This is a helpful introduction to cobalt mining and the cobalt industry from bottom (artisanal mining in the Congo) to top (a rechargeable cell battery). I particularly appreciated the geographic study of the DRC and the interweaving of several centuries of history, as it paints a very clear picture of the colonial exploitation that made possible the modern-day slavery that is cobalt mining. That said, the author projects onto his narrative - and the people he's interviewing - in ways that didn't always sit right for me. First-person accounts are particularly important in uncovering a story like this one, and the author's tendency to imagine inner monologue and unexpressed emotion for people already disempowered was frustrating at times. And while I felt like this narrative accomplished its primary goal - to show the very bottom of the supply chain in stark detail - it still could have benefited from an exploration of the top of the supply chain as well. I would have appreciated a really clear throughline from the exploitation of miners to the accumulated wealth of billionaires like Elon Musk sitting at the top of the exact same chain. And as other reviewers have noted, there isn't necessarily a next step from this narrative - the author peppers in some of his own thoughts on potential structural changes, but these feel half-formed. Ultimately, this is an accessible entry point for those who want to better understand the industry and the state of cobalt mining in the DRC, even if it didn't accomplish everything I had hoped for.