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If you loved
Books like The Alchemy of Air
A gripping, tragic narrative history about the brilliant minds who pulled bread from the air and inadvertently unleashed a century of unprecedented destruction. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with The Alchemy of Air.
- awe-inspiring
- somber
- urgent
- tragic
- 01
Invention of air
Steven Johnson · 2009
A thrilling intellectual treasure hunt that connects the discovery of oxygen to the founding of a nation.
- 02
Caesar's Last Breath
Sam Kean
An expansive, globe-trotting exploration of the invisible elements that connect our every breath to the grand sweep of human history.
- 03
The Wizard and the Prophet
Charles C. Mann
A sweeping, intellectually thrilling exploration of the two competing philosophies that will determine the fate of our species.
- 04
The Disappearing Spoon
Sam Kean
A delightfully quirky romp through the periodic table that reveals the eccentricities, obsessions, and scandals behind the building blocks of our universe.
- 05
Losing Earth
Nathaniel Rich
A gripping, infuriating historical thriller about the decade we almost saved the world, and the human flaws that stopped us.
- 06
Napoleon's Buttons
Penny LeCouteur and Jay Burreson
A fascinating, perspective-shifting journey that reveals the invisible chemical scaffolding holding up human history.
- 07
Faust in Copenhagen
Gino Segre · 2007
An intellectually charged glimpse into a fleeting moment of scientific camaraderie just before the world and physics lost their innocence.
- 08
The age of wonder
Holmes, Richard
A sweeping, luminous journey into the minds of the dreamers and explorers who married poetry with the scientific method.
- 09
The man who loved China
Simon Winchester · 2008
A sumptuous, globe-trotting biography that captures the thrill of intellectual obsession and the romance of uncovering a civilization's forgotten brilliance.
- 10
The Ghost Map
Steven Johnson · 2006
A gripping, grimy descent into Victorian London that reads like a medical detective thriller where science races against a deadly, invisible clock.
- 11
The Day the Universe Changed
Burke, James · 1985
A dizzying, exhilarating ride through the hidden connections and paradigm shifts that built the modern mind.
- 12
A history of the world in 6 glasses
Tom Standage · 2005
A lively, conversational journey through human history that reveals how our favorite beverages shaped the modern world.
