Have you ever wondered why your cell phone doesn't have an antenna anymore? What did the Spanish conquistadors do with all that silver and gold they brought back from the New World? And what's up with the Neanderthals? How come we didn't descend from them and ended up Homo sapiens instead? Inspired by globe-circling travels through China, Asia, South America and Europe, Cochrane paints a view informed by real-world experience and tells how the crude pottery cobbled together by cavemen is directly related to modern day space exploration. Through the stories of the historical participants buckle up and take a thrill ride to learn how ceramics has fueled economic development and social change. In this witty and engaging book Cochrane connects seeming unrelated historical facts using the common thread of economic development. The vehicle fueling this wild ride through time is ceramics - from primitive pottery to high-tech applications. It's Freakonomics meets the DaVinci Code and you won't want to put it down.