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：Thomas Hager
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Summary
Tragic genius， cutting-edge science， and the 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。
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。
Reviews
Amy
，
Started out pretty interesting， about the people that influenced and discovered all these processes and everything， but then got way too science-y for me。 I powered through by listening at 1。4 speed。 I’m also still trying to figure out who the ‘doomed tycoon’ is。
Bowie D
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Fascinating， especially the first half
Misty Fortune
，
You wouldn't think a book about fertilizer manufacturing would actually be a good read， let alone incredibly interesting。 You learn a great deal of how this industry bloomed in the midst of global chaos， and it is honestly riveting。 You wouldn't think a book about fertilizer manufacturing would actually be a good read， let alone incredibly interesting。 You learn a great deal of how this industry bloomed in the midst of global chaos， and it is honestly riveting。 。。。more
Dom
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The story of the invention turning atmospheric nitrogen into fertiliser。 Well， and bombs。 A book with a dramatic story arc: from Sir William Crookes proclaiming the challenge; via the pursuit and tinkering by Haber and Bosh， that unequal pair; to the many successes and atrocities their invention enabled and the many still open questions posed by the secondary effects of the age of plenty enabled / caused by as much fixed nitrogen in our natural cycles。 I enjoyed how the author weaves the persona The story of the invention turning atmospheric nitrogen into fertiliser。 Well， and bombs。 A book with a dramatic story arc: from Sir William Crookes proclaiming the challenge; via the pursuit and tinkering by Haber and Bosh， that unequal pair; to the many successes and atrocities their invention enabled and the many still open questions posed by the secondary effects of the age of plenty enabled / caused by as much fixed nitrogen in our natural cycles。 I enjoyed how the author weaves the personal into the geopolitical。 I won't pretend to have understood or to fully appreciate the chemical details of this discovery。 Yet， the book gave me a good in into the fourth musketeer making us humans。KeywordingAtmospheric nitrogen N2 to ammonia NH3。 Bosch， handles pressure。 Guano - the bird shit infused economy。 Haber， the one man military industrial complex。 Impending famine v。 us dying of plenty。 Malthus v。 the boundaries of science。 Military chemical complexities。 Nitrogen， Phosphate， Potassium。 Petermen， traders of white gold。 Saltpeter， the colonial lure to India。 Sir William Crookes' 1898 call to action。 Two-edged is the norm。 Vorzeigedeutscher， reduziert auf Jude。 WWI， the Chemists‘ war。 。。。more
Shaktimaan Sengar
，
Listened to the audiobook on audible。 Brilliantly narrated。 The book is a magnum opus that explores so many interconnected themes， helping reader understand the multitude of historical forces that shape history。Rekindled my interest in history， making me pick up Third Reich by Shirer。
FRANCK
，
fascinating book ！ I've learned a lot about science， history， and humans traits。 fascinating book ！ I've learned a lot about science， history， and humans traits。 。。。more
Rachel Sauer
，
This is an extraordinarily well-written tale of non-fiction involving two chemists， Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch， their creations， and the overarching and dooming ethical dilemma that so many chemists face。 Nobel himself （of Nobel Prize notoriety） became famous for creating dynamite。 The book takes place in early 1900s Germany and dives into specific instances during World War I that led to the horrors of the next world war。 It is a historically accurate narrative doubling as a dynamic biography t This is an extraordinarily well-written tale of non-fiction involving two chemists， Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch， their creations， and the overarching and dooming ethical dilemma that so many chemists face。 Nobel himself （of Nobel Prize notoriety） became famous for creating dynamite。 The book takes place in early 1900s Germany and dives into specific instances during World War I that led to the horrors of the next world war。 It is a historically accurate narrative doubling as a dynamic biography that delves into human emotions and the repercussions of seemingly altruistic discoveries。 “Thanks to these extraordinary machines， we are doubling the amount of nitrogen available to living systems。 This fundamental change has made it possible to feed billions more people than the earth could support otherwise。 But we are also subjecting our planet to a huge experiment - flooding it with nitrogen taken from the air - poisoning rivers and lakes， killing swaths of the ocean， and boosting global warming， without any clear picture of what we’re doing or how it will turn out。 All of this can be traced back to two relatively unknown men and their machine” （p。 