Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium — these foundational materials are literally what the modern world is built on. Without sand for glass, say goodbye to our fiber optic internet. No copper means no conductive wiring. And a world without lithium is a world without rechargeable batteries. For the final installment of Hitting the Books for 2023, we're bringing you an excerpt from the fantastic Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway. A finalist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year award, Material World walks readers through the seismic impacts these six substances have had on human civilization throughout history, using a masterful mix of narrative storytelling and clear-eyed technical explanation. In the excerpt below, Conway discusses how the lithium ion battery technology that is currently powering the EV revolution came into existence. Thanks very much for reading Hitting the Books this year, we'll be back with more of the best excerpts from new and upcoming technology titles in post-CES January, 2024! Penguin Random House Excerpted from Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway. Published by Knopf. Copyright © 2023 by Ed Conway. All rights reserved. A Better Battery The first engineer to use lithium in a battery was none other than Thomas Edison. Having mastered the manufacture of concrete by focusing religiously on improving the recipe and... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2023-12-24 15:30:10 UTC ]
The Nigerian writer, the first sub-Saharan winner of the Nobel Prize, discusses 'Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth.' Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-09-23 13:00:36 UTC ]
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The 15-strong longlist for the £30,000 Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year has been announced, featuring a line-up where workplace culture, climate change and the pandemic loom large. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-15 18:06:07 UTC ]
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Last week, Apple previewed a number of updates meant to beef up child safety features on its devices. Among them: a new technology that can scan the photos on users’ devices in order to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Though the change was widely praised by some lawmakers and child... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-08-12 18:30:29 UTC ]
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With Sharjah as London Book Fair’s guest of honour in 2022, the time is nigh – nay, now – for publishers to acquire Arabic titles for translation. But where to start? Unlike other languages such as Korean or Swedish, which have robust agenting infrastructure, very few Arab authors have agents to... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2021-06-29 14:19:46 UTC ]
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From 26 May to 6 June, more than 200 acclaimed writers, historians, poets and pioneers will appear at Hay Festival 2021, broadcasting for free online.The British Council is supporting a series of six events at the festival, including the opening gala event ‘A Night of Hope’, featuring HRH The... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2021-05-10 13:40:55 UTC ]
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Created in 2011, Sci-Hub is the largest free repository of scholarly articles in the world. Or rather, it is the largest shadow library of pirated articles that exists. And its creator, Kazakh researcher Alexandra Elbakyan deserves a Nobel Prize for her work as a modern Robin Hood. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-04 12:32:57 UTC ]
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Walter Isaacson's 'The Code Breaker,' about Nobel Prize–winning CRISPR chemist Jennifer Doudna, is the #5 book in the country. Plus the heroine of Kate Quinn's latest historical cracks 'The Rose Code,' and Floret Farm's Erin Benzakein says it with dahlias. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Integrity is in short supply in many newsrooms, argues Michael Newman, while Eddie O’Brien says journalists must do more to reflect opposing views in their reports Clive Myrie nails down much of what is eating away at the heart of modern written journalism (What is journalism for? The short... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-03-16 17:09:27 UTC ]
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Ishiguro’s first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in 2017 is a delicate, haunting story, steeped in sorrow and hope. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-03-02 16:46:21 UTC ]
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Roffey's book, based on a Taino legend, is set in 1976 on the Caribbean island of Black Conch. Tessa Sheridan has won the Short Story Award. The post Monique Roffey Wins the UK’s Costa 2020 Book of the Year Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-01-26 21:18:00 UTC ]
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Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession as been chosen as Dublin's Book of the Year for 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-11 11:23:53 UTC ]
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Children's book A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll has been named as the Blackwell’s Book of the Year for 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-07 17:28:03 UTC ]
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Many have highlighted the potential benefits of reading translated literature, and with novels like Olga Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, it seems that translated works are performing better than ever. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-08 00:35:04 UTC ]
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Deal covers 600 songs including Blowin’ in the Wind and Knockin’ on Heaven’s DoorUniversal Music has struck a deal to buy the rights to Bob Dylan’s entire catalogue of 600 songs, from Blowin’ in the Wind to Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, in the biggest music publishing deal in decades.Dylan, whose... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-12-07 12:40:36 UTC ]
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Get to know about WORLD OF WONDERS, the 2020 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-12-04 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell's has revealed its contenders for its 2020 Book of the Year, featuring two titles published by indie presses Knights Of and Influx. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-03 18:12:11 UTC ]
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Today, The Financial Times and McKinsey & Company announced the winner of its 2020 Business Book of the Year Award, which recognizes a work that provides the “most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues.” The prize comes with £30,000 prize and each of the five... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-01 20:59:19 UTC ]
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Sarah Frier's 'No Filter' takes the £30,000 Business Book of the Year honor, in a strong shortlist from the FT and McKinsey & Company. The post Sarah Frier Wins the 2020 Business Book of the Year Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-12-01 20:59:13 UTC ]
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For me, the book of the year was David Graeber’s Debt: The First 5,000 Years. The post A Year in Reading: Stephen Dodson appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2020-12-01 12:00:24 UTC ]
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Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell has been named Waterstones' Book of the Year 2020, claiming victory over the shortlist by "an overwhelming majority". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-01 02:51:45 UTC ]
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