The Disappearing Spoonand other true tales from the Periodic Table by Sam Kean (2011-07-28)

Really a great and entertaining book. At first I thought it was going to be too technical (I am not a scientist), but it soon became an enjoyable and fun read. It is full of wonderful, interesting stories that span a long history of the elements. I highly recommend it to anyone with a curious mind.

You'd think that going through the Periodic Table of Elements would be high school 101. Far from it, with this gifted Sam Kean writer, personalities, the story behind the discovery, how the element resides in real life and a continuing entertainment of colorful tidbits related to each proton or neutron related to the elements' storyline. What a fun way to cruise the core makeup of our universe. Sam would have been the quintessential chemistry professor, those students would have been supremely lucky indeed; what a talent!

I did actually enjoy chemistry class, taught in the traditional boring way ;) I found it interesting how all the elements interact with each other and how to tell them apart, all that, so when I saw this book I figured I would give it a try. Immediately got sucked in because it tells such great stories - about science! Was telling all my friends all the cool things I learned from this book and was the smartest person in the room for a few minutes :D

What a fascinating book! I found the stories interesting an humorous. For the science student, how the periodic table made it to is current state is a classic example of the scientific method at work. Perhaps not a book for everyone, but for the curious individual the book will not disappoint.

Science, more specifically chemistry and still more specifically the periodic table and the elements. Mostly very good, some parts were a bit above my level of comprehension. A lot I didn't know. But . . . 28 pages with 105 of what should have been footnotes, good and informative, parked at the back. Disgusting. Another for my publisher (bleep)list.

Well written and researched, Sam Kean introduces the elements in a fun, approachable way. The relatively short vignettes on discovery, uses, attributes and properties launches a myriad of follow up inquiries and interests. Really fun and well written food for thought.

This was recommended to me by my Doctor, who also happens to be a person who probably missed his calling by becomming a general practioner instead of a medical researcher. It is one of those rare instances where a complex subject is reduced to manageable pieces and presented in an entertaining way. If all our text books in highschool and even at the college level were written using this method of presentation, our national level of education would be greatly enhanced.

I did take chemistry as a college student. It was not half as interesting as this book. While you will not know how to become a mad scientist by reading this book, you can live vicariously, and follow some of the more bizarre and important chemical explorations by real scientists. I did have a little problem with some of the authors more emphatic beliefs. He seems to doubt possibilities, that future scientists may discover to be true. Particularly his statements about quantum physics. But generally, Mr. Kean has written a very entertaining and readable book about the discoveries surrounding the periodic table. It would have been great to read this when studying chemistry in depth. I never really appreciated the more oddly named elements until reading about the characters who discovered them.

This is a fascinating read for anyone with even a passing interest in science. When studying the Periodic Table, few students realize the amount of work, backstabbing, and politics that are involved in the process. Even the most difficult concepts involving the elements are accessible to the reader. I particularly like the fact that the author addressed the contributions of women, who often did not receive credit for their research. This would be a good read for teachers and students of chemistry, or anyone with a passing interest of all of those squares on the table.

This book is purely amazing. I am a chemistry major, so everything in this book delights me. It is full of drama, scandal, and most importantly, chemistry. Conveniently, there is a periodic table included in the back as well as a connotation section.

I almost studied chemistry and now am still interested in the elements. I have learned many new facts and found the history behind the elements fascinating. This is not taught in schools, but would make the subject so much more interesting. Should be MUST reading for highschool students and Science Majors.

Sam Kean
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
An overview of all elements, how they were discovered, as well as the people who discovered them, and overview of the periodic table and stories including different elements, such as Mark Twain’s Sold to Satan
Sam Kean is currently a writer in Washington D.C and has written 3 books regarding scientific discoveries
I have not enjoyed this book very much although I see the appeal to chemists and non-chemists as well. This book is frankly not my type of reading material but I appreciate the way Kean blends chemistry with real life examples and how they relate.
I believe the author wrote this book to relate chemistry to real life and inform people of the stories behind the elements because those are worth knowing and are also very interesting. I also believe Kean wrote this for non-chemists because he used language many can understand, not just chemists and it is relatable.
I believe the point of the review is to discover nuances and information we didn’t notice or didn’t have access to when reading. In addition, it will help us apply chemistry to real life, instead of just a classroom.
Summary of Content

Kean does a good job defining and giving examples of how the uses of elements have changed in different periods of time. An example of this is how Kean mentions that uses of elements often change in times of war, when the use goes from everyday means/experiments to making a massive bomb. Kean also mentions how even certain chemists steal other’s work and in the past were extremely selfish. A female chemist is mentioned and Kean explains how she was not allowed to be a professor because of her sex. He also tells us how two chemists received a shared Nobel Prize even though one chemists was just associating his name even though he contribute almost nothing.
Overall, Kean does a great job relating chemistry to real events, often thought to have nothing to do with chemistry, which makes it easier for people with no chemistry backgrounds to relate and understand how important chemistry in the real world.

