Description
| Product ID: | 9780307351791 |
| Product Form: | Paperback / softback |
| Country of Manufacture: | GB |
| Title: | The Alchemy of Air |
| Subtitle: | A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler |
| Authors: | Author: Thomas Hager |
| Page Count: | 336 |
| Subjects: | Chemical and biological weapons, Chemical & biological weapons, Science: general issues, History of science, Chemistry, Science: general issues, History of science, Chemistry |
| Description: | A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the Haber-Bosch discovery that changed billions of lives—including your own. At the dawn of the twentieth century, humanity was facing global disaster: Mass starvation 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 men who found it: brilliant, self-important Fritz Haber and reclusive, alcoholic Carl Bosch. Together they discovered a way to make bread out of air, built city-sized factories, and saved millions of lives. But their epochal triumph came at a price we are still paying. The Haber-Bosch process was also used to make the gunpowder and explosives that killed millions during the two world wars. Both men were vilified during their lives; both, disillusioned and disgraced, died tragically. The Alchemy of Air is the extraordinary, previously untold story of a discovery that changed the way we grow food and the way we make war–and that promises to continue shaping our lives in fundamental and dramatic ways. |
| Imprint Name: | Random House Inc |
| Publisher Name: | Random House USA Inc |
| Country of Publication: | GB |
| Publishing Date: | 2009-08-18 |
