The Periodic Kingdom: A Journey into the Land of the Chemical Elements

by Peter Atkins

Come on a journey into the heart of matter -- and enjoy the process! -- as a brilliant scientist and entertaining tour guide takes you on a fascinating voyage through the Periodic Kingdom, the world of the elements. The periodic table, your map for this trip, is the most important concept in chemistry. It hangs in classrooms and labs throughout the world, providing support for students, suggesting new avenues of research for professionals, succinctly organizing the whole of chemistry. The one hundred or so elements listed in the table make up everything in the universe, from microscopic organisms to distant planets. Just how does the periodic table help us make sense of the world around us? Using vivid imagery, ingenious analogies, and liberal doses of humor P. W. Atkins answers this question. He shows us that the Periodic Kingdom is a systematic place. Detailing the geography, history and governing institutions of this imaginary landscape, he demonstrates how physical similarities can point to deeper affinities, and how the location of an element can be used to predict its properties. Here's an opportunity to discover a rich kingdom of the imagination kingdom of which our own world is a manifestation.

Genres: Science, Chemistry, Nonfiction, History, Physics, Stem, Popular Science

161 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Peter William Atkins is an English chemist and a Fellow of Lincoln College at the University of Oxford. He retired in 2007. He is a prolific writer of popular chemistry textbooks, including Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Molecular Quantum Mechanics. Atkins is also the author of a number of popular science books, including Atkins' Molecules, Galileo's Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science and On Being.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the periodic table. Its approach is poetic rather pedantic. Professor Atkins has written textbooks in nearly every field of chemistry. He uses metaphor of a geographic region to represent the table. For example liquid elements bromine and mercury are the only lakes. He describes in three parts: 1) the overall layout of the table, 2) the history of development of the table and names of elements and regions, and 3) the scientific laws that govern the nucleus, electrons, physical properties, chemical properties, and combining laws of the elements. As a chemist prone to anthropomorphism of elements and compounds, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and wished it was longer. He treats elements and atoms in detail, but only gives a few examples of compounds. This topic could probably be a be an entire book on its own. It is a short book (can be read in one day), and I think non-scientists would also enjoy it. It does not require knowledge of chemistry, however some topics are a bit advanced, and the rest is well written with beautiful imagery and a deep understanding science that clearly illustrates the interconnect properties of all the elements of the table.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely terrible. The author tried to liken the periodic table to a map of a kingdom and fails miserably in his analogy. He also uses very intellectual vocabulary, not for the chemistry bits, but for the prose between. If he's trying to simplify chemistry, why not simply his language, too? I have a pretty extensive vocabulary and there were lots of words that I rarely see or wasn't sure about, which only made the reading longer and slower.

Toward the end he had one decent chapter explaining the quantum mechanical relationships between the orbitals and the periodic table and the method for writing electron configurations simply by looking at the periodic table, but rushes the end when he arrives at the d and f blocks and doesn't even touch the fact that the energy level is decreased (i.e., 4s23d1, etc.)! If I were unfamiliar with the topic, I'd definitely want to know why it goes 4s and then 3d - I know it confused the heck out of my students.

I like looking for trade books that could be used in lieu of textbooks (or as a supplement to a textbook), but this is NOT it.

[David Bourgeois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Watching paint dry, watching grass grow, sitting alone in an insane asylum with, these are a few of the many things more interesting than this book

[Andree Sanborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning was hydrogen. With heat and time, hydrogen begat helium. After more heat and billions of more years, helium begat lithium and then beryllium. After billions of more years, and more fusion and collisions and heat, the other elements slowly were created.

We all have read in the news recently about another element that was discovered. The newly discovered elements exist a very short time; hundredths of a second. Why should we care about them? They are, after all, useless to both scientists and laypeople. But this book got me thinking: if there are billions of years left in the universe, and enough heat is available somewhere, would more and more elements be formed naturally and would they seed other worlds and create new types of life? I can’t stop pondering the possibilities.

The chapter on electron shells remains over my head, but I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery of the book and the immense beauty of the periodic table. The photo is of my notes.

[Diego Tonini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessante e facilmente fruibile anche da chi è a digiuno di chimica, anzi, potrebbe essere proprio il libro giusto per iniziare ad appassionarsi alla materia.
In alcuni punti (pochi) non è aggiornato, come quando parla del numero totale degli elementi scoperti (ora siamo a 118, quando il libro è stato scritto erano meno), o quando dice che il litio e le terre rare non hanno grande utilità pratica (qualcuno ha mai sentito parlare degli smartphone?).
Per il resto è in testo molto preciso ma che resta semplice da leggere.

