Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc - Aldersey-Williams, Hugh Review & Synopsis

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Synopsis

In the spirit of A Short History of Nearly Everything comes Periodic Tales. Award-winning science writer Hugh Andersey-Williams offers readers a captivating look at the elements-and the amazing, little-known stories behind their discoveries. Periodic Tales is an energetic and wide-ranging book of innovations and innovators, of superstition and science and the myriad ways the chemical elements are woven into our culture, history, and language. It will delight readers of Genome, Einstein's Dreams, Longitude, and The Age of Wonder. 

Review

Like the alphabet, the calendar, or the zodiac, the periodic table of the chemical elements has a permanent place in our imagination. But aside from the handful of common ones (iron, carbon, copper, gold), the elements themselves remain wrapped in mystery. We do not know what most of them look like, how they exist in nature, how they got their names, or of what use they are to us. Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colorful pasts, Periodic Tales is a passionate journey through mines and artists' studios, to factories and cathedrals, into the woods and to the sea to discover the true stories of these fascinating but mysterious building blocks of the universe.

Hugh Aldersey-Williams is the author of numerous books on architecture, design, and science, including Panicology and The Most Beautiful Molecule, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He lives in Norfolk, England.

Periodic Tales

The phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller Periodic Tales by Hugh Andersey-Williams, packed with fascinating stories and unexpected information about the building blocks of our universe. Everything in the universe is made of them, including you. Like you, the elements have personalities, attitudes, talents, shortcomings, stories rich with meaning. Here you'll meet iron that rains from the heavens and noble gases that light the way to vice. You'll learn how lead can tell your future while zinc may one day line your coffin. You'll discover what connects the bones in your body with the Whitehouse in Washington, the glow of a streetlamp with the salt on your dinner table. Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colourful pasts, Periodic Tales is a voyage of wonder and discovery, showing that their stories are our stories, and their lives are inextricable from our own. 'Science writing at its best. A fascinating and beautiful literary anthology, bringing them to life as personalities. If only chemistry had been like this at school. A rich compilation of delicious tales'Matt Ridley, Prospect 'A love letter to the chemical elements. Aldersey-Williams is full of good stories and he knows how to tell them well'Sunday Telegraph 'Great fun to read and an endless fund of unlikely and improbable anecdotes'Financial Times 'The history, science, art, literature and everyday applications of all the elements from aluminium to zinc' The Times Hugh Aldersey-Williams studied natural sciences at Cambridge. He is the author of several books exploring science, design and architecture and has curated exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wellcome Collection. He lives in Norfolk with his wife and son.

Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colourful pasts, Periodic Tales is a voyage of wonder and discovery, showing that their stories are our stories, and their lives are inextricable from our own. ________________ 'A love letter to the ..."

Anatomies: A Cultural History of the Human Body

Combining science, history, and culture, explores every aspect of human anatomy from ancient body art to modern plastic surgery, discussing why some people are left-handed and why some cultures think the soul resides in the liver.

An eye-opening, spine-tingling, heartwarming tour through the extraordinary history and secrets of the human body."

Anatomies

The Sunday Times Science Book of the Year, Anatomies by Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of bestseller Periodic Tales, is a splendidly entertaining journey through the art, science, literature and history of the human body. 'Magnificent, inspired. He writes like a latter-day Montaigne. Stimulating scientific hypotheses, bold philosophic theories, illuminating quotations and curious facts. I recommend it to all' Telegraph ***** 'Splendid, highly entertaining, chock-full of insights ... It inserts fascinating scientific snippets and anecdotes about our organs into the wider history of our changing understanding of our bodies' Sunday Times 'A relentlessly entertaining cultural history of the human body ... brims with fascinating details, infectious enthusiasm ... the terrain he covers is so richly brought to life' Guardian 'Elegant and informative ... For Aldersey-Williams, [the body] is a thing of wonder and a repository of fascinating facts' Mail on Sunday **** In Anatomies, bestselling author Hugh Aldersey-Williams investigates that marvellous, mysterious form: the human body. Providing a treasure trove of surprising facts, remarkable stories and startling information drawn from across history, science, art and literature - from finger-prints to angel physiology, from Isaac Newton's death-mask to the afterlife of Einstein's brain - he explores our relationship with our bodies and investigates our changing attitudes to the extraordinary physical shell we inhabit. 'More than a science book - it's also history, biography and autobiography - Anatomies is writing at its most refined, regardless of genre' Sunday Times Praise for Periodic Tales: 'Science writing at its best ... fascinating and beautiful ... if only chemistry had been like this at school ... to meander through the periodic table with him ... is like going round a zoo with Gerald Durrell ... a rich compilation of delicious tales, but it offers greater rewards, too' Matt Ridley 'Immensely engaging and continually makes one sit up in surprise' Sunday Times 'Splendid ... enjoyable and polished' Observer 'Full of good stories and he knows how to tell them well ... an agreeable jumble of anecdote, reflection and information' Sunday Telegraph 'Great fun to read and an endless fund of unlikely and improbable anecdotes ... sharp and often witty' Financial Times Hugh Aldersey-Williams studied natural sciences at Cambridge. He is the author of several books exploring science, design and architecture and has curated exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wellcome Collection. His previous book Periodic Tales: The Curious Lives of the Elements was a Sunday Times bestseller and has been published in many languages around the world. He lives in Norfolk with his wife and son.

