"A decade ago, hardly anyone had heard of this obscure mineral, used to manufacture the cell phones and laptops that have become so central to our daily lives. Then, in 2000, reports emerged about mines deep in the Congo jungle where coltan was being extracted in brutal conditions watched over...

Our future hinges on a set of rare metals that few of us have even heard of. In this eye-opening book, a natural resource strategist reveals the critical importance of these transformative elements to our technological lifestyle and the consequences of our reliance upon them, including...