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  • The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean book cover
  • The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean book cover
  • The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean book cover
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The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

by Sam Kean

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A periodic-table tour through the human stories behind the elements

$11.50 USD
$19.17 USD $11.50 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A periodic-table tour through the human stories behind the elements

This young readers edition uses the periodic table as a map for short true stories linking individual elements to scientific discovery and wider history. Chemistry intersects here with finance, mythology, conflict, art, medicine, and the often complicated lives of the people who identified and studied these substances. Questions involving Gandhi and iodine, Marie Curie and radium, and tellurium’s connection to a gold rush signal the book’s interest in unexpected historical connections. Line drawings and sidebars add supporting context, making the material suited to browsing as well as following the elements’ varied paths through history.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Ages 9–12 interested in science history
  • Students and teachers seeking chemistry-related classroom material
  • Trivia fans who enjoy surprising real-world connections

Themes

Periodic tableHistory of scienceChemistry and societyScientific discoveryHuman history

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Explore the wacky, weird, and wonderful true stories behind one of the greatest scientific tools in history--the periodic table!--in this young readers edition of the New York Times bestseller The Disappearing Spoon.

Why did Gandhi hate iodine?
How did radium nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation?
Why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?

The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, greed, betrayal, and obsession. A series of fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow the unassuming elements on the table as they play surprising roles in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, art, medicine--and of course the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them!

With line-drawings and side-bars throughout, students, teachers, and burgeoning science buffs will love learning the often unbelievable history behind the chemistry.

Perfect for...
★ Aspiring scientists
★ STEM classrooms
★ Trivia lovers
★ Fans of Bill Nye
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