[Filippo Pellegrino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conciso ma molto esplicativo. Per poter capire come la chimica abbia un suo modo di funzionare ed avere più chiaro cosa sia chimica (in pratica la vita stessa) e cosa no

[Gracjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

WACKY

[Sophia Regan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The textbook is more entertaining

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary
The Periodic Kingdom by Atkins is an accessible overview of basic chemistry. However, instead of presenting the information that the periodic table can tell us in a droll, textbook form, Atkins takes us on a journey and teaches the reader to look at the periodic table as a whole instead of in parts.

Critical Assessment
Atkins breaks down the period table and presents information from a general overview to the more minute details of how the elements interact. The first part of the book starts off with describing the periodic table, it's layout, and it's history. This wove history and chemistry facts together so seamlessly that the reading is quick and enjoyable.

The second half the book flies in closer to the periodic table to look at the atoms themselves, then how the atoms react with one another. This part breaks down the ins and outs of what makes chemistry work into an attainable logic.

Out of the entire book, I noticed a single typo. It was on page 106 when they were discussing isotopes. Instead of saying the excess mass was made up of neutrons, they put protons. Despite this minor infraction to chemistry, the book was solid and wonderfully written.

Final thoughts
If I taught a beginning chemistry class, I would have this as required reading. It is good for both high school and college levels without much of an issue, and it may even be accessible for middle school with the help of a dictionary on occasion.

[May Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Atkins does a wonderful thing for the world in presenting Chemical elements as a geographic landscape. While I think he could lean in even further, I could't possibly dock a star, as he brought to life the periodic table in a way my high school teacher, despite his passion for his work, failed to do. If you've got kids that just hate chemistry or if you simply failed in allowing it to sink in, this book, will help you at least empathize and appreciate those that have made it their life's work. I am actually inspired to investigate Chemistry further and better understand the the world of wonder as he presents the elements

Really had me from the beginning which is quite an amazing task for me specifically, given it's Chemistry...Kudo's.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is a book about the periodic table for people who aren't well-read in chemistry. the idea seems to be that it caters to people more into the arts by talking about the "landscape" of the "Periodic Kingdom" and saying things like "we have traveled widely in the kingdom, surveying it from high in the air in different lights, and trekking through it on the ground, where we have seen its texture." so if that kind of language annoys you, you probably shouldn't read this book.

but if you want a refresher on orbitals, cations and anions, covalent bonds, the metals and noble gases, and the history of the period table, this is a pretty easy-to-read, and intellectually-accessible book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm the sort of person who is endlessly fascinated by the chemistry of everyday things. My family often giggles at my constant talk of cooking as a tasty form of chemistry for instance. So an accessible text about chemistry was right up my alley.

This book takes the periodic table and describes it geographically. Qualities of each region of elements are explored. It was actually well conceived and executed as a text.

[Elliedakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one - very imaginative! I've decided to use excerpts in one of my classes to bring the topic a bit more alive for the students. Minus one star because some of the vocabulary is unnecessarily obtuse.

[Mathew Huff]

I ultimately felt quite insecure of my intellectual prowess at having almost given up on this books elementary, yet novel, approach to the 'kingdom' of the elements.

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this one on my shelf for a while and finally got around to reading it. It didn't disappoint. I've taught basic chemistry and it was my minor in college, so I consider myself pretty well-read in the chemistry department. This book compared the periodic table to a kingdom with many different regions and states. This analogy allows an interesting view of the table and makes the many relationships and quirks of the different 'states' easier to understand. The many patterns described by the table and the history of the table's development are explained well and I feel like I learned some things while reading. In chemistry, sometimes the 'whats' are stressed more than the 'whys' and this book was very good at explaining the reasons behind many of the facts we learn in chemistry class. The reasons that metals are shiny and the nature of ionic and covalent bonds in the world around us were especially interesting to me.

I thought some of the ways that things were phrased were fun. When the author was describing the way that Noble gases were thought to be immune to bonding and then were found to participate in bonds under some conditions, he said:

These regions are now known collectively as the noble gases, a name intended to imply a kind of chemical aloofness rather than a rigorous chastity.

The science of chemistry was described:

The determination of landscape by almost equally balanced forces is characteristic of the landscape of the kingdom in all kinds of lights-- and it is characteristic of chemistry as a whole. That is why chemistry is such a subtle subject, one where observations are so difficult to predict, for it is difficult to assess whether one particular effect or another will dominate.

[Tena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inizialmente mi è piaciuta la metafora del regno periodico, ma i nomi scelti dall'autore per descriverne le varie "regioni" (Isola del Sud per lantanidi e attinidi, Deserto Occidentale per i metalli alcalini e alcalino-terrosi) hanno generato un po' di confusione durante la lettura. Essendo un'appassionata di chimica nonché ostentando una laurea in chimica farmaceutica, devo ammettere che dal capitolo 3 in poi (ad eccezione del capitolo 7 sui cosiddetti cartografi) non ho scoperto niente di nuovo. Inoltre, la scrittura dei primi capitoli è molto più fantasiosa, mentre gli ultimi capitoli sembrano estratti da un manuale di chimica generale (affascinanti come tutta la materia, ma purtroppo un pochino secchi per un libro di divulgazione scientifica).