xiii）。“The reason is the Haber-Bosch system。 Haber-Bosch plants are why food today is so plentiful and so relatively cheap。 Haber-Bosch machines grow the plants that feed the animals and produce the oils， sugars， meats， and grains that are making us all fat。 If you want to know why so many people are putting on so many pounds today， you know where to look。‘Food， however， is only part of the story。 Remember the terrorist bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma？ The explosive used was a couple of tons of nitrogen fertilizer boosted with another nitrogen-containing compound。 Fertilizer and explosives are very close in structure- so close that one can often be used for the other。 With a little chemical tinkering， the fertilizer from Haber-Bosch factories was turned into gunpowder and TNT。 That meant that the same discovery that could feed the world could also destroy it。 Haber-Bosch technology was used to make the explosives that killed millions in both world wars。 Without Haber-Bosch， historians say。 Germany would have run out of arms and surrendered two years earlier than it did in World War I。 Without Haber-Bosch， Hitler would never have been much of a threat。’‘That was just the start。 The Haber-Bosch technology was also used to make synthetic fuels。 Decades before today’s energy crisis， Bosch’s factories were fueling Germany with synthetic gasoline made from coal。 Hitler depended on it in World War II， using Bosch’s synthetic fuels to gas and lubricate his planes and trucks， while at the same time using Haber-Bosch synthetic nitrogen to make his bombs and gunpowder。 The story of synthetic gasoline， including prewar deals among IG Farben， Standard Oil， and the Ford Motor Company， is also told in this book” （p。 xv）。Carl Bosch and his team created chemicals to feed the world and that same creation was now paramount in his nation’s defensive tactics during both World War I and World War II。 The gasses created through their creations were to be the same used in the gas chambers， killing myriad Jews in the concentration camps。 “His team recognized the irony: They had worked long and hard to feed people; now the same technology was going to be used to kill them。 Bosch did not talk about it much but he felt it” （p。 140）。“Germany was still a young nation， born in its modern form in 1871， close to the time Haber and Carl Bosch were born。 The nation seemed， during the days before World War I， to mix adolescent insecurity and self-centeredness， vanity and thin skin， a hunger for respect with a quick temper。 Germany’s case was complicated by having a pair of older， more powerful siblings， France and England， who seemed to get all the attention。 Germany had arrived on the world scene too late to build a big colonial empire and focused instead on building its strength internally， developing its industrial technology， its educational system， its military， and its science” （p。 151）There is also a treasure-trove of pre-Hitler German history like this fascinating bit about Kaiser Wilhelm II， the strong king of Germany:“。。。Kaiser Wilhelm II was a madman。 Or Europe’s most brilliant leader。 Or delusional。 Or the most glorious emperor in the history of Germany。 It depended on whom you talked to， and when。 In any case， it was clear to everyone who knew him that the absolute monarch of Europe's most technologically advanced nation was， as England’s Lord Salisbury put it， ‘not quite normal。”‘One moment Wilhelp impressed everyone with his vitality， imagination， and quick grasp of situations。 The next he threw a tantrum or launched into a conspiracy-laced tirade。 His left arm， damaged in childbirth， was withered and almost useless， a shortcoming he tried to disguise by carrying gloves or placing his hand on the hilt of a sword。 He used his strong right arm to humiliate others， once poking and pinching a young German prince until he brought him to tears， another time whacking the king of Bulgaria on the rump during a royal reception。 He loved playing pranks， hunting， and living in the rough company of military officers。 He seemed to need constant distractions。’‘To keep him amused and to cool his temper， his inner circle did tricks。 A courtier once dressed as a poodle and barked for Wilhelm at a royal gathering。 To distract Wilhelm during a political crisis， the head of his military cabinet once dressed in a feather hat and tutu， then died of a heart attack while dancing before his king。’‘When not amused， the kaiser could be dangerous。 Wilhelm， on one military cruise， casually insulted a minor officer。 The young man， to everyone’s horror， struck his emperor。 He was taken below， given a chance to take his own life， and did” （p。 152-53）。On the hidden and deeply dark history of finding early fertilizers:“The slaves were half-dressed， most of them， with rags tied around their heads and over their mouths。 Their skins were white with dust。 They dug， shoveled， and pushed under the watch of armed guards who clubbed or whipped them if they slowed。 The sun through the dust was blinding。 There were no trees to provide shade。 