The Elements of Power: Gadgets, Guns, and the Struggle for a Sustainable Future in the Rare Metal Age

by David S. Abraham

A natural resource strategist investigates the growing global demand for rare metals and what it means to the environment and our future Our future hinges on a set of elements that few of us have even heard of. In this surprising and revealing book, David S. Abraham unveils what rare metals are and why our electronic gadgets, the most powerful armies, and indeed the fate of our planet depend on them. These metals have become the building blocks of modern society; their properties are now essential for nearly all our electronic, military, and “green” technologies. But their growing use is not without environmental, economic, and geopolitical consequences. Abraham traces these elements’ hidden paths from mines to our living rooms, from the remote hills of China to the frozen Gulf of Finland, providing vivid accounts of those who produce, trade, and rely on rare metals. He argues that these materials are increasingly playing a significant role in global affairs, conferring strength to countries and companies that can ensure sustainable supplies. Just as oil, iron, and bronze revolutionized previous eras, so too will these metals. The challenges this book reveals, and the plans it proposes, make it essential reading for our rare metal age.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Economics, Business, Technology, History, Sustainability

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

David S. Abraham is a natural resource strategist who previously analyzed risk on Wall Street and at an energy-trading firm, oversaw natural-resources programs at the White House Office of Management and Budget, and ran a water-focused NGO in Africa. He currently serves as senior fellow at the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. His writing has appeared in The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rare earth elements and rare metals derived from them are increasingly in all our gadgetry, our jet engines, turbine blades and replacement joints, just as much as in our weaponry and our MRI scanners. Mining, refining, separating, producing, selling, trading, using, recycling and inventing are all covered in this great look at REEs, along with the author's experiences.

Having witnessed first-hand how Japan backed down to China over sea territory, when Chinese merchants stopped trading REEs to Japan, the author is convinced that metals can replace guns in diplomacy. After war in Africa thirty years ago stopped supply of one metal, firms went looking for others, and the generations of work by metallurgists and chemists was put to use. The author also went behind the scenes to a mine in Brazil, which is a long-established big employer, noting that it is very hard to get permits to open a new REE mine. These elements are foul in their mining, production and use. Acids, bases and fouled water add to slag heaps and leachates to cause environmental and worker health hazards.

The uses are manyfold of course; Steve Jobs is praised for his visionary application of REEs to touchscreens and smartphones, which may contain thirty different metals with names like caesium, lithium, terbium, praseodymium, yttrium etc. The more of these REEs we use, the lighter and smarter our gadgets can be. But they are very hard to recycle in such minute quantities. They are also limited in supply (being rare) and limited in the supply chain by mainly being produced in polluting China. The rest of us could produce them but don't want to so we externalise the cost. There's also a thriving black market.

Now, I'll declare my interest in downloading this ARC from Net Galley; I write science fiction in which we are mining the asteroids, driven there by our endless need for REEs in the main. Other metals found there are also mined but on a nice to have basis, not need to have. Iridium, for instance, came to Earth with the meteor which killed off the dinosaurs. That being the case, I was astounded that this author confines his comments entirely to our own planet and its known resources.

For anyone who wants to know about this topic, which has shaped our tech and will continue to shape our future, THE ELEMENTS OF POWER is a detailed, human and highly readable book. Well done to David S. Abraham for producing such a comprehensive, well-rounded and easy to follow account. I strongly recommend it to everyone using a computer or smartphone.

[Murtaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every modern technological device you use is comprised of a huge number of so-called "rare metals" that are invisible to the eye but enable the magic of our touchscreens and wireless headsets. One way to think of them are like the yeast that helps the dough of a high-tech world rise. Rare metals are essential to how we live today, though few of us think about them or even know their names. More worryingly, there isn't a very substantive picture of how their supply chains operate or how much of them we use, as the author of this book on the subject points out. In the years to come as more of the world comes online, the question of having enough rare metals at good prices, as well as where most of them will come from, will likely become a pressing one.

China likes to characterize itself as the Saudi Arabia of rare metals and has used the advantages it enjoys in rare metal mining to exert political pressure on its neighbors. In the future it will be important for other countries to recommit to finding and developing rare metal resources, lest they find themselves at the mercy of a few major powers who enjoy a monopoly on these resources. For Americans this may mean promoting once again the unfashionable subject of mining as an area of elite focus, study, and employment. A smartphone contains dozens of different rare metals that are integral to its functioning, but so does most modern military hardware. Even construction materials are made stronger and lighter by the addition of small amounts of rare metal. Access to reliable sources in the future will be a key area of national competitiveness.

