Kevin

I came across this book at the absolute right time. I had recently decided I wanted to learn more about chemistry and signed on to my audible account to see what I could find. There was "The Disappearing Spoon" right in the New Release tab.
This book, while I agree that it's not super technical, is a great introduction to the periodic table of elements.
This book, and other books like it, just go to show that there are much better ways to introduce and teach these topics to future generations. I wish that my chemistry teacher in high school had made us read this book rather than your standard "Chemistry Textbook".
Think about it for a second. What is more interesting? Listening to your teach drone on about yet another element, it's atomic mass, it's reaction with other elements... blah blah blah, or hearing stories about boys building nuclear reactors, the stupidity of universities naming elements after themselves, and about how to kill Godzilla, should he ever grace our shores.
Thanks to Sam Kean for one more book to add to my collection of "Books to give my daughter when she comes to me and says Daddy, ________ is boring and I don't want to study it"