THE ALCHEMY OF US by Ainissa Ramirez (MIT Press)

Press Shop collaborated with MIT Press on the publicity campaign for THE ALCHEMY OF US by Ainissa Ramirez, a noted materials scientist and self-described science evangelist. The book examines eight world-changing inventions, revealing how they shaped culture and human experience. Filling in gaps left by other books about technology, Ramirez showcases little-known inventors—particularly people of color and women—whose significant accomplishments have gone largely untold. Our job was to focus primarily on radio and podcast coverage for the campaign.

Unfortunately, THE ALCHEMY OF US was scheduled to publish in early April 2020, just as America was first walloped by COVID-19. The stops on Ramirez’s planned US tour needed to be canceled, rescheduled, or moved online, and we needed to find a way to make sure this important book didn’t get lost in the avalanche of news. We found that there was an appetite for sober, scientific voices, as well as for diverse voices talking about STEM issues; we leaned on these two elements to break through.

We lined up appearances on NPR’s Science Friday, NPR’s Short Wave, and Gastropod (for an episode all about Pyrex). We pitched the local NPR affiliates and other radio wherever Ramirez did virtual book stops, and she ended up giving terrific interviews to WNPR’s NEXT, KERA Think, WSHU’s Morning Edition, SiriusXM’s Constant Wonder program. She also hosted a combination lecture and two-part book club with Science On Tap. Some top podcast hits included interviews with Inquiring Minds, The Technoskeptic, and The Next Big Idea. Ramirez has gone on to appear on StarTalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, PBS Utah’s Open Mind program, BBC’s The Conversation, CBC Spark with Nora Young, and on the Economist’s Babbage podcast.

THE ALCHEMY OF US was included on the Best of 2020 lists in Smithsonian magazine, NPR’s Science Friday, and Science News.

NPR’s Science Friday: How An Undertaker Helped Develop Computers, And Other Untold Stories
This was our #1 media target for this book, so we were absolutely thrilled when the invitation arrived in our inbox. 

Science Friday excerpt: How Two African-American Employees Exposed Polaroid’s Role In Apartheid South Africa
This excerpt, which ran alongside the interview, is a perfect example of what makes THE ALCHEMY OF US so compelling—a lost story, artfully told, uncovering the complicated past of a now commonplace technology. 

NPR Short Wave Episode: The Lightbulb Strikes Back
This NPR podcast presents science in a creative, lively, accessible way—a perfect fit for this book.

KERA think: The Remarkable Materials That Changed The Way We Live
We love this show—both personally and professionally—on the North Texas NPR-affiliate KERA, and this interview did not disappoint.

Ainissa appeared on Connecticut’s WNPR to Discuss THE ALCHEMY OF US

Science Friday listed the book among their top science books of the summer 2020