The Alchemy of Air A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler |
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| Author:
| Hager, Thomas |
| ISBN: | 978-0-307-35179-1 |
| Publication Date: | Aug 2009 |
| Publisher: | The Crown Publishing Group
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| Imprint: | Broadway Books |
| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $20.00 |
Book Description:
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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...
More 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.