The Sunday Times Science Book of the Year, Anatomies by Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of bestseller Periodic Tales, is a splendidly entertaining journey through the art, science, literature and history of the human body."

King and Miranda

The subjects of this book represent a new kind of internationalism in design, based not on simple-minded functionalism and uniformity, but on the combination of poetry and pragmatism. Their work encompasses graphic design as well as interiors, furniture and industrial design.

The subjects of this book represent a new kind of internationalism in design, based not on simple-minded functionalism and uniformity, but on the combination of poetry and pragmatism."

The Tide: The Science and Stories Behind the Greatest Force on Earth

“Superb. . . . A gently studious Bill Bryson crossed with an upbeat and relaxed WG Sebald.”—James McConnachie, Sunday Times (UK) Half of the world’s population today lives in coastal regions lapped by tidal waters. But the tide rises and falls according to rules that are a mystery to almost all of us. In The Tide, celebrated science writer Hugh Aldersey-Williams weaves together centuries of scientific thinking with the literature and folklore the tide has inspired to explain the power and workings of this most remarkable force. Here is the epic story of the long search to understand the tide from Aristotle, to Galileo and Newton, to classic literary portrayals of the tide from Shakespeare to Dickens, Melville to Jules Verne. Throughout, Aldersey-Williams whisks the reader along on his travels: He visits the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, where the tides are the strongest in the world; arctic Norway, home of the raging tidal whirlpool known as the maelstrom; and Venice, to investigate efforts to defend the city against flooding caused by the famed acqua alta.

Here is the epic story of the long search to understand the tide from Aristotle, to Galileo and Newton, to classic literary portrayals of the tide from Shakespeare to Dickens, Melville to Jules Verne."

New American Design

Twenty-one industrial and graphic design firms are profiled from interviews on the background, working methods and views of each. Profiles are followed by a 4-6 page color portfolio of the firm's work. No bibliography. A square format: 101/4x101/4". Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Twenty-one industrial and graphic design firms are profiled from interviews on the background, working methods and views of each. Profiles are followed by a 4-6 page color portfolio of the firm's work. No bibliography."

Panicology

What exactly are your chances of being struck by a meteorite? Think you're having less sex than the French? How high will sea levels actually rise? We live in an increasingly uncertain world. There's so much to worry about it is often hard to know what to really panic about. But stay calm! For Panicology is the perfect answer to the conundrums and questions that bedevil modern life. Putting a lit match to the lies, headlines and statistical twaddle that seeks to frighten us, it explores 40 reasons for worry: from binge-drinking to Frankenstein foods, bird flu to alien abductions - and explores what, if any, effect they will have on your life. Why worry in ignorance when you can be a happy, informed sceptic?

We live in an increasingly uncertain world. There's so much to worry about it is often hard to know what to really panic about. But stay calm! For Panicology is the perfect answer to the conundrums and questions that bedevil modern life."

The Adventures of Sir Thomas Browne in the 21st Century

An experimental account of Sir Thomas Browne, the 17th century physician, philosopher and writer, from the acclaimed author of Periodic Tales and Anatomies"

The Most Beautiful Molecule

The Most Beautiful Molecule The molecule, buckminsterfullerene, is beautiful physically and intellectually. Its qualities, and even some of its properties, can be appreciated instantly and intuitively by nonscientists. Its uniqueness is bound to lead to novel applications-superconductivity is the leading contender at the moment.

The Most Beautiful Molecule The molecule, buckminsterfullerene, is beautiful physically and intellectually."

Dutch Light

Hugh Aldersey-Williams transports us to the Dutch Golden Age - a time of immense scientific and artistic innovation - in this histo-biography of Christiaan Huygens, one of Europe's leading, yet unsung, thinkers.

Filled with incident, discovery, and revelation, Dutch Light is a vivid account of Christiaan Huygens's remarkable life and career, but it is also nothing less than the story of the birth of modern science as we know it."

The Four Elements and the Periodic Table

This book on the four elements and the periodic table shows the scientific method at work and proves and disproves the subjects at hand. It explores a branch of modern science or a major scientific milestone, comparing and contrasting it with an older idea that has been proved wrong or fails to meet the strict and studied standards of science. A robust index, glossary, science content, and bibliography accompanies the descriptive and concise text while the further reading section inspires future research and deeper thought.

e History tab leads to information about the discoverer of each element . Bibliography Aldersey - Williams , Hugh . Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, From Arsenic to Zinc . New York: HarperCollins, 2011. Bardin, Jon."

