

4 Billion People owe their lives to this story.

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

Around the turn of the 19th century, scientists began worrying that mass starvation was going to become a global catastrophe because of the growing population in relation to the amount of arable land to grow crops. This conundrum was eventually solved by a pair of German scientists, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch who went on to become Nobel Prize recipients for their work.

The corporate strategy involved in patenting the technology and competing against natural fertilizers was eye-opening. Of course throw in two World Wars and the story really gets interesting. The story is amazing, the science is not difficult to follow and the narration is great. If you like to read about science, World War II, or just want to know more about what is arguably the most important technological achievement by man, get this book!

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

The story of Fritz Haber and his relationship with his family Judaism and how that clashed with his science in support of the German war machine.

Interesting history

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

Yes, I didn't realise the significance of this invention until I listened to the book. I would listen again to pick up on some of the information I missed the first time.

Have you listened to any of Adam Verner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Added a new perspective

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

Among the best, but I have listened to quite a few good ones.

What did you like best about this story?

It expanded my understanding of 19th and 20th century history as well as the problem of world food supply.

What does Adam Verner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Adam Verner read well, at a good clip.

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

Yes

History Written Like A Novel

This is the fascinating story of two German scientists whose revolutionary inventions gave the world an inexhaustible supply of both fertilizer and explosives -- ultimately created from air. If you have any interest in history you will enjoy this, not only because it is about some extremely important turning points, but also because it is true factual history written like a novel, which makes it even more palatable. The reading is pretty good as well.

Who needs fiction

Another great story by Thomas Hager. He knows how to weave a good story and keep the listener interested. One of my favorites.

A fascinating look into applied chemistry

The narration of this text allows the reader to absorb the twists and turns of historical accounts.
whether you listen to the book or read it it will be well worth your time.

Critical Modern 20th C. History

Excellent presentation of an essential and critical historical background for how we and our civilization have arrived at our present challenge