The Elements of Power

‘The quality of Nicolas Niarchos’s scholarship and research exposes immorality, greed and chicanery of a very high order. This is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of all of us.’

Sir Andrew Mitchell MP, former Secretary of State for International Development

‘Niarchos traces the webs of multibillion-dollar international deals that enmesh Congo’s cobalt mines and juxtaposes this material, painfully, with boots-on-the-ground descriptions of Congolese lives.’

The Times

‘With forensic research and vivid reporting, Niarchos unpacks the dirty paradox of clean energy […] Expansive and eye-opening, it is essential reading for our age.’

Clarissa Ward, Chief International Correspondent for CNN and author of On All Fronts

‘’A brave book by a brave writer’

Daily Telegraph

‘The Elements of Power cuts like a fast-paced action film from battery labs in California, Tokyo and the backstreets of Shenzhen … to mines in Africa and elsewhere where a combination of powerful companies, hucksters and mostly downtrodden miners scrabble for the minerals needed to power the energy transition.’

David Pilling, Financial Times

‘The Elements of Power is one of the most illuminating reads of and for our times. Hard-hitting stories of corporate invention and greed, government corruption, and human exploitation will make you question the devices we use almost constantly.’

David de Jong, author of Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany Wealthiest Dynasties

‘[Niarchos] has shone a spotlight into some very dark corners […] A wake-up call for anyone who thinks of the switch to electric power as a simple signal of virtue.’

Literary Review

‘Utterly gripping exposé of the dark consequences of our lust for disposable technology.’

Mark Miodownik, author of It’s a Gas

‘The Elements of Power is a terrific book – punchy, intelligent, and critically attuned to its subject’s moral and technical complexities.’

Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, author of The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World

Nicolas Niarchos began his journalistic career as a fact checker at the New Yorker, for which he is now a contributing writer. He has reported extensively from Africa and the Middle East, including the Democratic Republic of Congo.