This book suffers from a lack of statistics, simply because the field of rare metals remains underdocumented given its importance. As such its hard to get a full grasp of the challenges at hand, though you can glean that they are significant. For those looking to understand how conflicts over rare metals might be an area of competition and even war in the future between nations, this is still probably as good a primer as you can find.

[Randall Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niobium is so important for steel production that the Eiffel Tower made with it would have been 2,000 tons of steel, instead of 7,000 tons of steel as it was made. Vanadium strengthens steel and also makes it lighter. Henry Ford once said, “But for vanadium there would be no automobiles.” Tantalum has the unique ability to keep an electric charge. “Germanium comes from the residue of coal ash.” “Processing aluminum and zinc yields gallium; nickel and copper deposits produce cobalt; and zinc yields indium.” Lest one think rare earths are for the most expensive things: “Supplying the thirty-five metals it needs to make the electric toothbrush takes an extensive supply chain”: tantalum, neodymium, dysprosium, boron, iron, nickel, cadmium, lithium, etc.… We all carry phones with titanium, boron, barium, tantalum, strontium, samarium, cobalt, beryllium, gallium and rare earth phosphors to keep the screen from looking hazy. A single Boeing 747 requires “six million components from over thirty countries.” The future reality is that “green goals require increased mining and more processing of rare metals. Mining is not antithetical to a green economy; it’s a necessity.” The green economy will require a huge increase in neodymium (700%) and dysprosium (2,600%) production. Most of the world’s dysprosium comes from Southern China. Wind turbine blades require replacement every 20 years and they require huge (250-600 kilograms of rare earth magnets per turbine) permanent magnets. Ha ha, let’s solve climate change when each new wind turbine will need 2 tons of rare earth – good luck sourcing your dysprosium!

A Tesla costs so much because inside is a car length battery that alone costs $30,000. It was cool when David said, “it’s best not to think of a car as one product but as a house of appliances all working together.” Did you know LED bulbs contain gallium? And GE’s Reveal LED bulbs have neodymium “to absorb the yellow-green wavelength” and europium which “gives a softer red and blue and terbium provides green.” Let’s talk molybdenum: annual consumption of it is 250,000 tons, it’s used for steel, fertilizer, lubricants, and flame suppressants. ey, let’s talk that common 3mm platinum wedding band no one thinks about; it requires 3.6 tons of material to produce that single ring. One ton of germanium, requires mining 120,000 tons (because germanium is a byproduct). One half of all germanium goes to night vision goggles and all thermal imaging systems – germanium is a one-billion-dollar price tag alone for the military in 2009. “The best recycling facilities in the world handle only about twenty metals.” And don’t forget about increased demand for rare metals from developing countries: In 1995, 7% of Chinese had refrigerators, 12 years later, 95% of them did. “2,000 kilograms of tailings are created to produce every kilogram of rare earths.” Toxic? Let’s just say there are about 450 “cancer villages” in China. Annual consumption of all rare earths combined however is less than the annual consumption of just copper. But copper ore grade declined by 30% in the ten years just between 2001 and 2011. “Steel making is the most highly intensive CO2 producing industry in the world.” What a great enjoyable book – really impressive job covering a subject few other books touch.

[Dеnnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Издательство Института Гайдара перевело и выпустило выдающуюся книгу о почти неизвестной изнанке современного прогресса — редкоземельных металлах. Настолько же легко читающуюся, насколько и потрясающую представленными фактами. Без растущего применения этих элементов, которых и на школьных уроках химии почти не касаются, наш мир оставался бы таким, как в начале 1990-х. Книга раскрывает огромный спектр возможностей, связанных с этим драгоценным ресурсом, в том числе и политических. Но нам точно куда интереснее будет узнать ответы на более прозаические вопросы: почему экраны смартфонов такие хрупкие и почему их не делают прочнее? Почему мы никак не заставим весь мир ветряками для выработки зеленой энергии? В чем причина такой неважной повторной переработки выкидываемого мусора и электронных устройств? Зачем мы поддерживаем людоедские режимы по всему миру?

