A compelling narrative of the human story -- Tim Marshall, author of PRISONERS OF GEOGRAPHY Lively, rich and exciting ... full of surprises. Underlines that to understand global geopolitics, you need to understand natural resources and geology -- Peter Frankopan, author of THE SILK ROADS Expansive, erudite, and edifying. A stunning insight into the materials that shaped our history and built the modern world -- Prof. Lewis Dartnell, author of 'BEING HUMAN: How our Biology shaped World History' Fascinating, fun, and vitally important. A wonderful exploration of the world we've built yet somehow manage to ignore -- Tim Harford, bestselling author of HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD ADD UP A stunning book that will transform the way you think about economics and life. Brilliantly written -- Matthew Syed, author of REBEL IDEAS Brilliant -- Martin Wolf ― Financial Times - Best summer books of 2023: Economics In Material World, Ed Conway uncovers the hidden history of the materials that structure our world. Full of colourful characters and fascinating connections, Material World shows how the seemingly simplest materials - from sand to salt to iron - require unbelievably complex refining and processing before arriving at their final form. Absorbing storytelling... Fascinating and insightful -- Chris Miller, author of CHIP WAR Conway's gripping explanation of a world you didn't know needed explaining deserves this highest of accolades: Material World, once read, leaves us baffled that nobody ever thought of writing it before -- Matthew Parris Endlessly fascinating -- Adrian Chiles Ed Conway is a great thinker... Material World is an engrossing study of the basic substances on which we all depend. Anyone who cares about the resources which built our world and where mankind is heading must read this vital book -- Adam Boulton, Times Radio A masterful exploration of how materials shape our world more than ever - economically, geopolitically and environmentally -- Diane Coyle CBE, Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge A highly engaging and important look at the key materials powering our modern world, and how we feed our insatiable appetite for them -- Professor Kenneth Rogoff, Professor of Economics at Harvard University and ex-Chief Economist of the IMF Fascinating and forensic in equal measure... reveals the web of mining and manufacturing that underpins the lives of everyone on the planet -- Mark Miodownik, author of STUFF MATTERS and UCL Professor of Materials & Society Goes straight on the 'must-read' list ... Conway is one of the most adroit commentators on economics and business of our time ― City AM Lucid .... [Conway] dig[s] up fascinating stories from history ― Financial Times '[Conway's] book deconstructs the modern world for us to see inside ... As we fret and argue about how to tackle climate change, economic development and geopolitical tensions, this book is a timely reminder of our reliance on physical stuff, and offers a challenging, practical perspective on these debates ... Enlightening ― Bloomberg