From the Dark Ages to the present day, Ed Conway traces the story of humanity — and its possible future — through six remarkable substances. Material World uncovers the foundations of modern civilisation through sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium, revealing how these materials are extracted, transformed, and woven into the technologies, energy systems, and infrastructure that shape our lives. Along the way, Conway exposes the hidden and often volatile supply chains that keep the modern world running.
These substances built our world — and they will define what comes next. They power our computers and phones, form our homes and workplaces, and enable life‑saving medicines. Yet we rarely stop to think about them at all.
Travelling from the sweltering depths of Europe’s deepest mine to the pristine chip factories of Taiwan and the eerie green pools where lithium begins, Conway reveals a secret world we almost never see. He follows the astonishing journeys, intricate processes, and little‑known companies that turn raw matter into the complex products on which modern life depends.
As we confront climate change, energy shocks, and rising geopolitical tension, these materials matter more than ever. Conway shows how the struggle to control them will shape global power in the decades ahead.
This is the story of civilisation — our ingenuity, ambition, and appetite — told literally from the ground up. Rich with surprising insights from chemistry, history, and economics, it is written with clarity and accessibility for every curious reader, not just scientists.