Metals in Past Societies: A Global Perspective on Indigenous African Metallurgy Shadreck Chirikure
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Metals in Past Societies: A Global Perspective on Indigenous African Metallurgy Shadreck Chirikure Springer, 2015 166 pages, $54.99 (e-book $39.99) ISBN 978-3-319-11640-2
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his slim book shines a spotlight on pre-industrial African metallurgy, its global connections, and anthropological implications. It integrates seemingly disparate disciplines, such as history, geology, ethnography, archeology, and metallurgy, to illustrate the diversity and innovation in metallurgy across Africa and the role of metals in the rise of socioeconomic inequalities and political power. The book has seven chapters, and the focus on metals, mainly iron, copper, gold, silver, lead, and tin, catering to human needs and wants is evident in each chapter. The sources of information are adequately cited, and the long list of references at the end of each chapter will be a boon to researchers in this field. The first chapter presents the context of the work and data sources. The second chapter focuses on the origin and development of mining and metallurgy in preindustrial Africa. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the interaction of nature and culture in the process of mining. African mining practices were similar to underground mining practices elsewhere not because
of the diffusion of ideas, but due to common limitations imposed on humans by geology. Chapter 4 deals with the transformation of ores into copper or iron by smelting and the sociocultural aspects of this process. Chapter 5 explores the social and cultural roles acquired by iron, copper, and gold as a result of fabrication into objects. Chapter 6 examines the social role of metals, trade in metals, cultural contact, proto-globalization, and technology transfer. African gold paid for commodities from India, Persia, and China, such as porcelain and gunpowder. This trade took place without significant technology transfer to Africa, because cultural barriers, differences in value systems, and a lower population density in Africa impeded the adoption of foreign metallurgical processes. Finally, chapter 7 draws lessons for global anthropology from the African experience. One needs to understand the evolution of materials technology to fully appreciate the development of social institutions, accumulation of wealth, and concentration of political power. At the same time, local beliefs,
Nanostructured Carbon Materials for Catalysis Philippe Serp and Bruno Machado Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015 570 pages, $226.45 ISBN 978-1-84973-909-2
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his book is an excellent introduction to the field of carbon nanomaterials for catalysis application for researchers and students in the field of chemistry. It will not be outdated for a
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MRS BULLETIN
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VOLUME 40 • OCTOBER 2015
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long time, as it is written from the point of view of the basics and applications. It covers molecular structure and surface chemistry aspects and comprises 10 chapters.
www.mrs.org/bulletin
rituals, and value systems influence the arc of technology. The author highlights the cultural aspects and social context of the ado
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