Strategic Resources – From Wood & Salt to Oil & Lithium
Working Title. Publishing date: 2026 (projection).
 
History / Geography / Economics
ca 200 pages
Downloadable as epub and pdf.
 
From the ancient trade routes carved for salt and spices to the modern geopolitical chessboard dominated by oil, rare earth metals, and lithium, Strategic Resources – From Wood & Salt to Oil & Lithium is a sweeping exploration of the materials that have shaped civilizations, powered economies, and fueled conflicts.
 
This thought-provoking and richly detailed book takes readers on a global journey through time, tracing how natural resources have dictated the rise and fall of empires, the formation of cities, and the shifting dynamics of power. It examines the vital role of geography in resource distribution and accessibility, revealing why certain regions thrived while others struggled.
 
Each chapter delves into a different resource—from the indispensable timber that built early navies, to the precious salt once worth its weight in gold, to the fossil fuels that underpinned the industrial age, and finally to the critical minerals driving the 21st-century tech revolution. Along the way, readers will encounter explorers, merchants, colonizers, and innovators—all shaped by the pursuit and control of strategic materials.
Blending history, geography, and geopolitics, Strategic Resources offers a compelling narrative for anyone interested in understanding the past and future of global power through the lens of the Earth's most sought-after assets.