Alison

When you say "the periodic table" I'm sure it conjures up for most people a picture of a yellowed, dog-eared poster on the back wall of the chemistry lab with an oddly crenelated table and intimidating scientific notations. After experienceing an involuntary shiver of revulsion and then a sigh of relief they change the subject. This book could change that forever.

Reading this book is like taking a Disney ride through the periodic table. You start with chemistry and physics, flirt with quantum mechanics, and catch glimpses of bubble science and much, much more. You visit all of the elements and hear their histories, the juicy gossip, the funny stories, the successes, and the failures.

You'll meet the who's who of the scientific upper crust as well as the cracks and cranks. You will see the periodic table permeate every aspect of life and never look at ordinary objects the same way.

Best of all, you'll enjoy every minute of it!

A decent review of the concept and execution of common sense. Also a look at what kills it and what cultivates it. No new or breakthrough information, but a good read nonetheless.

I would have preferred that it had been read by a professional narrator rather than the authors.

This story is hard to categorize: it's not typical science fiction, but it's not really historical fiction either. In reality, it's more of a human drama, and from that perspective it excells.

The character development was superb. The storyline was engaging, if sometimes predictable. My only complaint is that it was, in areas, agonizingly repetitive and slow due to unnecessary details. If you apply patience it is still an enjoyable, worthwhile read.

Ms. Sterlin's voice characterizations are outstanding and the overall narration was excellent.

This is the story of how love REALLY works. It was funny, sad, gritty, and triumphant. Ms. Patchett did a marvelous job narrating her work.

As you progress through the book you will begin to recognize and understand some of the more difficult to fathom behaviors in others and ourselves.

Dramatically changed my perception of the Elizabethan era. This book along with Empires of the Sea gave me a much more global perspective of the period.

The subtitle says it all, "The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World." The coverage of the time period was excellent. There were times I could actually picture the sea battles. Excellent read on the subject.

The first part of the book was great. It then took a bizarre turn for several chapters. It ended well, but those odd chapters kind of spoiled it for me.

The narrator was unbearable. He would have been perfect for a trashy romance novel with his breathless treatment of the of the material, but hardly appropriate for the discussion of gas gangrene and the conditions of field hospitals.

This book should have been interesting: the cholera epidemic in Victorian London, the birth of germ theory, the beginnings of epidemiology. Unfortunately the author couldn't keep his eye on the prize. The story was disjointed, and rambled and I had a hard time paying attention. Pity.