Under a Metal Sky

Under a Metal Sky examines the powers, wonders, and perils that the earth’s rocks and precious metals have offered humans, changing forever our relationship with the world around usThe ground beneath our feet is full of riches: the ochre that allowed prehistoric humans to paint on the cave walls; the tin that drove the early Industrial Revolution; aerolite, the stony meteorite that is both worshiped and traded; radium, the source of Marie Curie’s wonder and the small cult of travelers who continue to seek out radium hotels for healing; and the essential mineral of modern life – the lithium in our mobile phones and laptops. Each of these minerals has a story to tell; each has opened our imaginations a little further, brought with it unexpected dangers, and each one has its place in the broader story of human history.Under a Metal Sky begins and ends in Philip Marsden’s homeland of Cornwall, one of the world’s great geological hotspots, and takes us on a journey east, across the peat-rich Dutch lowlands, through Prague and Bohemia, and on to the gold-rich mountains of Georgia. Along the way, as Marsden explores abandoned mines and meets archaeologists, so he uncovers a strange and colorful history of alchemy, scientific revolution, industrialization, and technological innovation, peopled by figures as varied as the Habsburg Prince Rudolf II, Goethe, Marie Curie, and William Blake, who shared Marsden’s own life-long fascination with stones as a source of wonder. But alongside wonder and inspiration, there has also been plunder and heedless exploitation, the consequences of which have set us on a path towards our own extinction.Beautifully written and mind-expanding, Under a Metal Sky is a book which asks how something as instinctive and innocent as the joy of discovery and wonder for the earth has led to our current moment, one now defined by our perilous relationship to the natural world. The book seamlessly blends travel writing, cultural history, and geology. Who knew the history of rocks could be so page-turning?

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