Elements of the universe

Very good elementary chemistry book by Glenn Seaborg, themed around the building of the periodic table of elements: the first 11 elements discovered (carbon from fire ashes plus a bunch of metals from hot fires being next to ores), then the next 25, mostly in the 1700's,and then the motherlode in the 1800's, and so on.

Apparently based on a 1958 TV documentary, there are a lot of black and white photographs in the book. Lucid, interesting, and a quick read. Definitely one to keep on a shelf.