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The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Contributor(s): Kean, Sam (Author)

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ISBN: 0316051632 ISBN-13: 9780316051637
Publisher: Back Bay Books

OUR PRICE: $20.89

Binding Type: Paperback - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: June 2011

Additional Information

BISAC Categories:
- Science | Chemistry - Inorganic
- Science | History
- Science | Chemistry - Organic

Dewey: 546

LCCN: 2011381769

Lexile Measure: 1300(Not Available)

Physical Information: 1.2" H x 5.5" W x 8.2" L (0.80 lbs) 416 pages

Features: Bibliography, Ikids, Illustrated, Index, Price on Product, Price on Product - Canadian, Table of Contents

Review Citations: Entertainment Weekly 06/17/2011 pg. 103

Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.

Publisher Description:
From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table.

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?

The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time.

Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.

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