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informative
slow-paced
3.5. This was a difficult one to rate because even though Kean writes in an accessible way, I still can't really recommend it to just anyone-only people who like science will fully appreciate this book. I liked the first 3/4 of it but then I just wanted it to end. I enjoyed more of the stories of how all of the elements were discovered and the various asides, and less of the really abstract "you need to be a chemistry/physics nerd" to understand sections that peppered the last 1/4 of the book. Still it's fun and informative and I like the way in which it was told, and I will definitely read his other books. The genetics one sounds a little more up my alley :)
Very dense, though interesting. I would need to own a copy and very slowly dip into it every now and then
I would probably rate this higher, but I thought that with my eighth grade intelligence, I could read this book. It was interesting and I liked it, but I couldn’t understand most of the scientific things. I’m not completely sure how electrons and protons and all that fun stuff works yet. I might read it again in a couple of years and find it easier. It was a bit of a beat down to read because it had a lot of information in it. I can usually read 100 pages in an hour but it took me about 1-2 minutes to read a page in this book. I would recommend it if you are into science and chemistry. I would’ve probably not picked up this book on my own, but I was looking for another book and this got recommended to me. I would probably rate it around a 3.5 for me, because I enjoyed it, the book was just difficult to read and comprehend.
Great, Fun book with tons of interesting facts about the periodic table.
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Five things about The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean 📚📚📚
1. This is a collection of weird little moments in science history that cumulatively led to the creation of the period table and influenced Science as we understand it (or don’t understand it) today.
2. I enjoyed some of the anecdotes in here. People are strange. The world is stranger. Put them together and you’ve got some wild stuff.
3. I do, however, think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of this one if you really enjoy nerding out (I mean that as a compliment) on Science.
4. The writing was a little confusing at times. Now - I was listening to this mainly - but sometimes I’d have absolutely no idea what what I was hearing - now way to envision - so I’d have to pause until I could find the spot in my Kindle version and read it with my own two eyes. The sentences could just get a little odd and there was no clear trajectory for where this story train was heading. And now you know what I need out on instead of Science…writing craft and storytelling. Content is only part of that successful formula…we need craft and a little bit of recognizable organization too.
5. All in all, I will definitely remember some of these stories and think of them often. There really is a little something in here for everyone. But I’ll be recommending it mostly to my science lovers. The ones that want to really understand what actually, physically, makes the world and life and perception and people what it is.
1. This is a collection of weird little moments in science history that cumulatively led to the creation of the period table and influenced Science as we understand it (or don’t understand it) today.
2. I enjoyed some of the anecdotes in here. People are strange. The world is stranger. Put them together and you’ve got some wild stuff.
3. I do, however, think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of this one if you really enjoy nerding out (I mean that as a compliment) on Science.
4. The writing was a little confusing at times. Now - I was listening to this mainly - but sometimes I’d have absolutely no idea what what I was hearing - now way to envision - so I’d have to pause until I could find the spot in my Kindle version and read it with my own two eyes. The sentences could just get a little odd and there was no clear trajectory for where this story train was heading. And now you know what I need out on instead of Science…writing craft and storytelling. Content is only part of that successful formula…we need craft and a little bit of recognizable organization too.
5. All in all, I will definitely remember some of these stories and think of them often. There really is a little something in here for everyone. But I’ll be recommending it mostly to my science lovers. The ones that want to really understand what actually, physically, makes the world and life and perception and people what it is.
If this had been my textbook in high school science, I'd be in graduate school for chemistry right now. They should name a periodic square for Sam Kean, to denote rare earth elements rich with can't-put-down-ability. This is an amazing book with astounding revelations on nearly every page. You'll learn more about chemistry and physics than you ever thought possible while busting your gut. Five stars is not enough. Sam Kean: Write a sequel. Soon!
Very thorough book on the periodic table and uses of the elements! This was a fun read where I learned a lot of random facts.
dnf (I couldnt continue when he used fahrenheit sorry not sorry)