Book description
A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the Haber-Bosch discovery that changed billions of livesâincluding 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 worldâ s scientists to findâŠ
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Alchemy of Air as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This amazing narrative history of the invention of synthetic fertilizer is arguably a bit off topic, except that the subtitle could have ended: âŠThat Fed the World, But Now Generates 10 Percent of Agricultural Emissions.
Nitrogen fertilizer was probably the most important invention of the 20th century, even more so than TV or the bomb; half the 8 billion people on Earth wouldnât be here without it.
But the Haber-Bosch chemical process that literally converts fossil fuels into nutrition has created all kinds of environmental problems, including not only greenhouse gases but nitrate pollution that has created a dead zoneâŠ
From Michael's list on how our food affects our environment.
A thought-provoking book about ammonia, a molecule made easily in nature but with great difficulty by humans.
Fritz Haber was the chemist who found a way to make ammonia artificially, but he was a complicated and controversial figure. The industrial production of ammonia has fed billions through its use in fertiliser, and killed millions through its use for making explosives.
From Kathryn's list on chemistry that arenât chemistry.
If you love The Alchemy of Air...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa storiesâall reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argueâŠ
Want books like The Alchemy of Air?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Alchemy of Air.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,278
readers submitted
so far, will you?
đ If you like The Alchemy of Air, you might also like...
The Bridge
The Bridge provides a compassionate and well researched window into the worlds of linear and circular thinking. A core pattern to the inner workings of these two thinking styles is revealed, and most importantly, insight into how to cross the distance between them. Some fascinating features emerged such as, circularâŠ
And Then They Were Gone
Of the 918 Americans who died in the shocking murder-suicides of November 18, 1978, in the tiny South American country of Guyana, a third were under eighteen. More than half were in their twenties or younger.
The authors taught in a small high school in San Francisco where Reverend JimâŠ
