The Alchemy Of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler

The rich, dramatic story of one of history’s most influential discoveries–how to fix nitrogen–and the two fascinating and little-known master scientists, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch, who overcame personal flaws to achieve great things with unexpectedly tragic results. A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the Haber-Bosch 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. —- ISBN: 9780307351791 | ISBN10: 0307351793 | ISBN-13: 978-0307351791