In this wide-ranging interdisciplinary work, the authors draw on history, anthropology, and materials engineering to present a comprehensive and ambitious examination of the multifaceted roles of iron and steel throughout history and the current and future challenges faced by the steel industry.

Ohjoon Kwon, Joo Choi, and Hae-Geon Lee provide readers with an in-depth understanding of the history of iron and steel and their impact on human society from a materials engineering perspective. They begin by describing the characteristics of iron and steel and the history of human use of and interaction with these metals by compiling the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand iron’s unique properties and metallurgical phenomena. Following this, they explain the influence of steel on human society and culture, focusing on Industrial Revolution and warfare. They also give examples that are rarely discussed elsewhere, such as developments in Asia or iron’s influence on thought and philosophy using Confucianism and Marxism as examples. Readers will then be able to apply this contextual knowledge to address the profound impact of emerging challenges, such as global environmental issues and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Despite the technical nature of this book, all terminology is fully explained to facilitate better comprehension for those who may not possess an engineering education or a direct interest in metallurgy. This book is therefore invaluable not only as a technical book but also as a guide to the development history of human civilization and its future challenges.

Ohjoon Kwon is a former Chairman and CEO of POSCO and is currently a representative of SEG. He obtained his PhD from The University of Pittsburgh in 1985. He has also held several chairmanships, including at the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, the Korea Iron & Steel Association, and the Korea–Australia Business Council.

Joo Choi is a former professor at the Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology (GIFT), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea. He is a former Head of POSCO Research Laboratories. He received his PhD in 1995 from Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. He is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea.

Hae-Geon Lee is a professor emeritus of the Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology (GIFT), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. He received his PhD from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, in 1983. He is a lifetime Member of Honor of the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ) in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of iron and steel.