On Dec 28, 2007, at 10:51 AM, John Gardner wrote: > On Dec 28, 2007 12:52 AM, Nate Duehr wrote: >> ... >> (If you've never read anything about the history of nitrates before >> chemical processes were made to manufacture them, do. It's a >> fascinating tale ... > > Hi Nate, > > Care to share your source? One of the first that piqued my interest in how nitrate mining and discovery was intertwined in world politics was : "A Most Damnable Invention: Dynamite, Nitrates, and the Making of the Modern World" "http://www.amazon.com/Most-Damnable-Invention-Dynamite-Nitrates/dp/031232913X/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198866761&sr=8-8 " That link is to the hardcover version, but my copy is a paperback. Amazon doesn't show any paperbacks in stock anywhere, new or used. -- Nate Duehr nate@natetech.com -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist