The Disappearing Spoon And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Adapted from the New York Times bestseller, 'The Disappearing Spoon' offers middle grade readers an engaging journey through the history and science of the periodic table. Author Sam Kean weaves together fascinating anecdotes about elements like iodine, radium, and tellurium, exploring their impact on human events, from bizarre gold rushes to scientific rivalries. The book presents complex scientific concepts through captivating stories of adventure, greed, betrayal, and obsession, making chemistry and history accessible and entertaining for young minds. It's designed in an easy-to-follow format with line drawings and sidebars to enhance the learning experience.

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. --from publisher description