[Denis Vasilev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Огненная книга про редкоземы. Подробно рассмотрены с разных сторон добыча, потребление, использование, экология и много других важных аспектов. Намного лучше стал понимать сферу, хотя и раньше исследовал вопрос

[Angie Reisetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll never see my electronic gadgets the same way again! In this amazing book, David Abraham surveyed our current uses of rare metals, where they come from, how dependent on them we are, and what those consequences are. There was a great balance of science and tech and international politics and policy. As we work to make our lives better, more convenient, and greener (think batteries!), we're using more and more elements most people have never heard of. And since we don't mine those elements here in America, we lack both the awareness and the expertise to grasp the effects. Abraham bemoans the lack of American study and oversight of the technological changes we've made: is it okay to rely on China to mine these resources for us, outsourcing our pollution? Japan recently learned the hard way that rare elements are the foundation of their tech economy -- when China withheld them, Japan capitulated to China's policy demands. A small fraction of American's recycle their gadgets, but even when they do, only a small fraction of the metals are recovered; can we make recycling more green?

The stat that really got my attention early on in the book was the fact that, though an Intel chip in the 1990s was built with only 15 elements, today Intel chips are manufactured with nearly 60 different elements. The supply chain is not secure; in fact, most companies don't really know where this stuff is coming from. Our own military has only recently realized that the security of this supply chain is a new vulnerability and set out to study it. As a 21st-century nation, we don't really train people in mining anymore. Colorado School of Mines is pretty much the only institution doing it, and they're rather isolated and short on funds.

Abraham calls for some action as well as awareness. These rare elements are already major international policy players. We should be organizing to ensure that we can influence how they are harvested, how much is supplied and how they are used. Before I read the book, that would have been a yawner for me. Not so anymore, which means that Abraham has a good chance of accomplishing what he set out to do. Now we just need to get enough folks to read it.

I got a free copy of this from Net Galley.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amongst the flurry of books over the last few years focusing on the geopolitics of metals and mining, and in particular the so-called ‘critical metals’ David Abraham’s effort “The Elements of Power” promises a less-hyperbolic and more pragmatic approach to the subject, even offering some useful advice to policy-makers responsible for regulating this sector. In his own words: “My fear is that a lack of attention to and understanding… of the Rare Metal Age…, will limit our prosperity and undermine our environment. My hope is that this book… will serve as a rallying call to inspire a new generation to learn more about the ingredients of our gadgets, guns and sustainable future.”

As a not-entirely uneducated reader on this subject, I can say that Mr. Abraham, a natural resource strategist, who has worked on Wall Street, for an African-NGO, the White House and the Japanese government, delivers on this promise. The book should be added to the shelf of anyone who wants to understand the future of mining, metals and raw materials supply to industry, or anyone who is involved with policy-making in these areas.

Having met Mr. Abraham myself a few times at various obscure minor metals conferences in China, I can testify that the book has been extremely well-researched, undertaken over a period of several years. By way of disclosure, Mr. Abraham has been kind enough to include a few of my comments and observations on the industry in the book, so you will find me in the references and acknowledgements.

I have noted that Mr. Abraham has often disappeared, from the conferences we were attending, for a day-or-two to track down an obscure metals plant or mercurial industry-insider. The critical metals issue is often presented as a grand geopolitical battle involving federal governments in China, the United States, Europe and Japan, with the WTO playing a brokering role. The minor metals industry, as the name suggests, however, is played out by small-scale business and industry, local government officials, family-run metals traders and one-man band analysts and advisors. As such, Mr. Abraham’s book undoubtedly benefits from his efforts to locate and introduce us to some of the interesting characters within the minor metals industry.

The book starts with an introductory chapter on role of minor metals in the modern economy – a situation still not well-understood by much of the populace. Whilst not necessarily providing the backbone of the industrial economy they make the products we use that bit smaller, faster, cheaper and more powerful. This will probably be the first time many readers will have read about esoteric metals such as beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, gallium, hafnium, indium, lithium, niobium, scandium, selenium, tantalum, tellurium, tungsten, vanadium, zirconium, and the ‘rare earths’.

Following the introductory chapter Mr. Abraham takes us on a journey through the minor metals supply chain, with each chapter focusing on a key part of the supply chain, or a critical issue affecting the industry. Each chapter is enlivened by Mr. Abraham’s field visits and ‘local contacts’.

