What do you think?
Rate this book
The Substance of Civilization: Materials and Human History from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon
The story of human civilization can be read most deeply in the materials we have found or created, used or abused. They have dictated how we build, eat, communicate, wage war, create art, travel, and worship. Some, such as stone, iron, and bronze, lend their names to the ages. Others, such as gold, silver, and diamond, contributed to the rise and fall of great empires. How would history have unfolded without glass, paper, steel, cement, or gunpowder?The impulse to master the properties of our material world and to invent new substances has remained unchanged from the dawn of time; it has guided and shaped the course of history. Sass shows us how substances and civilizations have evolved together. In antiquity, iron was considered more precious than gold. The celluloid used in movie film had its origins in the search for a substitute for ivory billiard balls. The same clay used in the pottery of antiquity has its uses in today’s computer chips.Moving from the Stone Age to the Age of Silicon, from the days of prehistoric survival to the cutting edge of nanotechnology, this fascinating and accessible book connects the worlds of minerals and molecules to the sweep of human history, and shows what materials will dominate the century ahead.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2011
106 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 8, 2023
I love pop-science books but this one misses the mark.
I have a library of books on different items such as salt, paper, and other commodities, their origins, and trading history. So, I thought this book would make a great addition.
O.K. I confess I was listening to the audio sample of the book to see if I wanted to buy it. The audio might not have done justice to the book, but it was enough to see that the author keeps missing the mark.
He mentions changing iron to steel. Then he mentions the Bessemer process which is to the steel industry the equivalent of the assembly line to the auto industry; this is all well and good. Then he starts talking about railroad tracks. Earlywood, iron, and steel tracks did have a problem, but they were not corrected because there is a Bessemer process. The correction was to use Maganal, an alloy that gets stronger with stress. The same material safes are made with.
O.K. so he is trying to make a point without detail. However, this is misleading.
His next foray is into silicon where he tries to equate industrial strength with pounds of sand. Oops, I mean the number of silicon chips which have no meaning in themselves. I am sure he meant computing power or maybe cognitive capability. However, those are not materials, and the book is about materials in history.
O.K. so the author is trying to make a point. However, he chooses an irrelevant product or substance that is misleading.
Again, the audio might not do the rest of the book justice. However, if he can miss the mark twice in just the introduction then how can we trust the balance?
I have a library of books on different items such as salt, paper, and other commodities, their origins, and trading history. So, I thought this book would make a great addition.
O.K. I confess I was listening to the audio sample of the book to see if I wanted to buy it. The audio might not have done justice to the book, but it was enough to see that the author keeps missing the mark.
He mentions changing iron to steel. Then he mentions the Bessemer process which is to the steel industry the equivalent of the assembly line to the auto industry; this is all well and good. Then he starts talking about railroad tracks. Earlywood, iron, and steel tracks did have a problem, but they were not corrected because there is a Bessemer process. The correction was to use Maganal, an alloy that gets stronger with stress. The same material safes are made with.
O.K. so he is trying to make a point without detail. However, this is misleading.
His next foray is into silicon where he tries to equate industrial strength with pounds of sand. Oops, I mean the number of silicon chips which have no meaning in themselves. I am sure he meant computing power or maybe cognitive capability. However, those are not materials, and the book is about materials in history.
O.K. so the author is trying to make a point. However, he chooses an irrelevant product or substance that is misleading.
Again, the audio might not do the rest of the book justice. However, if he can miss the mark twice in just the introduction then how can we trust the balance?
July 22, 2021
Fantastic insights for ancient to modern history
The development of materials is inscribed in our epoch names - bronze age, iron age, and so on. This book gives a concise, readable history of the materials that enabled human advancement. Some parts are very scientific but can be easily skipped over. For the most part this book is easy to read and gives a fascinating perspective on the discovery of materials and their impact.
The development of materials is inscribed in our epoch names - bronze age, iron age, and so on. This book gives a concise, readable history of the materials that enabled human advancement. Some parts are very scientific but can be easily skipped over. For the most part this book is easy to read and gives a fascinating perspective on the discovery of materials and their impact.
November 23, 2023
A really fascinating story of the substances which have altered our lives... from clay pots to AI qubits. It's a truly interesting book for history lovers though I must say that, not being much of a scientist, a lot of the chemistry was lost on me. We he could have cut that back a bit though I see its necessity. It's a good book!
March 29, 2021
Unfortunately, now some of the later chapters are slightly dated (updated edition?). However, the content is good, and the author combines a nice historical overview with the details of materials science.
March 27, 2022
A very interesting and illuminating journey through time and through the properties of the materials that formed the society we have today.
At times, I got lost in the details of crystal structure and physical properties, but that didn’t matter. It was still an interesting voyage.
At times, I got lost in the details of crystal structure and physical properties, but that didn’t matter. It was still an interesting voyage.
July 24, 2021
Overall a decent book, but one star removed for some chemically illiterate howlers...
October 18, 2022
Excellent narration and a nicely done book that serves two principle audiences. Those with a more than casual interest in either history or material science.
December 4, 2025
3,5 stars; serviceable overview and at the core this is a pretty intersting lense through which to view human history; the literal material stuff of techne, or man's agency over matter, is discussed in detail and with profound practical knowledge, which for me is always a big plus, in particular enjoyed the bit on early silver mining and refining including the process of cupellation; the narrative is a bit boring in places, otherwise this would have made up for a solid 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews