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by Sam Kean
From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table. Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time. Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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Hugh Aldersey-Williams
Like Kean, Aldersey-Williams roams through the elements via culture, art and history rather than equations, offering a similarly anecdotal, browsable tour of the periodic table with a British, essayistic flavour.
Oliver Sacks
Sacks's memoir of a boyhood obsessed with metals and chemistry captures the same wonder at elements that drives The Disappearing Spoon, blending personal story with the history of chemical discovery.
Theodore W. Gray
A lavishly photographed guide to every element, full of quirky facts and real-world samples. It's the visual companion to Kean's stories, perfect for readers who want to see what they read about.
Sam Kean
Kean applies the same storytelling approach to DNA and genetics, mixing odd historical episodes, flawed scientists and clear explanations exactly as he did with the periodic table.
