Description
Book SynopsisSoil to Foil tells the extraordinary story of aluminum. Saleem H. Ali reveals its pivotal role in the histories of scientific inquiry and technological innovation as well as its importance to sustainability.
Trade ReviewAluminum—who knew? In Saleem H. Ali’s capable hands, the metal becomes the vehicle for an engrossing and enlightening explanation of how our world works—and how it might work much better. -- Bill McKibben, Right Livelihood Award-winning environmental author and Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Middlebury College
Soil to Foil lights the way for how to build net-positive companies and economies from the ground up. It holds the hand of courageous business leaders in setting an inspiring vision for circular systems and gently but firmly pushing back against basic misconceptions of physics, chemistry, and geology that stifle creativity. Aluminum is something we can all relate to, and
Soil to Foil helps you see it and the world around you in a new light filled with abundant possibility. -- Rohitesh Dhawan, president and CEO, International Council on Mining and Metals
Soil to Foil shows the profound connections between the atomic properties of aluminum and the gigantic entanglements of the world we live in through economics, politics, environmental laws, science, technology, industrial design, advertising, and more. Ali admirably and skillfully guides us to a much deeper and more vital understanding of these subjects. -- Tyler Volk, professor emeritus, New York University, and author of
Quarks to Culture: How We Came to BeSoil to Foil considers the ‘extraction’ of the chemical processes used to turn aluminum ore into usable resources, fitting within a broader turn in the social sciences to considering the sociomaterial and sociotechnical dimensions of the world we live in. Ali persuasively shows why materiality and chemical composition matters for how aluminum ‘comes to be’ as a resource. -- Jessica M. Smith, Department of Engineering and Society, Colorado School of Mines
With approachable storytelling… environmental scientist Saleem Ali masterfully traces… the story of aluminum. * Science *
This work provides fascinating insight. Highly recommended. * American Library Association (ALA) *
Employs an engaging narrative style to convey scientific concepts... in clear, compelling prose. Anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complex life cycle of aluminum will appreciate this book. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *
Table of ContentsPreface
Part I. Salt and Sod1. Elemental Origins and the Invention of Need
2. Soil Without Soul: Why Aluminum Was Rejected by Life
Part II. Precious Forces3. Unbreakable Bonds: The Challenge of Extraction
4. The Bond Breakers and Their Bounty
Part III. Flight and Foil5. Mobile Metal: How Aluminum Facilitated War and Peace
6. Aluminum for All: The Invention of a Household Metal
Part IV. Elemental Flows7. Recycling and Realism: The Industrial Ecology Paradigm
8. Restoration and Renewal of Mineral Frontiers
Epilogue: Governing Our Planet’s Elemental Resources
Notes
Index