There was only the smell， the head， and everywhere the screaming of birds。‘These were the Chinchas Islands， a sprinkling of rocks six miles off the coast of Pisco， Peru， which constituted， in 1850， acre for acre， the most valuable real estate on earth。 The value came from the ground the workers and the birds walked on: ten stories of guano， the world’s best fertilizer。’‘The ground everywhere was springy to the step。 Deep down， when the workers dug into it， it turned a rusty red。 Some of the workers - about six hundred of them， all from China， coolies tricked or coerced into signing long-term labor contracts that made them virtual slaves - picked and shoveled the dusty guano into wheelbarrows。 The others ran the wheelbarrow to the edge of the cliffs and dumped them into canvas chutes that funneled the guano directly into the holds of ships far below。’‘Visitors were appalled by what they found in the Chincas。 The coolies lived ‘almost naked， under the tropical sun… no days of rest，’ one observer wrote， in huts made of reed， surviving on two small meals a day， usually maize or rice and a few bananas。 On good days they might get a little meat。 They worked up to twenty hours a day， six days a week， in intense heat and choking dust that never settled because here， along the same coast as the Tarapaca， it almost never rained。 Upt to a quarter of the workforce at a time would be too sick to work， from exhaustion， exposure， malnutrition， and something called ‘guano handling illness，’ which included some combination of shortness of breath， coughing up blood， fainting， swollen legs， cramps， vomiting， and diarrhea。 Scurvy was common。 Sometimes a trench in the guano would cave in and a few would be buried alive。 Any coolies who did not meet their quota of one hundred wheelbarrow loads a day had to make it up on Sunday， their only day of rest。 If their hands were too sore and blistered to hold a shovel， they were yoked to the wheelbarrows like mules。’‘There was a prison ship off one of the islands where sailors loading guano could see eight or ten coolies at a time hanging on masts in the sun， without food or water， for infractions as minor as refusing an order。 Others were punished by being tied to buoys where the sea washed over them all day or chained to small leaky boats and forced to bail to stay alive。 An outraged British visitor wrote， ‘No hell has ever been conceived of by the Hebrews， the Irish， or even the Scotch mind for appeasing the anger or satisfying the vengeance of their awful gods that can be equaled with the fierceness of the heat， the horror of the stink， and the damnation of those compelled to work there。’‘Until their contacts were paid off， there was only one way out。 Some coolies killed themselves with opium or drink - there was a thriving drug trade on campus。 Others threw themselves off cliffs or simply swam out in the sea。 Dead coolies were ‘buried like dogs，’ one visitor noted， in shallow graves scratched out of the guano。 No one knows exactly how many died。 Sometimes their bones were found strewn around the surface， dug up and scattered by guard dogs。 For this the coolies were paid three reales （about a third of a peso） a day， two of which were withheld for meals。 The contracts， held by Peruvian overseers， usually lasted five years。 Guano was easy money for Peru- for a few years， income from its sale supplied most of the Peruvian national budget- and few Peruvians would work on the islands， so they bought into the coolie trade， with a few wealthy families making money on contracts for the Chinese as well as the fertilizer” （pgs。 28-29）。 。。。more
James M。
，
I typically prefer fiction over nonfiction， but this book had me hooked from start to finish。 My new favorite nonfiction， and probably a top 5 overall。 Absolutely recommend
Zhuangfang Yi
，
I wish I’d known this book earlier。 It touched on so many things besides how synthetic fertilizer was invented from the air。 It covers:how we exploited/harvested nitrate in Peru and Chile; scientific discovery of NH3 of Haber-Bosch process from the aira booming population from high productivity of agriculture because of the synthetic fertilizerthe following industrialization the rise of Hitler and how the industry fueled the madnessthe environmental damages because of the fertilizer and agricult I wish I’d known this book earlier。 It touched on so many things besides how synthetic fertilizer was invented from the air。 It covers:how we exploited/harvested nitrate in Peru and Chile; scientific discovery of NH3 of Haber-Bosch process from the aira booming population from high productivity of agriculture because of the synthetic fertilizerthe following industrialization the rise of Hitler and how the industry fueled the madnessthe environmental damages because of the fertilizer and agricultureI think it’s such a great book for us to read especially who work in sustainable agriculture。 。。。more
Ren
，
