Our future hinges on a set of rare metals that few of us have even heard of. In this eye-opening book, a natural resource strategist reveals the critical importance of these transformative elements to our technological lifestyle and the consequences of our reliance upon them, including geopolitical instability and environmental degradation. To see our growing dependency, you need only look at your smartphone: cerium buffs the glass; indium allows...

Explains the characteristics of chromium, where it is found, how it is used.

Explains the characteristics of silver, where it is found, how it is used.

"When you think of nickel, a 5-cent coin probably comes to mind. But nickel is used for so much more than manufacturing coins. Nickel and nickel-containing alloys are very important in our society. Nickel is used in the construction, transportation, power, high-tech and many other industries. This book tells the fascinating story of how nickel was discovered, how ore containing nickel is mined and extracted, the properties that make nickel so useful,...

When twelve-year-old Phoebe Plumm and her father are abducted by his employer, The Foundry, a corporation holding a monopoly on metal production and technology, and taken to a savage world of living metal that is rising up against its oppressors, Phoebe and her irksome servant Micah fight back.

Explores the three categories of mineral resources found within the earth (power resources, gem stones, and metals) and how they have been utilized for the advancement of civilization.

"Silver has always been a precious metal, used in photography, dentistry, currency, knives, forks, and spoons (better known as, yes, silverware!). Silver is used in x-rays, mirrors, and even medical bandages. In this book, we'll explore how silver was first discovered and used, and how it forms into compounds and alloys. Readers will discover where silver fits in the Periodic Table, and how silver plays a part in modern day electronics from cell phones...