Science, Technology & IdeasBook note
The Elements of Power
Description. A short description of a book from my bookshelf, not a review.
Niarchos, a journalist, investigates the global race for the minerals that power modern technology, including cobalt, lithium and other metals used in batteries and electronics. His reporting takes him to mining regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The book examines the human and environmental costs of extraction and the geopolitical competition, particularly between China and the West, over supply chains. It pairs well with Ed Conway's Material World.
From the bookshelf · read 2026