The second chapter looks at the geological distribution of minor metals, and the inevitable geopolitical consequences of some being found in one place, but not the other – conflict of one form or another. The next chapter looks at the business of mining and its slightly grubby nature, dramatized by a field visit to the giant Araxa niobium mine in Brazil which dominates/controls global niobium supply – a metal which improves the performance of steel. Next he looks at the technical challenges of processing rare metals such as the rare earths, tantalum and niobium, and more importantly the lack of engineering talent in the West to do this. Almost inevitably Mr. Abraham finds himself in a former ‘not-on-the-map’ Soviet industrial city, now in Estonia, to find out about the lost art of rare metals processing, and suffering minor fluorine gas poisoning for his travails. Mr. Abraham then looks at how the metals find their way to the market, via network of small traders, including ‘Super Mario’ and a ‘Grateful Dead’ fan and small exchanges, including the Fanya exchange, one of a long line of failed Chinese financial exchanges.

Having reached the market, Mr. Abraham then looks at the parts of the economy most reliant on the rare metals – starting with the tech sector, noting that a mobile phone now contains barium, beryllium, boron, cobalt, gallium, strontium, tantalum, titanium, and numerous rare earth metals. Of course, every other industrial sector is now reliant on the tech sector, only multiplying the problem – for example, Mr. Abraham tells us that a Boeing 747 requires six million components sourced from thirty countries. The next industrial sector covered is the nascent green economy, and the use of rare metals in critical new technologies such as wind turbines and hybrid cars. This presents a challenging paradox for environmentalists in that green energy requires more mining for these metals, which are often in the unregulated, disreputable fringes of the mining industry. The final industrial sector reviewed is the military-industrial complex, with rare metals inevitable in use in high-tech missiles and planes. The new F-35 is described as a flying periodic table. Much of the hyperbole about ‘critical metals’ arises from their use by the US military.

To draw the book to a close, Mr. Abraham then looks to the future, trying to work out how we can balance our industrial growth and economic development without irreconcilably damaging our planet. The point is brought home with a visit to rural Jiangxi, China to see the environmental damage and exploitative working conditions of an artisanal rare earths mining facility – making the point that we in the West in many cases have simply outsourced pollution, rather than reduced it. The challenges of recycling minor metals that are found in just a few percent in most industrial products, highlights why we are still reliant on such mines in China to supply these metals. Mr. Abraham then reviews policy-making around the world in relation to the critical metals issue, finding the US and Europe somewhat behind China, Japan and South Korea in their thinking, despite calls for help from the WTO.

In a magnificent final chapter, Mr. Abraham offers some pragmatic advice for policy-makers in the West, free from the usual self-interest that usually accompanies such advocacy (subsidies, patronage, etc.). The answer to securing stable supplies of these metals does not reside with the WTO, but in Western efforts to find and build more rare metal mines, advance our technical know-how of mining and processing them, establish robust and sustainable supply-chains, train more geologists and engineers, improve mining and industrial permitting procedures, and encourage transparency in metals’ markets, whilst avoiding wasteful subsidies, quotas and stockpiles. Simple, practical advice that surely is not too hard to deliver?

Mr. Abraham’s new book, “The Elements of Power”, enters an area of non-fiction that, to date has been poorly-served by the book-writing community. Mr. Abraham has provided an invaluable popular non-fiction text which looks at a quite staggering range of issues in just 288 pages. It is accessible, concise and nuanced, even daring enough to offer some pragmatic advice on how governments and industry can better prepare for a future in which minor metals are bound to play a more significant role in the global economy.

[The Inquisitive Biologist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkably balanced and comprehensive, The Elements of Power is an incredibly insightful book that shows how rare metals rule our lives. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2021...

[Greg Fanoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tone in this was rather alarmist for my taste, and it was a bit light and extremely vague on potential solutions to the problems presented (like, "get people interested in materials science" and "get people to throw away cell phones less often" don't exactly represent the sort of visionary solutions this problem seems to require), but it seemed to do a good job presenting a geopolitical/scientific issue I had spent 0 time thinking about up to this point and which I now find pretty interesting. So fine work overall.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Geopolitics of Rare Metals

This book could have been a winner but the interesting scientific aspects of these metals were diluted by the constant diversions into market strategies—that was acceptable —BUT
the OBSESSION with climate change and a green sustainable world was toxic —repetitive—and a great irony emerged throughout the book —it is the green revolution that is driving up the price and scarcity of many of these elements and for many of us this diversion is completely political not scientific

[Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Abraham has changed the way I look at all the gadgets and technology that surrounds us. He explains the facts and technical details in a way that everyone can understand. The poetic and vivid description of his journeys and fascinating characters places me there experiencing it with him. As I post this review on my iPhone, I now know what minor metal is needed to press submit. An amazing book!

