The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I,53)? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium (Cd, 48)? How did radium (Ra,88) nearly ruin Marie Curie’s reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?

The periodic table is one of our crowning scientific achievements, but it’s also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and every single element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.

The scientific table of elements is something that has always been interesting to me but also very hard to understand.

Sam Kean author of The Disappearing Spoon has generously broken down the table into mote simple terms that made it easier for me to understand.

At first I did not know how I would like this book. Science is normally not my choice of reading but I thought that if this book could help me expand my knowledge than why not give it a try.

The Disappearing Spoon is written in simpler terms but there were parts that still were very confusing to me. With that being said I did expand my knowledge and learned quite a few facts that I had never heard before such as Elements in Times of War or How Elements Deceive.

If you would like to read something that is just a little easier to understand about the periodic table of elements with a bonus of an all together fun read; then check out The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

Contest will close on September 5th at 11:59 p.m. MST and the winner will be chosen via Random.org and notified via e-mail. Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada!

I was provided with a copy of The Disappearing Spoon for purpose of my review. All thoughts expressed are my own and may vary from others. I do not handle the mailing out of giveaway prizes and will not be held responsible for any mishaps that may occur to such items.