How we built a less-explodey lithium battery and kickstarted the EV revolution

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 ]

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Jhalak Prize 2020 longlist revealed

The Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year by a Writer of Colour has unveiled its longlist for 2020 with debut author Candice Carty-Williams making the list alongside children's authors Dean Atta and Jasbinder Bilan. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-02 13:35:48 UTC ]
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For your playlist: three popular and controversial books are already available

A Reese Witherspoon pick, a Silicon Valley memoir and the most talked about book of the year so far. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-02-04 00:16:04 UTC ]
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How does the Nobel Prize affect book sales? (And what if there’s controversy?)

In the publishing world, it seems like winning the Nobel Prize just isn’t what it used to be. A Deutsche Welle interview with Lucien Leitess, director of the Swiss publishing house Unionsverlag, explored the business of predicting a Nobel laureate’s commercial success. The controversy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-11 19:54:24 UTC ]
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Saltire judge stands down, claiming panel did not finish shortlisted books

A judge of the Saltire Society Scottish Fiction Book of the Year prize has stood down over the choice of its winner, claiming other jury members had not read all the shortlisted books. However, the Saltire Society has affirmed that "all judges carefully examined all texts submitted for the award". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-09 22:31:50 UTC ]
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Criado Perez wins FT and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award

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[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-04 02:51:49 UTC ]
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Shafak scoops Blackwell's Book of the Year

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[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-01 15:21:12 UTC ]
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Interview With Beth O’Leary, Author of WHSmith 2019 Fiction Book of the Year

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[ Writer's Digest | 2019-11-19 11:00:22 UTC ]
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B&N Launches Book of the Year Award

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell's Book of the Year shortlist revealed

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[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-07 21:37:10 UTC ]
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Being a crime writer doesn’t mean I condone murder. Do I even have to say it? | Garry Disher

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[ The Guardian | 2019-11-03 17:00:27 UTC ]
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Margaret Atwood and Greta Thunberg battle it out for Waterstones Book of the Year

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[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-30 15:29:31 UTC ]
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Chill Your Wine in John Steinbeck’s Silver Bucket

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[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-21 08:49:16 UTC ]
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The Swedish Academy took a year off to fix the Nobel Prize in literature. It’s still broken.

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[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-10 18:32:28 UTC ]
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Kroscoczka’s ‘Hey, Kiddo’ Wins Book of the Year at Harvey Awards

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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FT and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award shortlist revealed

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[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-16 07:08:32 UTC ]
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Harvey Awards Book of the Year Nominees

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-28 19:52:05 UTC ]
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2019 Australian Children’s Book of the Year Awards Winners

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[ Book Riot | 2019-08-28 10:39:17 UTC ]
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Toni Morrison Dies at 88

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[ The Millions | 2019-08-08 21:38:07 UTC ]
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