I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Before anything else, I would like to say that the cover of this book is absolutely stunning besides being very appropriate for the content of the book. I especially liked that the book does not read like an encyclopedia entry for every element, but as a natural history of the element in our world with the author's personal experienced interspersed. This book works well for readers like me, who are interested in learning more about the topic; i also think it can work really well as recommended reading in high school.
I have read other books bout chemical elements before, but what sets this book apart is the fact that the author included information that made me pause and reflect about our environment and practices several times. This book is thought-provoking and informative, without being alarming. The author signal what needs to be addressed if we want sustainability but does so with insights of hope and validation from a researcher perspective. ( )

With thanks to the LibraryThing Early Reviewers scheme, I was able to listen to--and enjoy--the audiobook version of Anja Røyne's Elements We Live By on a recent road trip. The narration was pleasant (thanks, Donna Postel); and the content answered a question that I'd long wondered about: Just how much stuff is there in the world--and, by extension--universe? As it turns out, aside from the Big Bang, nothing is spontaneously generated: everything we've made or used or derived or generated (synthetically or otherwise) has its origins in raw materials that have been around for billions of years. All we're doing when we contrive stuff is rearranging atoms. Fascinating!

Now, I do wonder when audiobooks will catch on to the reality that listeners would really love some sort of additional context. For example, simply sharing the table of contents on the back of the package would let the reader know the number of chapters (and their titles)--and, thus, the organization of the book. The subtle cues that are lost when a text is simply read, starting with the preface or introduction or first chapter, really do impact the ability to understand the work as a work. I'm likely going to keep making this comment until someone involved in the production of audiobooks listens (though I'm not holding my breath)!

Strictly speaking, the title gives you what you need to know to take the plunge. More specifically, however, the author is getting at what humanity needs to do to co-exist with our natural world. If I can say spoiler alert, we aren't doing a great job under our current course. It's meticulous and an easy read, and better than a Malthusian take on peak population, but does venture into the strange argument that we are getting exponentially less resilient in a way I'm not sure the evidence supports. In sum, this is more of a warning to cease-and-desist our current way of life than a practical guide to learning about science. ( )

I wanted to like this book, as the title sounded very interesting, however, I felt that the title was (perhaps unintentionally) deceptive. While the book did briefly touch upon some of the interesting and unexpected ways the different elements effected, helped, or harmed the human body, the majority of it focused instead upon how humans are irrevocably polluting the earth with the more harmful of these elements. While the latter issue is certainly an important one, it wasn't the topic I had "signed up for" based upon the title, and the author's strong pessimistic tone throughout was something of a turn-off.

I dislike leaving poor or mediocre reviews, but for the sake of honestly I can only give this book three stars. ( )

I listened to the first bit of this book and was annoyed that it said it wanted to tell me about the elements we live by to help me understand climate change. That is not why I would have picked up a book like this. I have enjoyed pieces of Napoleon's Buttons because it was simply chemistry applied to stories in history. I was not motivated to listen more to this book because of its stated premiss. I may get back to it at some point. I also agree with another reviewer that the author was pessimistic about running out of resources and this was also a turn off. ( )