The book Under A Metal Sky explores how the discovery and use of minerals beneath the Earth's surface have fundamentally transformed human civilization, driving major leaps in science and culture throughout history. The author, Philip Marsden, traces this influential history by highlighting key substances like tin and copper, which initiated the Bronze Age; silver, which fueled global trade; and lithium, which is essential to modern technology. Marsden takes readers on a journey from places like the tin mines of Cornwall to the gold-rich mountains of Georgia. Ultimately, the book reveals how these essential minerals have not only shaped our historical development but also defined our complex and often troubled relationship with the natural world.
