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A review by spacewhombus
The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance by Dan Egan
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, another favorite for this year! I was surprised by how much I loved this!!! I thought it would be kinda dry, but it was such a fun read and super quick because the author's style really pulls you in. It was fascinating to learn about phosphorus (hear me out!!!) and the different ways it either occurs or was made/used.
It felt like this book was eerily exactly targeted to me as a reader lol- Hamburg (where I live), amber hunting on the Baltic Sea coast (recently did that), Mary Anning (historical fossil-finder and paleontologist, played by Kate Winslet in the iconic lesbian drama Ammonite (2020)), algal blooms in the ocean (relevant to my field), wastewater treatment (I read a great book about toilets leave me alone), the history of laundry detergent (okay not a special interest of mine but it was freaking cool), etc. etc. etc., this book truly has it all!
This was particularly interesting for me as someone who lives in Hamburg and recently vacationed on Usedom, because both places are particularly prominent in this book. The fire that burned through Hamburg during the second World War was caused by phosphorus bombs, and that is the reason you can still find phosphorus chunks along the Elbe River today. Usedom was also similarly bombed, and beachcombers hunting for amber on the Baltic Sea coast there can also have an unfortunate mix-up of finding phosphorus, which when exposed to the warmth of your pocket instead of the cold of the sea will burst into flames (the author recounts a very scary first-hand account of someone to whom that happened). Andddd phosphorus as a chemical element was discovered in Hamburg in the 1600s, andddd Hamburg has one of the first water treatment plants that is attempting to recover phosphorus from waste! *mind-blown emoji*
So yea aside from the hype about north Germany, there is a lot of interesting information about phosphorus mining in Florida and Morocco, both of which I did not know anything about. The author also covers the history of laundry detergents and artificial fertilizers (initially made from chunks of fossilized poo!), both of which contribute to the overdosing of our waterways with phosphorus, which leads to harmful algal blooms in both fresh and saltwater. There are also some interesting bits about the agriculture industry in general.
Overall I adored this book, so far probably my favorite of the year! Would definitely recommend as this is the farthest thing from the dry chemistry book that I initially imagined it to be!
Wow, another favorite for this year! I was surprised by how much I loved this!!! I thought it would be kinda dry, but it was such a fun read and super quick because the author's style really pulls you in. It was fascinating to learn about phosphorus (hear me out!!!) and the different ways it either occurs or was made/used.
It felt like this book was eerily exactly targeted to me as a reader lol- Hamburg (where I live), amber hunting on the Baltic Sea coast (recently did that), Mary Anning (historical fossil-finder and paleontologist, played by Kate Winslet in the iconic lesbian drama Ammonite (2020)), algal blooms in the ocean (relevant to my field), wastewater treatment (I read a great book about toilets leave me alone), the history of laundry detergent (okay not a special interest of mine but it was freaking cool), etc. etc. etc., this book truly has it all!
This was particularly interesting for me as someone who lives in Hamburg and recently vacationed on Usedom, because both places are particularly prominent in this book. The fire that burned through Hamburg during the second World War was caused by phosphorus bombs, and that is the reason you can still find phosphorus chunks along the Elbe River today. Usedom was also similarly bombed, and beachcombers hunting for amber on the Baltic Sea coast there can also have an unfortunate mix-up of finding phosphorus, which when exposed to the warmth of your pocket instead of the cold of the sea will burst into flames (the author recounts a very scary first-hand account of someone to whom that happened). Andddd phosphorus as a chemical element was discovered in Hamburg in the 1600s, andddd Hamburg has one of the first water treatment plants that is attempting to recover phosphorus from waste! *mind-blown emoji*
So yea aside from the hype about north Germany, there is a lot of interesting information about phosphorus mining in Florida and Morocco, both of which I did not know anything about. The author also covers the history of laundry detergents and artificial fertilizers (initially made from chunks of fossilized poo!), both of which contribute to the overdosing of our waterways with phosphorus, which leads to harmful algal blooms in both fresh and saltwater. There are also some interesting bits about the agriculture industry in general.
Overall I adored this book, so far probably my favorite of the year! Would definitely recommend as this is the farthest thing from the dry chemistry book that I initially imagined it to be!