The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another

The Alchemy of Us stands out among popular science books because it addresses context rather than focusing primarily on technical issues. Indeed, Ramirez excels at interweaving context and technique. In Chapter 1, she demonstrates that developments in timekeeping technology reinforced contemporary ideologies, notably capitalism, and explained how clocks and watches became more accurate. Chapter 2 also addresses the relationship between invention and capitalism. Here, Ramirez focuses on the properties of steel, its use in the production of railway lines, and the impact these advances had on commerce. Before the construction of railways, stores on the western frontier had to stockpile goods, so they were vulnerable to theft. In addition, business was seasonal. Railways allowed shops to received inventory on a regular basis, thereby transforming the nature of commerce.

Chapters 3, 4, 6, and 8 focus on four different inventions and their impact on various modes of communication. Chapter 3 describes the technological advances that made the telegraph possible—and the impact of this new method of communication on language. Telegraph wires of iron and, later, copper allowed for rapid communication, which shaped written and spoken English. The new technology initially affected the news and later influenced literature and spoken English.