You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Chemistry beach read, consisting mostly of entertaining stories about the discovery of elements and the chemists who did it.
This book shows the difference good writing can make in comprehensibility of a subject. The author uses great metaphors to explain chemistry and makes it come alive with stories related to the periodic table.
I usually favor medical history, so I wasn't sure what I'd think of a book more geared to chemistry (not my favorite subject in high school, I admit). Although I had to slog through the first chapter a bit as I revisited concepts from high school, this book was well worth it. The chemistry bits are relatively well explained and the stories are fabulous - all written in an easy-to-read, conversational style. I will definitely revisit this book - glad I bought my own copy!
challenging
funny
informative
fast-paced
This book was so yummy! It’s organized in large chunks which are full of anecdotes about each element. A bit messy, but very fun. Highly recommended to anyone who has even an inkling of interest in pop science books.
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
Fascinating stuff! As someone who is interested in chemistry but knows next to nothing about it, this was a long slow read. I needed time to digest each chapter's worth of information before moving on.
I first tried to read this in university when it first came out and I DNF’d it. I returned to it finally and those first few chapters nearly made me DNF it again. I skipped all the chapters with dull electron lessons and found myself absolutely in love with the stories and themes of the chapters. Unfortunately, the end of the book has the same issue as the front and really slows down. I mostly skimmed the last chapters because they couldn’t hold my attention.
Incredible historical storytelling. This history book is written in such a charming engaging way, I feel close to the history of chemistry. Amazing