Book is considered to be in acceptable condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Book may have one or more of the following defects: noticeable wear on the cover dust jacket or spine; curved, dog eared or creased page s ; writing or highlighting inside or on the edges; sticker s or other adhesive on cover; CD DVD may not be included; and book may be a former library copy.

Seller Inventory # SEWV.1324002662.A

Contact seller

Report this item

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication Date: 2023
Language: English
ISBN 10: 1324002662
ISBN 13: 9781324002666
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: acceptable

About this title

Synopsis

A New Yorker Best Book of 2023 • A Smithsonian Staff Favorite of 2023

The New York Times best-selling author on the source of great bounty―and now great peril―all over the world.

Phosphorus has played a critical role in some of the most lethal substances on earth: firebombs, rat poison, nerve gas. But it’s also the key component of one of the most vital: fertilizer, which has sustained life for billions of people. In this major work of explanatory science and environmental journalism, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dan Egan investigates the past, present, and future of what has been called “the oil of our time.”

The story of phosphorus spans the globe and vast tracts of human history. First discovered in a seventeenth-century alchemy lab in Hamburg, it soon became a highly sought-after resource. The race to mine phosphorus took people from the battlefields of Waterloo, which were looted for the bones of fallen soldiers, to the fabled guano islands off Peru, the Bone Valley of Florida, and the sand dunes of the Western Sahara. Over the past century, phosphorus has made farming vastly more productive, feeding the enormous increase in the human population. Yet, as Egan harrowingly reports, our overreliance on this vital crop nutrient is today causing toxic algae blooms and “dead zones” in waterways from the coasts of Florida to the Mississippi River basin to the Great Lakes and beyond. Egan also explores the alarming reality that diminishing access to phosphorus poses a threat to the food system worldwide―which risks rising conflict and even war.

With The Devil’s Element, Egan has written an essential and eye-opening account that urges us to pay attention to one of the most perilous but little-known environmental issues of our time.

About the Author

Dan Egan is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. A two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, he lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife and children.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Through our mission we enhance the dignity and quality of life for individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. We intentionally serve marginalized populations within these communities and lift up long-term pathways for individuals who have disabilities and disadvantages, veterans and military families, teens and young adults, and others who face barriers to employment. We are guided by three principles: Inspired by People, Power of the Whole, and Results Matter. We call it The Goodwill Way.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Goodwill Retail Services, Inc.
6055 North 91st Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53225, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Returns are allowed when initiated within 30 days of the estimated delivery date.
Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois is a community-based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to create opportunities for individuals with barriers to enhance their lives. Thank you for supporting our mission.

Shipping Terms

We endeavor to ship all orders as quickly as possible--usually within 48 hours of receiving an order--using minimal packaging and recyclable materials whenever possible.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 3.00	US$ 5.50

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.