Periodic Tales

"Fascinating and beautiful . . . if only chemistry had been like this at school." —Matt Ridley, New York Times–bestselling author of Genome, in Prospect magazine

Like the alphabet, the calendar, or the zodiac, the periodic table of the chemical elements has a permanent place in our imagination. But aside from the handful of common ones (iron, carbon, copper, gold), the elements themselves remain wrapped in mystery. We do not know what most of them look like, how they exist in nature, how they got their names, or of what use they are to us. Periodic Tales isa dazzling tour through history and literature, science and art, in which you'll meet iron that rains from the heavens and neon as it lights its way to vice. You'll learn how lead can tell your future and why zinc may one day line your coffin. You'll discover what connects the bones in your body with the White House in Washington, and the glow of a streetlight with the salt on your dinner table. From the Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for The Most Beautiful Molecule, Periodic Tales reveals the true stories of these fascinating, mysterious building blocks of the universe.


"With a distinct British wit and a zest for science history, Aldersey-Williams turns his boyhood passion for the chemical elements into an insightful biography of the periodic table's denizens . . . Be prepared to laugh along." —Discover

"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." —The Boston Globe