The Best Materials Extraction Books of All Time

Discover the most influential materials extraction books, recommended by leaders, experts, and readers worldwide

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Recommendations by Preston Pysh, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, Lou Agosta and 4 others
1
Book Cover of Adam Minter - Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade

By Adam Minter – Shanghai correspondent for Bloomberg World View (you?) 

4.78
| 2013 | 304 Pages
Best for Environmentalists and industry professionals.
Insightful
Well-Researched
Engaging
Informative
  • New York Times Bestseller
  • Rated Amazon Best Book of the Year
Recommended by Publisher's Weekly and Booklist
Growing up as the son of a scrap dealer in Minneapolis, Minter learned firsthand that one man's trash is truly another man's treasure. In his first book, the Shanghai-based journalist charts the globalization of the recycling trade, focusing on the U.S. and China, and featuring a cast that ranges from self-made scrap-metal tycoons to late-night garbage pickers. Notable passages include a trip to Wen'an, one of China's most notoriously polluted plants where employees process hazardous materials while wearing sandals. Minter successfully resists oversimplifying the issue China currently faces—with a growing middle class demanding more raw materials for new construction, the options are living with the pollution caused by recycling or the environmental consequences of mining for raw materials. Minter takes readers through the Shanghai market where parts are harvested from second-hand electronics, but finds that the more complex the technology, the harder it is to reuse the metals. The scrap trade is one of the few business ventures possible in the developing world and this profession for outsiders shows no signs of slowing down. Minter concludes that the solution is in the first word in the phrase, Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. 2 16-page color inserts. (Nov.)
Out of sight, out of mind. That’s the typical sentiment of even the most meticulous recycler who doesn’t really think about where those carefully sorted cans, bottles, magazines and newspapers go after they’ve been picked up curbside. From big screen TVs to the tiniest of Christmas tree lights, there’s a world of trash—or, in the parlance, scrap—out there. And lest one think that it all ends up in a landfill for future archaeologists to ponder, Minter is here to tell you that there’s big money to be made in what American consumers and industries throw away. As he travels the world from Houston to Guangzhou, surveying the debris and discards that fill scrap yards and warehouses, Minter takes the reader into a world of commodities trading that is every bit as lucrative and cutthroat as anything on Wall Street. The son of a scrap man, Minter brings an insider’s knowledge and appreciation for an industry that no one thinks about, everyone contributes to, and a lucky few profit from. --Carol Haggas
2
Book Cover of Matt Levy, Takuro Shibata, Hitomi Shibata - Wild Clay: Creating ceramics and glazes from natural and found resources

By Matt Levy – Ceramics expert and educator (you?) and 2 more 

4.77
| 2022 | 176 Pages
Best for Potters and ceramic artists of all levels.
Informative
Beautiful Pictures
Great Resource
Engrossing
  • New York Times Bestseller
This beautifully illustrated guide is the ideal starting point for those wanting to forge a closer bond between their art and their natural surroundings
Finding your own clay-especially for use as a glaze material or to augment a commercial clay body-is increasingly popular and this book is a guide to finding, testing, and using wild clay
Show 1 more review
Materials Extraction Book made by AI

By TailoredRead – AI that creates personalized books for you 

4.98
| 2025 | 30-300 pages
Learn Materials Extraction faster with a book created specifically for you by state-of-the-art AI. Our AI has vast knowledge of Materials Extraction, and will craft a custom-tailored book for you in just 10 minutes. This tailored book addresses YOUR unique interests, goals, knowledge level, and background. Available for online reading, PDF download, and Kindle, your custom book will provide personalized insights to help you learn faster, expand your horizons, and accomplish your goals. Embark on your Materials Extraction learning journey with a personalized book - made exclusively for you.
Best for all readers across all knowledge levels.
Insightful
Focused
Highly Personalized
Actionable
Up-to-Date
  • World's Leading Platform for AI-Created Books
You will:
  • Get a Materials Extraction book tailored to your interests, goals, and background
  • Receive a book precisely matching your background and level of knowledge
  • Select which topics you want to learn, exclude the topics you don't
  • Define your learning goals and let your book guide you to accomplish them
  • Get all the knowledge you need consolidated into a single focused book
3
Book Cover of Gregory Zuckerman - The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters

By Gregory Zuckerman – Award-winning Wall Street Journal reporter (you?) 

4.56
| 2013 | 416 Pages
Best for Energy enthusiasts, business professionals, and history buffs.
Innovative
Informative
Entertaining
Insightful
Recommended by Preston Pysh
Preston Pysh - Aerospace engineer & Investor. Globally ranked podcast host & former attack pilot. West Point & Hopkins Grad. Family first!
stig_brodersen SimonsFdn Gregory, thanks so much for coming on the show. Your book was really awesome!
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