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Book Cover for: The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements, Sam Kean

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Sam Kean

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

Book Details

  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  • Publish Date: Sep 10th, 2019
  • Pages: 240
  • Language: English
  • Edition: Young Readers' - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.10in - 5.90in - 0.80in - 0.50lb
  • EAN: 9780316388276
  • Recommended age: 11-14
  • Categories: Science & Nature - History of ScienceScience & Nature - ChemistryHistory - Modern

About the Author

Sam Kean is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Disappearing Spoon, The Violinist's Thumb andThe Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, and New Scientist, and has been featured on NPR's "Radiolab" and "All Things Considered."