The Secret Life of the Periodic Table: Unlocking the Mysteries of All 118 Elements

by Ben Still

The Secret Life of the Periodic Table uncovers the fascinating stories behind the formulation of the table. It describes how and who discovered the 118 elements, and the competition and cooperation behind scientific advances. The character of the elements is brought to life in a bright and engaging way, making The Secret Life of the Periodic Table ideal for students and general readers. Spared the monotony of a school text, they can gain a basic understanding of the fundamentals of atomic science.

The book covers all 118 elements in 14 chapters. They are:

A brief guide to atomic physics Igor Mendeleev, arguably the most important formulator of the table, and significant others Hydrogen Alkali metals Alkaline Earth metal Transition metals Post-transition metals Metalloids Other non-metals Halogens Noble gases Lanthanoids Actinoids Transuranium elements. Each element description includes a fact box showing atomic number, atomic weight, radius, melting point, boiling point, density, and the year of its discovery and by whom. There are many sidebars, boxes and extended captions covering topics of interest, like Ernest Lawrence's 1931 cyclotron, early precursor to the 10-km radius Large Hydron Collider that he could not possibly have imagined.

There is also fascinating trivia about the elements. For example, phosphorus was first isolated by an alchemist's search for gold in urine and in the 1920s, there was a fad for lethal radium cocktails.

The Secret Life of the Periodic Table is accurate and entertaining, making it a helpful adjunct to student studies. General readers will find it an enjoyable trip into the world of chemistry and atomic science. It is an ideal purchase for science, middle school and general collections.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Science Nature, Popular Science, History, Chemistry

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2016

About the author

Ben is currently Honorary Research Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London and also teaches physics to 13-18 years old students. For years Ben has enjoyed sharing his passion for physics and the scientific method through his writing, collaborations with artists, and live performances. He is a multi award winning science communicator who has enjoyed national recognition for his work in the field. Although Ben's research interests lie primarily in the field of particle physics he relishes communicating many complex science topics to all audiences through metaphor, interactivity, and clear graphics.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it with good info

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, easy to read book covering each of the elements. It's a bit slow early on, and the elements due tend to blur together, but by and large the book delivers. It the title sounds appealing, then you'll find the book appealing.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book offered a lovely and encompasing trip around each element in an elegant and pretty simple to grasp way (given the complexity of the actual subject) for an average consumer like me. It pretty much left me with a desire to learn more and dive even deeper.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of fascinating tidbits and cute illustrations, this is a rollicking introduction to the individual elements and thier physics. While well-written and fairly clear, the visual material leaves something to be desired; charts are insufficiently labeled and some more diagrams would have been nice. Also, for some reason, the actinides don't have thier own introductory page, like all the other groups do explaining the properties and principles governing the constituent elements and it should be noted that elements 99 (Einsteinium) and higher are not covered as fully as the others.

With many kind thanks to Firefly Books who are responsible for this free review copy I have been enjoying.

[Vanessa Toth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very informative and informal way to learn more about the elements. Not at all like a textbook.

My only problem is that this edition (the first edition) has some editing issues - font size changes, spelling errors (especially the scientists' names) and not having both imperial and metric measurements through out the whole book. These issues made it a bit frustrating to read.

[knoba · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Introduction : Seeking Patterns
1. Constructing The Table
2. Mendeleev And The Modern Table
3. The Periodic Table
4. Atomic Physics
5. The Quantum Atom
6. Trends And Patterns
7. Trends Table
8. Hydrogen
9. Helium
10. Alkali Metals
11. Alkaline Earth Metals
12. Transition Metals
13. Post-Transition Metals
14. Metalloids
15. Non-Metals
16. Halogens
17. Noble Gases
18. Lanthanides
19. Atom Bomb
20. Atom Smashers
21. Actinides
22. Hall Of Fame
23. Future Elements
Index
Acknowledgments