I wanted to like this book， but parts of it were so repetitive and dragged on。 The information at the beginning about the guano islands and the salitre mining were interesting， then there was a huge lull when it came to the minute details of figuring out how to make the actual machine。 I felt this was really more detail than was needed， and he also went into the lives of the two scientists more than I found interesting。 It did pick up again a bit toward the end with the details about the war， bu I wanted to like this book， but parts of it were so repetitive and dragged on。 The information at the beginning about the guano islands and the salitre mining were interesting， then there was a huge lull when it came to the minute details of figuring out how to make the actual machine。 I felt this was really more detail than was needed， and he also went into the lives of the two scientists more than I found interesting。 It did pick up again a bit toward the end with the details about the war， but overall there was a lot less information about the science than I wanted， and a lot more history than I wanted。Also， I read the ebook edition and although he thanks his editor in the acknowledgments， I can't imagine for what purpose。 This ebook was RIDDLED with grammatical errors， omissions or insertions of words， and typos to the point that I started highlighting them for fun。 In the last chapter alone， there were two on one page， then a few pages， two more。 This is a very high number of errors for a published book， and either the author or the editor should have noticed this。 。。。more
Sean Mullaney
，
A thrilling scientific and historical story that reveals the importance of high pressure chemical science and industry to the twentieth century。 The story is told from the perspective of the scientist Haber who discovered how to produce synthetic ammonia and the industrialist Bosch who figured out how to manufacture it at scale。 The historic background is fascinating with the first and second world wars showing how important this technology was for feeding both people and armies。 I loved this bo A thrilling scientific and historical story that reveals the importance of high pressure chemical science and industry to the twentieth century。 The story is told from the perspective of the scientist Haber who discovered how to produce synthetic ammonia and the industrialist Bosch who figured out how to manufacture it at scale。 The historic background is fascinating with the first and second world wars showing how important this technology was for feeding both people and armies。 I loved this book。 It was the perfect combination of science and history and had the pacing and intrigue of a great thriller novel。 。。。more
Jason McKibben
，
Great book。 Very well written。 Has enough story telling to keep it interesting。 I'm am going to be using it in one of my classes on agricultural innovation。 Great book。 Very well written。 Has enough story telling to keep it interesting。 I'm am going to be using it in one of my classes on agricultural innovation。 。。。more
Melissa
，
The sections with a lot of “scientific” chatter were more than my non scientific brain could handle。 I ended up skimming those parts and didn’t think they added to the story of the Haber and Bosch。 I did， however， enjoy reading about their lives。 I gave the book two stars because I thought the author delved too far into the weeds on the scientific background and that over all his writing style tended to be overly dramatic。 However none of this will keep me from recommending this book to my frien The sections with a lot of “scientific” chatter were more than my non scientific brain could handle。 I ended up skimming those parts and didn’t think they added to the story of the Haber and Bosch。 I did， however， enjoy reading about their lives。 I gave the book two stars because I thought the author delved too far into the weeds on the scientific background and that over all his writing style tended to be overly dramatic。 However none of this will keep me from recommending this book to my friends who have scientific interests。 。。。more
Tara Martin
，
I apparently don't hate non fiction。 This book reminded me a lot of the books I read for my Environmental Sociology class。 The human need to constantly learn and expand is fascinating to look at in relation to how that influences the way we try to manipulate nature。 I apparently don't hate non fiction。 This book reminded me a lot of the books I read for my Environmental Sociology class。 The human need to constantly learn and expand is fascinating to look at in relation to how that influences the way we try to manipulate nature。 。。。more
Monica
，
A fascinating history of something so instrumental to our global food system that remains relatively poorly understood or even appreciated。 The exploration of the main protagonists’ character and lives as they drive the technology’s development makes this economic and scientific tale read like a novel。
Luke Eure
，
