The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Member Benefits
30% Off All Books - Savings that support storytellers, not stock prices.
Fight Book Bans - Every membership sends a book to LGBTQ+ youth in affected states.
Member Book Price
$9.99
$6.99
Couldn't load pickup availability
Description
Description
A young readers edition of the New York Times bestseller The Disappearing Spoon, chronicling the extraordinary stories behind one of the greatest scientific tools in existence: the periodic table. Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, greed, betrayal, and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow elements on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. Adapted for a middle grade audience, the young readers edition of The Disappearing Spoon offers the material in a simple, easy-to-follow format, with approximately 20 line drawings and sidebars throughout. Students, teachers, and burgeoning science buffs will love learning about the history behind the chemistry.
About the Author
About the Author
Sam Kean is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb andThe Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, and New Scientist, and has been featured on NPR's "Radiolab" and "All Things Considered."
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Praise for the adult edition ofThe Disappearing Spoon:
"Kean...unpacks the periodic table's bag of tricks with such aplomb and fascination that material normally as heavy as lead transmutes into gold."--Entertainment Weekly "Kean's writing sparks like small shocks...he gives science a whiz-bang verve so that every page becomes one you cannot wait to turn just to see what he's going reveal next."--The Boston Globe "[Kean turns] The Disappearing Spoon into a nonstop parade of lively science stories...ebullient."--New York Times "Kean's palpable enthusiasm and the thrill of knowledge and invention the book imparts can infect even the most right-brained reader."--Miami Herald "With a constant flow of fun facts bubbling to the surface, Kean writes with wit, flair, and authority in a debut that will delight even general readers."--Publishers Weekly "Nearly 150 years of wide-ranging science...and Kean makes it all interesting. Entertaining and enlightening."--Kirkus Reviews
"Kean...unpacks the periodic table's bag of tricks with such aplomb and fascination that material normally as heavy as lead transmutes into gold."--Entertainment Weekly "Kean's writing sparks like small shocks...he gives science a whiz-bang verve so that every page becomes one you cannot wait to turn just to see what he's going reveal next."--The Boston Globe "[Kean turns] The Disappearing Spoon into a nonstop parade of lively science stories...ebullient."--New York Times "Kean's palpable enthusiasm and the thrill of knowledge and invention the book imparts can infect even the most right-brained reader."--Miami Herald "With a constant flow of fun facts bubbling to the surface, Kean writes with wit, flair, and authority in a debut that will delight even general readers."--Publishers Weekly "Nearly 150 years of wide-ranging science...and Kean makes it all interesting. Entertaining and enlightening."--Kirkus Reviews
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub date:
2019-09-10
Length:
240 pages
The Allstora Membership
Membership Perks:
- Save 30% on all online store purchases
- Exclusive access to author's content
- You pay less, but authors still earn double
Membership Terms:
First Month:
$0.00
Monthly price:
$5.00
- To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
- One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.