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Elements of Power" is packed with information foundational to understanding the supply-chains of EVs, Cell Phones, alternate energy, and other emerging technologies. It also makes clear the inherent risk in those supply-chains.

The book is not a "casual" read. However, it is very accessible (and will be even more so to readers with a physics, chemistry or engineering background.) The author's research is extensive, and includes world travel and observation of mining and refining operations, multiple interviews, and investigations into the back-alleys of the black-marketplace.

Rare earths are difficult to extract and, from location to location, will require unique processes and chemistries to mine and refine. So - unlike what we think of as "invention", where an invention can be applied widely with very little variation, extracting and refining rare earths requires a great deal of time, expertise, legal involvement, and sometimes geopolitical negotiation. Exploiting a single site can easily take 10 years or more to get to full production.
The extraction and processing of most of these elements is in some way polluting, and many of them are more plentiful and easier to extract in China, Afghanistan and other countries.

Countries which extract and process these materials may have environmental and worker health impacts which have to be mitigated. Although these impacts have been ignored historically, it is likely that compensation covering these downsides will be expected in the future.

More importantly, control of rare earth sources is viewed (especially by China) to be a political imperative and (potentially) as an economic weapon. China wants to sell more technology in the west -- not just raw materials. Therefore, in our current chip "cold war", China will see their control of the rare earths market as an important sanction to use against the west. They want to expand that control -- as does the US, Japan and other electronic manufacturing and consuming nations. Going forward control of these elements will be an important component of the geo-political survival equation. The geo-political analogy is the Uranium rush during WWII and the Cold War.

Lastly, it seems that almost no progress has been made in developing technologies for extracting rare earth elements from electronic refuse (discarded cell phones, etc.) This will probably require significant research, intelligent political intervention and industry cooperation to implement.

"The Elements of Power" is worth reading and will increase the depth of your understanding of geo-politics. You might want a Periodic Table of Elements close at hand.

[Joe Q. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes some of the issues surrounding the world's reliance on "rare metals" (which the author basically defines as anything beyond the most basic commodity metals -- i.e. anything beyond iron, aluminum, zinc, copper, and perhaps nickel). Through interviews with miners, traders, and end-users, he convincingly traces how the network of informal relationships, lack of open markets, economic nationalism on the part of several key players (especially China) combined with our technology-hungry society make for a somewhat uncertain and difficult-to-navigate world that is dependent on these "rare metals" but yet always uncertain of where the next shipment would come from.

The book really focuses on the economics of rare metals -- trade issues, supply and demand, and, to a lesser extent, the mining and refining process -- and ends up reading like a set of essays that repeatedly meander through these topics. Anything resembling an extended treatment of the science and engineering seems to be deliberately avoided, which is unfortunate.

For example, we hear a lot about the mining of tantalum, and how it is so important for modern electronics, but we never quite learn why (i.e. why tantalum and not some other metal?) We learn about the efforts to replace one rare earth with others in magnets, but never why these rare earths are so uniquely suited for use in magnets. Even reading through other reviews here on Goodreads is illustrative, as many people who have read the book seem to think it is all about the rare earth metals (lanthanum through lutetium), which it is not -- but the author doesn't make that point clearly.

Readers interested in an layman-accessible view of the economics of rare metals would be well-served by this book, but those who want to know why these elements are so special will have to look elsewhere. This is unfortunate, as a deeper scientific explanation would better illustrate the author's proposed remedies.

[Bobbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew absolutely nothing about rare earth elements. This book gives information and insights in (mostly) laypeople's terms. The geopolitics involved, the environmental pros and cons, and the way these elements touch all aspects of our gadgetry are discussed. I am glad I read this---and was glad the author offers some suggestions for improvement, including recycling devices and coming up with a global plan. (Now, if only politicians throughout our world would see the advantages of working TOGETHER.)

