Histórias Periódicas: A Curiosa Vida Dos Elementos (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
A brilliant concept — a book about the elements of the periodic table, covering their physical and chemical properties, the history of their discovery and their use, the roles they've played in literature and culture, etc. The execution is not quite so brilliant, but workmanlike and competent. There are some photographs, but they're mostly rather bad, and poorly reproduced to boot.In addition to being an enjoyable and instructive read, this book has also proved to be a great source of questions for the weekly pub-quiz club of which I am a member. Which small village in northern Europe gave its name to no less than four metallic elements? How come Phosphurus and Hesperus are both the same, yet different? What element, not especially common in daily life, is so ubiquitous in literature that Flaubert said it is 'everywhere'? What is the meaning of 'oxygen'?Highly recommended. Aldersey-Williams explores the historical and cultural associations the world has towards the elements. He recounts their discoverers and the ways in which they isolated new elements from existing ones. Then, he explains how new metals, gases, and liquids have fed into world culture over the years, and how our perceptions of elements have changed based on their use in society. It is his main thesis that our associations with the elements reflect their natural properties (i.e. silver with purity, iron with utility). To a layman, who avoided chemistry in college, this is a great guide to the building blocks of all matter on earth.
What do You think about Histórias Periódicas: A Curiosa Vida Dos Elementos (2013)?
Was a good book but not great, started out well but then started to drag a bit.
—texasmom6
I learned that brimstone is sulfur. That was pretty cool.
—middleton
