From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance

Dan Egan

Start date: March 1, 2024

Finish date: March 31, 2024

Discussion: Book Club 2024

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Book Club 2024

November 2024 - Under Alien Skies
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What Members Thought

Feb 20, 2024 aPriL does feral sometimes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, academic-notations, science, very-very-disturbing-to-me, non-fiction

‘The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance’ by Dan Egan is an unexpected treasure trove of science and history I didn’t know. I’ve been reading about the new blue-green algae infesting fresh water which is dangerous to dogs and people. I knew from news stories it had something to do with poop and fertilizer pollution. This book explains all. But the book begins with the history of the discovery of phosphate, and how useful phosphorus has been to farmers and to the military. Then ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2024 David Schwan rated it really liked it

Phosphorus is essential to all life, yet useful forms of it have been hard to find, and waste from too much phosphorus in the environment has created dire situations in places.

There is an insightful chapter about how Britain sustained its economic power through grinding up the bones of soldiers who died on the battlefield. At the time they did not realize it was the phosphorus in the bones that made their fields productive.

The first big non-war application of phosphorus was in laundry detergent ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2024 Kathleen (itpdx) rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, lwv-book-group, rws-2024-spring, science-i

I like books like this that present a dilemma that we face. And then the author gives the historic and scientific background, along with some very human stories of the consequences. Egan then describes some of the possible solutions with recognition that there is no one, simple answer.

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