In the spirit of A Short History of Nearly Everything comes Periodic Tales. Award-winning science writer Hugh Andersey-Williams offers readers a captivating look at the elements—and the amazing, little-known stories behind their discoveries. Periodic Tales is an energetic and wide-ranging book of innovations and innovators, of superstition and science and the myriad ways the chemical elements are woven into our culture, history, and language. It will delight readers of Genome, Einstein’s Dreams, Longitude, and The Age of Wonder. 

Hugh Aldersey-Williams is the author of numerous books on architecture, design, and science, including Panicology and The Most Beautiful Molecule, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He lives in Norfolk, England.

Categories

• Science / Chemistry
• History / Social History
• Science / Earth Sciences
• Social Science / Popular Culture
• Science

Related Editions

• Kobo eBook (March 28th, 2011): $13.99
• MP3 CD (April 28th, 2015): $21.99
• Compact Disc (April 28th, 2015): $21.99
• More…

Product Details

ISBN: 9780061824739
ISBN-10: 0061824739
Publisher: Ecco
Publication Date: February 28th, 2012
Pages: 448
Language: English

“[A] virtuoso tour of the periodic table.” — Publishers Weekly

“[C]harming. . . . Aldersey-Williams writes with simplicity and elegance. The stories may not help you on your next chemistry test, but they’ll help you appreciate the building blocks that are all around us yet all too easy to overlook.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

“A lucid, enjoyable collection . . . that, element by element, demystifies the iconic periodic table.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Aldersey-Williams’s playful, hands-on approach to scientific exploration shines through the book.” — Boston Globe

For the UK edition: “[F]ascinating and beautiful. . . . If only chemistry had been like this at school. . . . [A] rich compilation of delicious tales.” — Matt Ridley, Prospect magazine