The elements of power A story of war, technology, and the dirtiest supply chain on earth

Journalist Niarchos debuts with an impressive investigation into the global race to acquire the raw materials needed to power electric vehicles, cellphones, laptops, and other devices. These technologies rely on lithium-ion batteries, which are made of metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, as well as materials like graphite, silicone, and phosphate--all of which, Niarchos explains, have become increasingly valuable as wealthy countries seek to wean themselves off fossil fuels and electrify their economies. But this "green transition" has been a pernicious trade-off: "cleaner power at home for pollution and suffering elsewhere," according to Niarchos, who travels to mineral-rich places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, and the Western Sahara to chronicle the battery supply chain. He reports on the mining economy in southern Congo, where companies send children into perilous mines and offer workers little protective equipment against the lethal materials they encounter, and details how metal refining facilities spew smog over an Indonesian rainforest and leak toxic waste into rivers that locals rely on. Niarchos pairs these devastating accounts with a detailed history of Western colonization and the scientific discoveries that led to the batteries widely used today. Readers won't look at their smartphones the same way again. (Jan.)

A land rich in resources hides a shocking story of the exploitation and corruption behind the green energy revolution. Journalist Niarchos digs into the global minerals trade at the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a hub in the vast supply chains that have brought misery to many and immense profits to a few. "This was a book on batteries, I thought, a topic that might cause eyes to glaze over during dinner talk," he writes. "But as I delved further into the world of lithium-ion, I realized that it was not simply a story about sockets and charges--it was also a story about control and immense power." Drawing on hundreds of interviews, he explores mining communities that extract cobalt, lithium, copper, and other metals fueling the rechargeable battery boom. The narrative moves briskly through colonial history and the political and social forces behind today's "battery wars." The heaviest burden falls on the world's poorest--"artisanal miners" scraping minerals with crude tools and little protection. Niarchos shows how the "new energy map" entangles Congo, Indonesia, and Western Sahara in corrupt supply chains feeding mobile phones and electric vehicles. Told with journalistic flair, the story confirms the cynic's view of economic development in the Global South: Graft, corruption, and self-dealing dominate as Belgian, Chinese, British, and American powers scramble for resources. The Chinese were quick to seize opportunity. By 2024, two entrepreneurs, Robin Zeng and Wang Chuanfu, controlled the battery market through ATL and BYD. Niarchos writes, "Elon Musk may have been thought of as the battery king of the West, but Zeng and Wang were power-storage emperors." Fast-paced and deeply researched, this account centers on Congo's inhabitants, caught in waves of politics, war, famine, and global demand. The author not only traveled widely in dangerous places but also provides a cast of key players and extensive notes. His book will have readers rethink the ethics of extraction--you'll never look at your phone or your EV in quite the same way again. An eye-opening and sobering investigation that challenges us to consider the suffering embedded in our everyday devices. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.