Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc (edition 2012)

This wasn't quite as engaging to me as the blurb and the reviews quoted on the cover suggests -- in fact, it started to feel rather meandering -- but it is quite an interesting read, covering both the scientific history of elements, how and when they were discovered, and the social histories, why they were used and for what. Some facts I didn't know; other parts I got impatient with: yes, yes, I know all that.

Overall, worth a read if it sounds interesting to you, but be prepared to skip bits where he's telling you things you're not interested in/already know. ( )

Had I not found this book on a train with a 'Read Me' sticker on it I would never have heard of it let alone read it and I would have missed out on an interesting read.Firstly I must admit that I never did much enjoy Chemistry at school in or for that matter science in general, I could never remember even the most basic of chemical formulae, and as such knew little about the Periodic Table other than seeing posters of it hung on classroom/bedroom walls. However, that said I have always been interested in History in whatever form.

Initially I was somewhat worried that this would turn out to be a dull academic tome and while in places it did lose me a little and was a little dry, on the whole there was enough to keep me interested. In particular I loved the referances to modern culture/literature and even how obscure elements that I had never even heard of were often found right under our very noses within our houses. I loved the idea how gold historically has been seen as masculine and silver was seen as virginal and feminine. Where did the term 'platinum blonde' of the 40's and 50's come from? Was Napoleon Bonapart killed by his wallpaper? The author names the major discoverers of various elements but on the whole does not go into too much indepth history. For that reason some people will see it as too flighty and shallow where others will just find the whole subject matter too dull to persevere.

But if you fancy a book that you can dip into a chapter or two at a time, picking up a few interesting snippets along the way with which to annoy/ fascinate your partner or mates down the pub, plus have a passing interest in both/either science and history then give it a go. Who knows you might actually learn something and that can be no bad thing. ( )

I'll be honest enough to admit that I don't read non-fiction as often as I'd like but every now and again something catches my eye. This had been on my wishlist so when it came up on Amazon Vine I leapt at the chance to read it.

I'm very glad I did. The last book that caught my interest in this way was The Shocking History of Phosphorus: A Biography of the Devil's Element, a book I enjoyed so much I read it twice. Periodic Tales does not have the space to devote such attention to each individual element but nonetheless gives a good introduction to the history of the elements and introduces a great deal of information that many of us will never have encountered before.

Although it will doubtless appeal most to those who have an interest in science, medicine or history in general, there is much to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading non-fiction. It is very well written and the author's great interest and passion about his subject is evident. It is also filled with historical anecdotes and tales that really bring it to life. ( )

Periodic Tales is a history book about science, explaining the stories behind the discoveries of the elements in the periodic table and the cultural impact of these elements.

As someone for whom science is a fairly incomprehensible mystery, I found this book clear and accessible and was facinated by the facts and stories. The only things that would have improved the book would be the inclusion of the periodic table itself for those of us who haven't seen one since school and better chapter headings to indicate which elements were being discussed because it jumped about a bit. ( )

I found this book marvellous. Sadly my own knowledge of chemistry is virtually non-existent so I started this guided tour through the periodic table with more than a little trepidation. However, Aldersey-Williams has a happy knack of conveying chemical knowledge in a readily-accessible way.
His approach is very engaging - he starts by recounting how as a boy he strove to complete his own periodic table, complete with examples of each element. He gives a brief description of each of the chemicals, explaining how they were discovered (or isolated) and giving some of their history including some very humorous anecdotes. I just wish that chemistry had been this entertaining when i was at school! ( )