But I LOVE this book. When you first tell someone that you are reading a book of the history of the periodic table they immediately think you are a nerd but as I would explain some of the tales, people became just as fascinated as I was. I actually listened to the audio version of this book and then bought the paper copy for a gift. For anyone with any interest in history or science or just interesting truths you can't go wrong with this book.

As one of the non-science public, I got interested in chemistry thru physics. And I got spoiled by all the great physics writers who translate difficult topics into exciting stories. If what you want is a unique insight into the world of chemistry and an entertaining read too boot, this is for you.

I must confess: I have not finished reading this book. I had to stop and write a review for it. This book is so much fun! If you like science, this is a fascinating, well explained read. I have probably shared almost everything I have read with my husband, who is looking forward to me finishing the book so that he can read it, also. When we are finished, it will probably go to a nephew or two...I will be buying more from this author. Truly, he has made science accessible and entertaining in a way that really requires the writer to be gifted. Thank you, Mr. Kean! Please continue to write your books!

This a very enjoyable and informative book that takes the reader on a tour around the periodic table, describing some of the early issues in the discovery of the elements and the discovery of some of the important and/or amusing uses of elements. This is a good motivator for developing a lively interest in chemistry and the history of science and technology.

Learning the periodic table in school was a blur and a bore. What a shame that my teachers didn't throw in some of the fascinating anecdotes that Sam Kean weaves through his wonderful book. By structuring the book through periodic table itself, Kean both breaks the text up into digestible chapters and highlights the recurring properties of different elements. A great read.

Very interesting account of how the periodic table came together and different stories of the people involved. A little over my head at times since I'm not a scientist but a banker but that did not deter me from reading it completely and learning from the experience.

Bought it as a birthday present for my chemical engineer boyfriend, but I read it first. It's not like a typical science book. There's more history than science in it. Lots of jokes and very enjoyable!

If you take your studies seriously, there will be times where you're a bit burnt out. Enter into a book like Sam Kean's "The Disappearing Spoon". It's fun, yet knowledgable. Like one of those teachers that could inspire a passion in you about a topic where none existed before.

It's easy to glance at the periodic table. Perhaps a bit harder still to understand the fantastic trends of periodicity or electron clouds, but it's all there. The history of the table is substantially less well known to even interested students of the sciences like myself. I found it riveting to learn about the soap opera level dramatics that go on during the naming of elements. It was eye-opening to read about the many hard working and honest scientists who kept their noses to the grindstone, sometimes disbelieving of the novel phenomena they observed.

This was a great book and one that I will happily recommend to others when they need a break from hitting the books.

FUN!
Although quantum mechanics lies at the root of atoms and then molecules, this book gives you the "outcomes" of those atomic characteristics.
This book is woven not only with hard chemical data and theory, but interesting side stories about their inventions and uses through time.
It is a fun book!

Story of hte periodic table, what it does and how it classifies elements, and what it all means, together with stories of the scientists wo worked on it. Some lovely inside gossip. I was semi-lost in the later chapters when the science became more complex, but still read with great enjoyment. Intelligent, well written, fun.

Jackson Evans
Mr. Halkyard
Honors Chem-H
10/31/16

Book Review: The Disappearing Spoon

The Disappearing Spoon is a book about the periodic table throughout the ages. Sam Kean accomplishes this by relating chemistry to historical events. Throughout the book, he does a good job making chemistry fun and easy to remember and keeps the reader engaged.

Sam Kean’s stories make the elements fun and easy to recall. For example, berkelium and californium, during bombing experiments were elements that were hard for me to remember, but after reading the book, I could remember them like the back of my hand. Another example, although unrelated to chemistry, was how he put fun facts throughout the book, such as when he speaks about the longest word. Overall, the book made chemistry fun, and easy to remember.

The author, through his stories and fun facts, kept the reader engaged. The book made me want to read his work more. He speaks how chemistry was used throughout time, how it was used in our daily lives, etc. This kept me engaged, and, once again made chemistry fun and easy to remember.

In conclusion, disappearing spoon helped me to remember chemistry, made it fun, and kept me engaged, even though it was about chemistry.

If you have any interest in science, especially chemistry, this book is absolutely fascinating. I never knew the Periodic Table had so many interesting stories behind it's formation and behind the various elements that form it. This is a great, great book.

