The Elements of Power

'A tale of rapacious colonialism, Cold War spy games, dazzling technical innovation, big business rivalry, big power geopolitics [...] Niarchos has produced an unflinching, landmark work on the nature of extractive capitalism.' Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing Epic, shocking, and deeply reported, The Elements of Power tells the story of the war for the global supply of battery metals - essential for the decarbonization of our economies - and the terrible, bloody human cost of this badly misunderstood industry. 'Niarchos has produced an unflinching, landmark work on the nature of extractive capitalism.' Patrick Radden Keefe, bestselling author of Say Nothing Congo is rich. Swaths of the war-torn African country lack basic infrastructure, and, after many decades of colonial occupation, its people are officially among the poorest in the world. But hidden beneath the soil are vast quantities of cobalt, lithium, copper, tin, tantalum, tungsten, and other treasures. Recently, this veritable periodic table of resources has become extremely valuable because these metals are essential for the global "energy transition"--the plan for wealthy nations to wean themselves off fossil fuels by shifting to sustainable forms of energy, such as solar and wind. The race to electrify the world's economy has begun, and China has a considerable head start.