Thoroughly interesting overview of the development of the Haber-Bosch Process for fixing Ammonia， and also a dual biography of Haber and Bosch themselves。 I didn't know much the book beforehand - here were the most interesting things I learned:- how close fertilizer production is to gunpowder （chemically very similar）- Before HB， the best ammonia for fertilizer came from South America - either naturally forming ammonia salts or guano islands。 Guano was so valuable that US citizens were granted p Thoroughly interesting overview of the development of the Haber-Bosch Process for fixing Ammonia， and also a dual biography of Haber and Bosch themselves。 I didn't know much the book beforehand - here were the most interesting things I learned:- how close fertilizer production is to gunpowder （chemically very similar）- Before HB， the best ammonia for fertilizer came from South America - either naturally forming ammonia salts or guano islands。 Guano was so valuable that US citizens were granted permission to claim islands with high concentrations of guano as land for the US。 Apparently this law is still on the books， so keep your eyes out- IG Farben was formed as a consortium interest of German chemical companies- BASF， the company who commercialized the Haber-Bosch process， was a dye company， and in the process of making ammonia they became one of the first huge chemical industrial companies- How critical ammonia was to war， and how critical BASF production of fertilizer and explosives was to Germany in both world wars- Haber invented the process and also the gas used in French warfare in ww1。 Which was ironically also adapted to kill Jews in concentration camps （Haber was Jewish） 。 He was considered a war criminal after ww1 because of his development of poison gasAlso gives a good sense of what it was like to be an industrialist in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich - you can see how Bosch a reasonable man tried to toe the line to lobby the Nazis for favorable regulation while also being disgusted with their policies and trying to keep his Jewish employees 。。。more
Josh
，
I really enjoyed this book。 It is a fascinating story and well told with lots of interesting details， but not bogged down with too much of the science。 The characters， Haber and Bosch are very interesting people and the history surrounding these times are enlightening。 I would highly recommend this book。 （I have just started another of his books， "Electric City" about Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's work to modernize cities） I really enjoyed this book。 It is a fascinating story and well told with lots of interesting details， but not bogged down with too much of the science。 The characters， Haber and Bosch are very interesting people and the history surrounding these times are enlightening。 I would highly recommend this book。 （I have just started another of his books， "Electric City" about Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's work to modernize cities） 。。。more
Felipe
，
Supreme。 I love the whole book， and I love the way Hager explains history in such a detailed way。 Personal anecdotes and feelings of real characters who changed the course of history。 I've finished this s book in less than a week！ Supreme。 I love the whole book， and I love the way Hager explains history in such a detailed way。 Personal anecdotes and feelings of real characters who changed the course of history。 I've finished this s book in less than a week！ 。。。more
Anna
，
Professor recommended， cool if you’re into chemistry/history/industry
Bonnie_blu
，
The book covers a historically important subject， which directly and enormously impacted the development of countries' politics， societies， environments， and more。 I enjoyed the historical background of fertilizer and the portraits of the two main characters。 However， the writing and content was uneven to the point that the story bogged down about 2/3 of the way through。 Also， any writer of history should make the effort to include footnotes。 Readers who don't care about sources will skip the fo The book covers a historically important subject， which directly and enormously impacted the development of countries' politics， societies， environments， and more。 I enjoyed the historical background of fertilizer and the portraits of the two main characters。 However， the writing and content was uneven to the point that the story bogged down about 2/3 of the way through。 Also， any writer of history should make the effort to include footnotes。 Readers who don't care about sources will skip the footnotes， while those of us who do， will read them。 Not specifically showing where quotes and data come from makes it hard for me to trust what is written; thus， I only gave three stars。 。。。more
Kelly Kerns
，
