White Light: The Elemental Role of Phosphorus—in Our Cells, in Our Food, and in Our World

In this winding debut history, science writer Lohmann traces how phosphorus has shaped the natural world and human history. Describing the phosphorus cycle, he explains that weathering redistributes the element from rock to soil, where it’s absorbed by plants that are eaten by animals who return the phosphorus to the earth in the form of dung. The nutrients contained in the chemical compound phosphate have made it a highly valued fertilizer, Lohmann writes, recounting how in 17th-century Japan, some landlords collected rent in the form of phosphate-rich human excrement. Elsewhere, he describes how alchemist Hennig Brand’s accidental 1669 discovery of phosphorus while attempting to distill gold from urine led to the creation of matches, how white phosphorus bombs have been used in battle for more than a century in defiance of international law, and how phosphate mining in Florida has increased residents’ risk of developing cancer (deposits there are high in radioactive uranium). Though the history intrigues, the prose can feel contrived (“A world had fallen into ruin, and we were set within its midst,” Lohmann writes of destructive strip mining on the Pacific island of Nauru). Still, it’s a stimulating study. Illus. Agent: George Lucas, InkWell Management. (Mar.)