Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History ISBN 9781554079841

Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History

Eric Chaline (Author)

Using the word “minerals” in its broadest sense, Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History features the metals, alloys, rocks, and organic minerals and gemstones that humans have used as the building blocks of civilization.  From flint and obsidian to bronze and iron, it explores the roots of industry and trade; it marvels at the extraordinary works of art produced in gold, silver, ivory, and jade by the great classical civilizations of the Old and New Worlds.  Moving to modern times, it charts the industrialization of societies with fossil fuels, the production of steel and aluminum, and the harnessing of nuclear energy from uranium and plutonium.

Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History is a beautifully presented guide to the minerals that have shaped and defined our lives.  Weaving strands of economic, cultural, political and industrial history, each entry gives a fascinating perspective on the scope and pace of human development, and the dangers posed by our exploitation of Earth’s resources.

Product Details

    Hardcover: 224 pages

    Publisher: Firefly Books (July 19, 2012)

    Language: English

    ISBN-10: 1554079845

    ISBN-13: 978-1554079841