Kerstin Hoppenhaus is a science journalist and filmmaker based in Berlin. After working for national public television for over a decade, she began developing and producing video and multimedia projects through her own production company, working with clients including the BBC and Undark. She teaches workshops in multimedia storytelling, has a master’s degree in biology, and has won several awards and scholarships for her work in science journalism.Sarah Pybus has been translating from German for almost twenty years. She has translated several titles for Greystone Books, including Climate Injustice by Friederike Otto, which was nominated for the 2025 Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing.

“The Elements of Life takes on the three irreplaceable elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a rigorous and readable scientific work about the building blocks of life itself.”—Shelf Awareness“[A] solid primer on the environmental consequences of humanity’s dependence on essential elements."—Publishers Weekly"Humanity is putting at risk the very elements that sustain us—what could be more fundamental than that? The Elements of Life tells the story in clear, compelling language, while also offering a path forward. Hoppenhaus brings chemistry to life by showing how it connects to farms, fisheries, fungi, and much more." —Hillary Rosner, author of Roam“Essential for life, excellent for killing—who knew fertilizers could be so fascinating? Kerstin Hoppenhaus takes us on an eye-opening tour of the science and history of the fundamental materials without which none of us would be alive.”—Vince Beiser, author of Power Metal“Rigorous, spirited, conversational, and clear, The Elements of Life conveys the constant motion of the Earth: its change and uncertainty, its beauty and diversity, and the powerful forces that bring its landscapes to life. Kerstin Hoppenhaus dwells on our relationship with a complicated world.”—Jack Lohmann, author of White Light“Drawing on years of research and reporting, from potash mines in Germany and the oxygen-starved depths of the Baltic Sea to oceanic conveyor belts and processes of soil formation, Hoppenhaus transforms a massive web of science, history, and politics into a vivid story of humans (and the need to feed eight billion people) transforming nature at a planetary scale.”—Hugh S. Gorman, author of The Story of N"Kerstin Hoppenhaus is the favorite high school science teacher I never had. In this accessible, engaging read, she shows how three simple elements underlie all life, and how the manipulation of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by humans has enabled us to wage war, grow food, and dominate the planet."—Christopher Pollon, author of Pitfall

• IntroductionPART 1: FRUITFULBrute ForcesNever EnoughThe Law of the MinimumPART 2: GAINFULNutrients From OverseasBread From AirMonte KaliWhere Is Banaba?The Treasure Under the StoreknutenPART 3: HARMFULGasping CodThe Great DyingOceanic CurrentsThe Breathing MarbleThe Great MobilizationPART 4: MEANINGFULSoil Formation in MalawiLess for the SeaA Question of GovernanceNew RelationshipsEpilogueAcknowledgmentsGlossaryNotesBibliographyEpigraph ReferencesIndex

Kerstin Hoppenhaus is a science journalist and filmmaker based in Berlin. After working for national public television for over a decade, she began developing and producing video and multimedia projects through her own production company, working with clients including the BBC and Undark. She teaches workshops in multimedia storytelling, has a master’s degree in biology, and has won several awards and scholarships for her work in science journalism.Sarah Pybus has been translating from German for almost twenty years. She has translated several titles for Greystone Books, including Climate Injustice by Friederike Otto, which was nominated for the 2025 Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing.

“The Elements of Life takes on the three irreplaceable elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a rigorous and readable scientific work about the building blocks of life itself.”—Shelf Awareness“[A] solid primer on the environmental consequences of humanity’s dependence on essential elements."—Publishers Weekly"Humanity is putting at risk the very elements that sustain us—what could be more fundamental than that? The Elements of Life tells the story in clear, compelling language, while also offering a path forward. Hoppenhaus brings chemistry to life by showing how it connects to farms, fisheries, fungi, and much more." —Hillary Rosner, author of Roam“Essential for life, excellent for killing—who knew fertilizers could be so fascinating? Kerstin Hoppenhaus takes us on an eye-opening tour of the science and history of the fundamental materials without which none of us would be alive.”—Vince Beiser, author of Power Metal“Rigorous, spirited, conversational, and clear, The Elements of Life conveys the constant motion of the Earth: its change and uncertainty, its beauty and diversity, and the powerful forces that bring its landscapes to life. Kerstin Hoppenhaus dwells on our relationship with a complicated world.”—Jack Lohmann, author of White Light“Drawing on years of research and reporting, from potash mines in Germany and the oxygen-starved depths of the Baltic Sea to oceanic conveyor belts and processes of soil formation, Hoppenhaus transforms a massive web of science, history, and politics into a vivid story of humans (and the need to feed eight billion people) transforming nature at a planetary scale.”—Hugh S. Gorman, author of The Story of N"Kerstin Hoppenhaus is the favorite high school science teacher I never had. In this accessible, engaging read, she shows how three simple elements underlie all life, and how the manipulation of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by humans has enabled us to wage war, grow food, and dominate the planet."—Christopher Pollon, author of Pitfall