Perhaps a bit entertaining, but rather smug with his inconsistencies on the creation of all these elements. Maybe check it out at the library before deciding if you really want this to take up your shelf space.

I was already quite interested in chemistry before the book, and have already studied it for a couple of years. Despite that, I found the book extremely interesting and it mentioned many things I was not familiar with.
The author does not shy away from more complicated explanations, for those of us who want to know more but keeps it simple enough that any layman can understand it.
The book also contains a great account of the history of chemistry and discovery of elements which is rarely covered anywhere. So even someone not interested in chemistry but instead interested in the history of science will find there's plenty to enjoy in this book.

An amazing book that does not require any understanding of chemistry or science. It does require that you appreciate the big picture: to see how seemingly unrelated events are actually related; the dots that get connected along the way are extremely interesting and usually unexpected.

The author does an excellent job of relating the political, economic, social, intellectual, artistic and even religious "elements" that make this book a fascinating read. Something for everyone.

A great, accessible, heartfelt story of many elements. We've all seen the table, but not the stories behind it. Gives you a true sense of how truly blind we were just a hundred years ago, and still are, and how everything that exists is based on what has come before.

Kean uses humor and great story telling to weave into your mind the power of chemistry to do good or evil. The anecdotes listed are priceless. This is a great book for anyone who is interested in the environment, water, air or just about any science in everyday life. If you are a teacher, this should be on your shelf and encourage extra credit reading for your students.

I found it to be a very interesting and knowledgeable work. The scientists discoveries and their work were put into the context of their real lives. Very interesting for all those interested in the history of science or those in science education. The book is written in readable chapters and while a basic knowledge of science is required the writing is clear and without technical jargon. A good read

A must read for young aspiring scientists and those eager to extend and deepen their understanding of the elements through a whimsical journey of chemistry and physics. Rich in content, yet frugal in overwhelming detail, this work was a joy to read.

Read this book. No matter how your mind works or what you find interesting something in this great work will be an item you always remember! I loved the easy fun read and the great easy to remember ideas.

Anyone who was ever intrigued by the periodic table will enjoy this book. Written on a level that most laymen can appreciate and with enough detail that science geeks will still enjoy. Fascinating anecdotes about the elements and the people who were instrumental in building the well known chart that sits in every science classroom today. Highly recommended.

My niece (a science teacher) recommended this book to me (a fellow nerd) and it hit me squarely between the eyes. I loved the connections the author makes between history's gifted scientists, real life events and the elements. Kean's book was actually exciting to read and I have paid it forward by purchasing a copy for a friend of mine.

Can the periodic table of the elements be interesting? Absolutely! A lot of good history here, even if you can't retain most of it. I took chemistry so long ago that there were only four elements in the table. That is old.

I liked the Science classes I took in high school but this book brought up so much that I had forgotten and so much that I'm pretty sure I had never run into before. However I am not a science geek and I had to re-read some chapters to be sure I understood it correctly. Still it was funny and gave me another prospective of the few science articles I do manage to read from the Scientific American.

Pat Bracey Greenwood

My chemistry teacher made us read this book. While Kean's quirky writing style appeals to some, I didn't like it at all. I could have learned all the facts from this book 10x faster than reading it this way. Sure, it makes chemistry "fun," but there are better ways to spend time having fun. The reason why I gave this book 3 stars, though, is because the book took longer than the expected delivery time.

This book is incredible and is highly recommended for anyone looking for a completely different perspective on the periodic table that we learned so much about and though we knew so well. This is jam packed with fascinating historical tales of the elements. A truly fun and engaging read

This book is full of some really great stories about the discoveries and uses of many of the elements. I greatly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, many of the chapters seemed to skip many of the elements listed in the chapter headings almost entirely , and I wish there had been more than a brief mention of some.

As a would-be envormental scientist (turned industrial engineer to stave off starvation in that era), I have always been fascinated by the near self-fulfilling periodic table. The author enriched my understanding by both anecdote and fact greatly helping me to recognize anew the 'how' our knowledge of the basic structure of our universe has grown through the years. Simply put, would I buy it again? Yes! I have left it on my Kindle and find myself going back to read various portions. Tazman

I selected this book as part of my curriculum for the chem class I was teaching. The group of students were very diverse and the goal was to provide some connection point to pair with the textbook. The book was fantastic. The information moves in a logical manner and it was easy to select reference points and diagrams to go along with the reading. The reading level was also perfect for reading aloud. There were some words and names that the students needed help with. General reading comprehension was easily reached by all of my students.

I loved reading the book. For science readers and readers who want some interesting and accessible science, this is the book.