[Rebecca Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong reminder that our modern world and lives can mostly be traced back to mines, and challenging the image of a mine as solely pollutive and exploitative. Many of these metals are crucial to improving the efficacy of modern machinery, to develop and innovate on renewables. Incredible insights into the world of metals recycling and also the politics of metals (most of the world's dysprosium and neodymium - 80% is from China).

Really enjoyed learning about the metals that we rarely get to hear about in daily life -- niobium, molybdenum, yttrium and vanadium.

[Andy Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abraham's book provides an essential and very readable overview (with fascinating stories and detail) of the dilemmas the world faces in the rare metal age - especially for those thinking about the role of high tech and green tech in sustainable futures. I'd highly recommend it on those merits alone, but the conclusions are pretty basic and conventional, and if you're looking for something situated in any kind of critical political economy, you won't find it here.

[Peter Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abraham does a very good job at building the case that we need to be worried about our ever-increasingly high-tech world - and the ever-diminishing and unstable rare metals it will need. A fascinating and unsettling look into a world that most of us never even think of even if it makes possible all of the things we've surrounded ourselves with, embedded ourselves into and depend upon.

[Erik Surewaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In case you never heard of “rare earth metals”, or dont exactly know what it is, this is a great introductory read.

Discussed what it stands for, why they become more relevant over time, how they are mined, separated, sold, recycled... Discussed geopolitical and ecological impact.

Also a nice writing style and the book has a great ‘flow’.

[Shabbs15 · Rating 3 out of 5]

best chapter was 3 where you learn how strikingly similar early stage mining companies can be to early stage pharma companies

much of the book rehashes the same point about how rare metals are an increasingly important component in our devices and how supply is limited to a few locations on earth

[Hein Min Thaung · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit boring but it is worthy to read to explore about the rare metal

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid primer on the rare metal issues facing our world.

[Pavel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great research work, very interesting subject

[Scott Milam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Critically important topic and the book was fantastic. Filled with interesting details that help highlight the need for more education and science in this field.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insider’s view. Piercing the facade. I am grateful for the existence of this book

[Alan Eyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished. Fascinating explanation of increasing role of rare metals in the modern economy. Spoiler Alert: We will need more than we have.

[AUpink · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would’ve been great if I was interested in mineralogy. But bro, am I failing this test so hard next week 😀😀

[Christopher]

it’ll be interesting to see the reorganization of the tsmc supply chain

[Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall very interesting, if a bit depressing. It's hard to believe that rare metals can have such an impact on our daily lives. A good read if you're interested in technology or just want to learn a bit more about resource-based geopolitics, but a bit dry if you're not into that kind of stuff. Overall it has a lot of information but it can be a bit repetitive at times also.

(I had to read this for a class).

[George Siehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting overview of the role of rare earth elements and their importance in the world now, and increasingly, in the future. They are scarce, difficult to mine and process when found, and frequently cause pollution from mining to ultimate disposal. However, they are central to our high technology lifestyle, important keys to energy conservation, and gain more important uses every year. They are used in electric toothbrushes, light bulbs, smartphones, computers, communications, and military weapons, and almost anything electronic. The primary source of supply of rare earths is China. That fact is a center of geopolitical concern from both a military and an economic perspective. China is using the availability of these resources as a magnet to draw technology companies to itself from around the world, thus gaining economic benefits and new technology.

Abraham notes that the U.S. has been losing its technological lead, and points out that only one U.S. University has a degree program in the rare earth elements. Further, we are training too few scientists, metallurgists, and materials specialists. This will make it difficult to match the increasing number of such specialists that are being trained in Asia.

The many insights and examples Abraham provides may be valuable to those in diverse fields including science, technology, business, international relations and strategic planning. In closing he does offer suggestions on how the complex issues caused by these rare elements might be resolved.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read about Rare Earth and/or Rare Earth Metals which really describes the same thing: hard to obtain and/or rare minerals. Some are abundant, but are hard to access, process, etc. and they are alot of them that ordinary people like myself has never heard of. Of course, everyone has heard of copper, tin, aluminum, but the rare earths are in another category. They are really under are noses, because they are in a lot of electronics devices ie. - mobile phones, tablets, computers, tv screens, etc. The author also discusses the market and the traders of these minerals and how various countries are trying to cope with shortages and other possibilities. Interesting topic.