Periodic Tales: The Curious Lives of the Elements
Feb 2011 · Penguin UK
3.8star
5 reviewsreport
Ebook
464
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About this ebook
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
'If only chemistry had been like this at school' Matt Ridley, Prospect
________________
Elements. Everything in the universe is made of them, including you. And like you, the elements have personalities, attitudes, talents, shortcomings, stories rich with meaning.
Here you'll meet iron that rains from the heavens. You'll learn how lead can tell your future while zinc may one day line your coffin. You'll discover what connects the bones in your body with the Whitehouse in Washington, the glow of a streetlamp with the salt on your dinner table.
Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colourful pasts, Periodic Tales is a voyage of wonder and discovery, showing that their stories are our stories, and their lives are inextricable from our own.
________________
'A love letter to the chemical elements. Aldersey-Williams is full of good stories, and he knows how to tell them well' Sunday Telegraph
'Great fun to read and an endless fund of unlikely and improbable anecdotes' Financial Times
'The history, science, art, literature and everyday applications of all the elements from aluminium to zinc' The Times
'If only chemistry had been like this at school' Matt Ridley, Prospect
________________
Elements. Everything in the universe is made of them, including you. And like you, the elements have personalities, attitudes, talents, shortcomings, stories rich with meaning.
Here you'll meet iron that rains from the heavens. You'll learn how lead can tell your future while zinc may one day line your coffin. You'll discover what connects the bones in your body with the Whitehouse in Washington, the glow of a streetlamp with the salt on your dinner table.
Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colourful pasts, Periodic Tales is a voyage of wonder and discovery, showing that their stories are our stories, and their lives are inextricable from our own.
________________
'A love letter to the chemical elements. Aldersey-Williams is full of good stories, and he knows how to tell them well' Sunday Telegraph
'Great fun to read and an endless fund of unlikely and improbable anecdotes' Financial Times
'The history, science, art, literature and everyday applications of all the elements from aluminium to zinc' The Times
Ratings and reviews
3.8
5 reviews
Matt Leming
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March 31, 2013
Had a good review in New Scientist, but actually fairly tedious.
Anil Das
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May 5, 2021
AÀA BOSS NETWORK
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Hugh Aldersey-Williams studied natural sciences at Cambridge. He is the author of several books exploring science, design and architecture - including Periodic Tales, Anatomies and The Adventures of Sir Thomas Browne in the 21st Century - and has curated exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wellcome Collection. He lives in Norfolk with his wife and son.
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