The Disappearing Spoon

And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

De: Sam Kean

Narrado por: Sean Runnette

“The Disappearing Spoon is my favorite kind of science journalism: it reveals a hidden universe in the form of a thrilling tale.” (BoingBoing)

“Arthur C. Clarke once noted that truly advanced science cannot be distinguished from magic. Kean succeeds in giving us the cold hard facts, both human and chemical, behind the astounding phenomena without sacrificing any of the wonder — a trait vital to any science writer worth his NaCl." (Entertainment Weekly)

Science Magazine reporter Sam Kean reveals the periodic table as it’s never been seen before. Not only is it one of man's crowning scientific achievements, it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.

We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country; their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in The Disappearing Spoon.

©2010 Sam Kean (P)2010 Tantor

A great introduction.

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"

Good Info

We need more books like this. Science is integral part of human history and it's appropriate that it is presented as such.

Incredible stories that make you appreciate histry

I absolutely LOVED this book. That was truly surprising to me based on the title, but the book was recommend to me by a friend. I in turn have recommended it to everyone I know! Each day I was retelling one of the stories to my colleagues and even to my own kids. Very detailed narrative that really makes you feel like the author knew these people. The audio narrative was also quite good. Do yourself a favor, download this book. You will not regret it!

Fun info that keeps your intrest

I enjoyed this book and recommend it, with that said there were a few parts that took effort to get through. If you enjoy science you will no doubt like this book as I have, click on add to cart and enjoy.

Great Book, Though A Little Slow

This book is a treasure trove of facts and anecdotes. I learned so much. It contains fairly simple, accurate descriptions of some pretty complex scientific concepts. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a five star review is that the narrative was sometimes hard to follow. Sometimes you will meet a major player multiple times in the story, and it can be hard to remember who was who. This makes the book seem a little slow. Aside from that, I would highly recommend.

Extremely Long, But Very Interesting

I haven't finished, but I go back for a few stories at a time. Very engaging stories about the development of the Periodic Table and the people/scientists behind it. If you have any interest at all in science, history, intrigue or how things come to be, you'll enjoy this listen.

a pleasant surprise

This book about a seemingly simple concept proved to be a wonderful learning experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who was interested in the world around them and history of science. Both accessible to non technical types and conceptually challenging this book was a great learning experience.

Very technical

Interesting but very technical. I was expecting a more pedestrian science books which would give interesting facts and properties of elements. Not a college level writing.

Witty, learned, and engaging -- popular science that entertains and informs.

This periodic table is replete with intellectual nourishment and amuse-bouche. The author relates the story of the elements, their discoveries, traits, relationships, and uses. The history of science is every bit as compelling as any novel. Well written, with an engaging performance.

A WILD RIDE THROUGH THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS

Both engrossing, weird and totally horrific facts on the elments presented in a casually entertaining manner. Very well written and narrated.