The Secret Lives of the Elements

By Kathryn Harkup

Forget what you thought you knew about the elements. When we think of the periodic table we picture orderly rows of elements that conform to type and never break the rules. The Secret Lives of the Elements reveals that the periodic table is more like a sprawling extended family - with its own black sheep, rebels and oddballs. Here are the strange and wonderful stories of fifty-two members of that family - remarkable tales of discovery, inspiration and revolution, from the everyday to the extraordinary. Uncover the personalities, passions, quirks and historical oddities of the elements: from cobalt the trickster to the devil incarnate polonium, via the gothic leanings of phosphorus to the role of thallium in a bizarre slot to murder Fidel Castro. The culmination of a lifetime's obsession with the building blocks of the world around us, Karhryn Harkup's enchanting new book will change the way you see the periodic table for ever. Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1529412749
• ISBN13: 9781529412741
• Release Date: March 2022
• Publisher: Greenfinch
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"