La recente alleanza tra le due regioni, che ha visto organismi basati sul carbonio sviluppare utensili basati sul silicio per la tecnologia dell'informazione, ha portato alla schiavizzazione del silicio. Però gli organismi basati sul carbonio sono ricchi d'inventiva e stanno sviluppando sempre più le potenzialità nascoste del silicio, tanto che forse un giorno il silicio capovolgerà i rapporti di forza con il suo vicino settentrionale e assumerà il ruolo dominante.

[Anthony Colozza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book like other I have read in the series are technical but you don't need a background in the field or area of science to understand them. This book was really enjoyable. It treats the periodic table like a continent or island with the geography and terrain linked to the properties and characteristics of the various elements. It is a really novel way to look at the periodic table and makes it very interesting. If you are familiar with chemistry or just the elements in general there is really nothing new you will learn here. But even if you are very familiar with the subject, how the book presents the elements and their properties can give you a new perspective on them and how their similarities and difference relate to their atomic number and position on the periodic table. Overall I feel it is well worth reading you won't look at the matter around you, in everyday things, the same way again.

[John Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this mostly because I had obtained it randomly during college and I wanted to see how Peter Atkins communicated the basics of chemistry to laypeople. The book is probably best for adults without much background in chemistry or sciences. Atkins uses geography as an allegory for the basic patterns of chemistry found on the periodic table. The commitment to the geographical allegory sometimes precludes more direct and more effective descriptions of the underlying principles. I admire the effort and expect some could find the book useful but as a fully fledged chemist I found the book unnecessary.

Try it if you want to (re)learn some chemistry and you want to avoid a true textbook. Those seeking to learn chemistry in more detail should look elsewhere.

[Hayley Hummel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this book 3 stars. Overall this book was good. For me, there were just too many metaphors used that made it seem annoying in a way. Also, the amount of imagination used made it hard for me to comprehend the book. Keeping up with all of the elements and their placements was difficult because there were so many of them written with great detail. However, I liked how Atkins related the elements to living things. I particularly enjoyed the science of living things such as the human body because I want to go into the medical field when I am older. So reading that we could not live without potassium or sodium because they make up the nervous system was very interesting.

[Abdullah · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب ممتاز، يبسط الكيمياء للعامة
فكرة الكتاب كالتالي: تخيل بان الجدول الدوري عبارة عن مملكة، تحدها بحار وفيها بحيرات، فيها جبال وسهول ، ومناطق.

بيدأ الكاتب بالحديث عن المملكة وخصائصها و"جغرافيتها"(العناصر المختلفة وترتيبها، واختلافات كثافاتها، فاعليتها، طاقة التايين والسالبية الكهربائية)

ثم يحدث عن نشوءها، وكيف تم اكتشاف الجدول الدوري

ويتنهي باسرارها الداخليه وتحالفات المناطق المختلفة فيها (الاسرار الداخلية: الذرة والترتيب الالكتروني ،، التحالفات: الروابط الكيميائية)

اذا كنت تريد ان تتعلم الكيمياء باسلوب بسيط فهذا الكتاب لك.

[Brice Fuqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Views the periodic table as if it were a map to a world, with the individual elements making up different countries. An interesting approach, but not always clear. Atkins does provide a good history of how the table came to be developed. He also points out the limitations of the periodic table Recommended for those new to chemistry.

[Cara W · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on the periodic table. A good tour of the table, treating it like a kingdom. The author claims he doesn't assume a knowledge of chemistry, but especially later in the book when discussing electron structure, I don't agree. That aside, it was an interesting read.

[Cat of Perdition · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atkins brings colour and whimsy to a topic that is intrinsically dry to write about, despite its fascinating and profound implications in our world. Recommended to any interested in reading into general chemistry.

[Linda Hayashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chemistry interest helps, but not necessary to enjoy this approach of the elemental stuffs. The tour guide book style is beneficial and engaging. No doubt I will visit these pages periodically.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting view of the periodic table of elements plus how it was developed and how the elements interact.

[☁️ • bbecki • ☁️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carino se hai già studiato gli argomenti. Per quelli di cui non avevo mai sentito parlare, negli ultimi capitoli, la lettura è diventata incomprensibile

[Patrick Cassidy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea....

[Leah Lusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of thee most magical books. I could read it every night of the rest of my life to be totally honest.

[Juan Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy ameno y estudia la Tabla periódica desde un ángulo muy interesante destacando como varían las propiedades y el porqué.

[Alexandre Bordas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun chemistry-academic take on the periodic table. Needs some background to fully appreciate.