The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another
Ainissa Ramirez
Apr 2020 · Gildan Media · Narrated by Allyson Johnson
4.7star
3 reviewsreport
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7 hr 53 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
In The Alchemy of Us, scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez examines eight inventions—clocks, steel rails, copper communication cables, photographic film, light bulbs, hard disks, scientific labware, and silicon chips—and reveals how they shaped the human experience. Ramirez tells the stories of the woman who sold time, the inventor who inspired Edison, and the hotheaded undertaker whose invention pointed the way to the computer. She describes, among other things, how our pursuit of precision in timepieces changed how we sleep; how the railroad helped commercialize Christmas; and how a young chemist exposed the use of Polaroid's cameras to create passbooks to track black citizens in apartheid South Africa.
Ramirez shows not only how materials were shaped by inventors but also how those materials shaped culture, chronicling each invention and its consequences—intended and unintended. Filling in the gaps left by other books about technology, Ramirez showcases little-known inventors who had a significant impact but whose accomplishments have been hidden by mythmaking, bias, and convention. Doing so, she shows us the power of telling inclusive stories about technology. She also shows that innovation is universal—whether it's splicing beats with two turntables and a microphone or splicing genes with two test tubes and CRISPR.
Ramirez shows not only how materials were shaped by inventors but also how those materials shaped culture, chronicling each invention and its consequences—intended and unintended. Filling in the gaps left by other books about technology, Ramirez showcases little-known inventors who had a significant impact but whose accomplishments have been hidden by mythmaking, bias, and convention. Doing so, she shows us the power of telling inclusive stories about technology. She also shows that innovation is universal—whether it's splicing beats with two turntables and a microphone or splicing genes with two test tubes and CRISPR.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
3 reviews
Alan Rominger
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February 28, 2021
In the heart of this book, the stories about the telegraph were hands-down my favorite. These perfectly filled a gap in my own historical understanding, which I think I share with many others. The late 1800s is an era when students typically fall asleep in a history class. The cultural impacts of instantaneous communication really did lead straight to edge-of-your-seat news consumption. This speaks strongly to us, and the book did justice to that. It had a few other real home runs. Treatment of Bessemer steel was fantastic and filled some technical and historical gaps for me. I'll be honest that I had a little difficulty getting through the first story of this book about the woman who sold time. It felt a little too basic, without offering much surprising or educational because none of the details felt surprising. My only other negative comment would be that the narrative of 2nd sleep felt lacking in genuine original research. I've read this in plenty of other sources and the treatment here didn't really bring much new. The books focus is both technical and historical, and this was a case where the historical wasn't very strong. Great read overall, and has a rare quality that I would recommend it to people who love fiction (normal people), not just non-fiction lovers like myself.
Michelle R
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February 1, 2024
I liked it a lot of interesting facts. Easy to consume, she kept it amusing
About the author
Ainissa Ramirez is a materials scientist and sought-after public speaker and science communicator. A Brown and Stanford graduate, she has worked as a research scientist at Bell Labs and held academic positions at Yale University and MIT. She has written for Time, Scientific American, the American Scientist, and Forbes.
Allyson Johnson began her entertainment career in her hometown of Chicago as an Emmy Award-winning child news anchor. A graduate of Brown University, she is a working actress, singer, and audiobook narrator in the New York City metropolitan area.
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