With unintended consequences of scientific breakthroughs and tragically flawed main characters， this story competes with any superhero contemporary fiction。 Biography， history， pure science， chemistry， and engineering this story could easily be lost in facts and academic tone; instead， it is brought to life as a compelling page turner。When Bismark，Ford， Rockefeller， Plank， Einstein， and Hitler make but cameo appearances， you can bet you have interesting main characters。 Haber - Chemist， Jew， gen With unintended consequences of scientific breakthroughs and tragically flawed main characters， this story competes with any superhero contemporary fiction。 Biography， history， pure science， chemistry， and engineering this story could easily be lost in facts and academic tone; instead， it is brought to life as a compelling page turner。When Bismark，Ford， Rockefeller， Plank， Einstein， and Hitler make but cameo appearances， you can bet you have interesting main characters。 Haber - Chemist， Jew， genius， narcissist， nationalist， German apologist， Nobel laureate， and chemical warfare advocate invented a process to convert nitrogen rich atmospheric air to ammonia。 Bosch - Industrial engineer， businessman， friend to Jews， reluctant puppet of but despised by Hitler， alcoholic， tycoon， genius， Nobel Laureate and Cartel leader - perfected， scaled， monetized， and industrialized Haber's discovery。The Haber-Bosch process today feeds the world （2 billion people would starve without it）， feeds the military industrial complex （ammonia is a precursor to gunpowder） and is feeding climate change， algae blooms， and deadzones in waterways。Later inventions and adventures by these two men explore changing sea water to gold and coal into gasoline。 One of the most fascinating books I've ever read！ 。。。more
Rae
，
Absolutely amazing
Christopher C。 Fuchs
，
I loved this book。 As a big fan of the history of technology， this one hit all the buttons for me。 The author deftly weaves together technical detail， personalities， world-changing impact， and wider historical context。 It’s one of those history books that reads almost like a novel， and will have you looking up more details elsewhere。 It's a great story of how a technology， synthetic fertilizer， was intended to feed the world but was twice hijacked in wartime （by the Kaiser and later Hitler） for I loved this book。 As a big fan of the history of technology， this one hit all the buttons for me。 The author deftly weaves together technical detail， personalities， world-changing impact， and wider historical context。 It’s one of those history books that reads almost like a novel， and will have you looking up more details elsewhere。 It's a great story of how a technology， synthetic fertilizer， was intended to feed the world but was twice hijacked in wartime （by the Kaiser and later Hitler） for gunpowder and explosives。 After the world wars， it eventually helped cause some of the negative consequences of overabundance in food production that we deal with today， such as obesity and dangerously high nitrates in bodies of water that create dead zones。 A far-reaching book excellently done。 。。。more
Shira
，
Heartbreaking
Peggy Price
，
Outstanding book on Haber -Bosch and how it has impacted life on earth。
Marc
，
The introduction of chemical fertilizers and the mass production of ammonia to introduce nitrogen into the soil seems a story all human beings should know。 I hadn't understood its fundamental nature when I started this book。 This is all the more true when we think of the problem of nitrogen slipping into the oceans， disrupting fisheries and reefs。 The drama of the persons involved， furthermore， illustrate one of the darkest turns in the lives of “great men” I've seen。 Bosch， of the Haber-Bosch p The introduction of chemical fertilizers and the mass production of ammonia to introduce nitrogen into the soil seems a story all human beings should know。 I hadn't understood its fundamental nature when I started this book。 This is all the more true when we think of the problem of nitrogen slipping into the oceans， disrupting fisheries and reefs。 The drama of the persons involved， furthermore， illustrate one of the darkest turns in the lives of “great men” I've seen。 Bosch， of the Haber-Bosch process fame， in particular， was an extraordinary hero-executive whose life work was turned into the critical piece of the Nazi war machine。 His understanding of this， being Jewish himself， led him to despair and depression。 How does one live a happy life after their life work was turned into the enabling factor of such large-scale evil？ I am at a loss for a way out - no real thinking person could lie to themselves sufficiently。 It would be impossible to dismiss one's understanding of the situation - no self delusion could ever given them peace。 It would be too stark and too horrible。 So he turns to drink。 。。。more
Casey
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One of the most fascinating books I have read in a long time。 Masterfully weaves a ton of historical and scientific information into an engaging story。
SingingK
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Very well-written， fascinating aspect of science that I had not thought about much。 Hager has an ability to tie the science to history， politics， global economics， and personal psychology。 Absorbing。
Carol
，
Amazing book that shows how intertwined technological development and historical events can be。 Fascinating read。 Focus is on specific development of nitrogen extraction from the atmosphere， the scientists and industrialists behind it and the role it played in helping to feed the world and also its destructive capabilities。 Well researched and written as a fascinating story that is captivating and true。
Liz B
，