• IntroductionPART 1: FRUITFULBrute ForcesNever EnoughThe Law of the MinimumPART 2: GAINFULNutrients From OverseasBread From AirMonte KaliWhere Is Banaba?The Treasure Under the StoreknutenPART 3: HARMFULGasping CodThe Great DyingOceanic CurrentsThe Breathing MarbleThe Great MobilizationPART 4: MEANINGFULSoil Formation in MalawiLess for the SeaA Question of GovernanceNew RelationshipsEpilogueAcknowledgmentsGlossaryNotesBibliographyEpigraph ReferencesIndex

Kerstin Hoppenhaus is a science journalist and filmmaker based in Berlin. After working for national public television for over a decade, she began developing and producing video and multimedia projects through her own production company, working with clients including the BBC and Undark. She teaches workshops in multimedia storytelling, has a master’s degree in biology, and has won several awards and scholarships for her work in science journalism.Sarah Pybus has been translating from German for almost twenty years. She has translated several titles for Greystone Books, including Climate Injustice by Friederike Otto, which was nominated for the 2025 Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing.

“The Elements of Life takes on the three irreplaceable elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a rigorous and readable scientific work about the building blocks of life itself.”—Shelf Awareness“[A] solid primer on the environmental consequences of humanity’s dependence on essential elements."—Publishers Weekly"Humanity is putting at risk the very elements that sustain us—what could be more fundamental than that? The Elements of Life tells the story in clear, compelling language, while also offering a path forward. Hoppenhaus brings chemistry to life by showing how it connects to farms, fisheries, fungi, and much more." —Hillary Rosner, author of Roam“Essential for life, excellent for killing—who knew fertilizers could be so fascinating? Kerstin Hoppenhaus takes us on an eye-opening tour of the science and history of the fundamental materials without which none of us would be alive.”—Vince Beiser, author of Power Metal“Rigorous, spirited, conversational, and clear, The Elements of Life conveys the constant motion of the Earth: its change and uncertainty, its beauty and diversity, and the powerful forces that bring its landscapes to life. Kerstin Hoppenhaus dwells on our relationship with a complicated world.”—Jack Lohmann, author of White Light“Drawing on years of research and reporting, from potash mines in Germany and the oxygen-starved depths of the Baltic Sea to oceanic conveyor belts and processes of soil formation, Hoppenhaus transforms a massive web of science, history, and politics into a vivid story of humans (and the need to feed eight billion people) transforming nature at a planetary scale.”—Hugh S. Gorman, author of The Story of N"Kerstin Hoppenhaus is the favorite high school science teacher I never had. In this accessible, engaging read, she shows how three simple elements underlie all life, and how the manipulation of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by humans has enabled us to wage war, grow food, and dominate the planet."—Christopher Pollon, author of Pitfall

• IntroductionPART 1: FRUITFULBrute ForcesNever EnoughThe Law of the MinimumPART 2: GAINFULNutrients From OverseasBread From AirMonte KaliWhere Is Banaba?The Treasure Under the StoreknutenPART 3: HARMFULGasping CodThe Great DyingOceanic CurrentsThe Breathing MarbleThe Great MobilizationPART 4: MEANINGFULSoil Formation in MalawiLess for the SeaA Question of GovernanceNew RelationshipsEpilogueAcknowledgmentsGlossaryNotesBibliographyEpigraph ReferencesIndex