30-Second Elements

When was radium discovered? Who are Dmitri Mendeleev and Glenn T. Seaborg? Who discovered uranium's radioactivity? Which element is useful for dating the age of Earth? And why doesn't gold have a scientific name? 30-Second Elements presents you with the very foundations of chemical knowledge, explaining concisely the 50 most significant chemical elements. This book uses helpful glossaries and tables to fast track your knowledge of the other 68 elements and the relationships between all of them.

RESOURCES Books Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc Hugh Aldersey - Williams (Ecco, 2012) Periodic Tales : The Curious Lives of the Elements Hugh Aldersey - Williams (Viking, 2011) The Building Blocks of ..."

The Periodic Table of Elements and Dmitry Mendeleyev

An introduction to the life and career of the Russian chemist who first developed the periodic table of the elements.

Aldersey - Williams , Hugh . Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements from Arsenic to Zinc . New York, NY: Ecco, 2011. Belval, Brian. The Carbon Elements (Understanding the Elements of the Periodic Table)."

Amending the Christian Story

Why has Christianity been around for a mere 2,000 years when Earth life has abounded for 3.8 billion years and even humans for nearly 300,000 years? What was God doing all this time? And what if humans are not the center of God's universe? In Amending the Christian Story, Ron Rude asserts that current versions of the Christian faith are inadequate, and more than this, are fueling humanity's assault on Earth's biosphere. Through the window of nature's natural sciences--especially astronomy, geology, evolutionary biology, paleoanthropology--Rude provides a fuller and more expansive view of God's story of life and God's story of Jesus. Can humans continue the lived-out assumption that we are separate from, superior to, the reason for, and the rulers of everything? With new perspectives into ancient stories and current narratives, Rude compels us to urgently shift Christianity's claim and conduct in order to unite with God's more sustainable and just world.

Aldersey - Williams , Hugh . Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc . New York: HarperCollins, . Alexander VI. Inter caetera. In European Treaties bearing on the History of the United States and its ..."

The Infinite Staircase

In this bold new book, high-tech’s best-known strategist makes a seminal contribution to the search for meaning in a secular era. Two questions fundamental to human existence have always been the metaphysical “where do I fit in the grand scheme of things?” and the ethical “how should I behave?” Religion is no longer a source of answers for many people, and nothing has replaced it. Moore uses his signature framework-based approach to answer these questions, taking us on an intellectual roller coaster ride through physics, chemistry, biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Along the way, he builds a metaphorical ladder that leads from the big bang to the need for ethical action in our daily lives. Combining an extraordinary range of scholarship with an accessible and entertaining writing style, The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells Us About Life, Ethics, and Mortality provides a coherent and unified platform for a full human life.

... Hans Christian, Maxwell's Demon: Why Warmth Disperses and Time Passes STAIR 2: CHEMISTRY: THE EMERGENCE OF EMERGENCE Aldersey - Williams , Hugh , Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc McMullen, Chris, ..."

Poison

Science geeks and armchair detectives will soak up this non-lethal, humorous account of the role poisons have played in human history. Perfect for STEM enthusiasts! For centuries, people have been poisoning one another—changing personal lives and the course of empires alike. From spurned spouses and rivals, to condemned prisoners like Socrates, to endangered emperors like Alexander the Great, to modern-day leaders like Joseph Stalin and Yasser Arafat, poison has played a starring role in the demise of countless individuals. And those are just the deliberate poisonings. Medical mishaps, greedy “snake oil” salesmen and food contaminants, poisonous Prohibition, and industrial toxins also impacted millions. Part history, part chemistry, part whodunit, Poison: Deadly Deeds, Perilous Professions, and Murderous Medicines traces the role poisons have played in history from antiquity to the present and shines a ghoulish light on the deadly intersection of human nature . . . and Mother Nature.

Aldersey - Williams , Hugh . Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc . New York: Ecco/HarperCollins, 2012. Bell, Gail. Poison: A History and a Family Memoir. New York: St. Martin's, 2002. Bell, Suzanne."

The Many Lives of Carbon

In its pure form, carbon appears as the soft graphite of a pencil or as the sparkling diamond in a woman’s engagement ring. Underneath the surface, carbon is also the basic building block of the cells in our bodies and of all known life on earth. And at a molecular level, carbon bonds with oxygen to create carbon dioxide—a gas as vital to our life on this planet as it is detrimental at high levels in our atmosphere. As we face the climate change crisis, it’s now more important than ever to understand carbon and its life cycle. The Many Lives of Carbon is the story of this all-important chemical element, labeled C on our periodic tables. It’s the story of balance—between photosynthesis and cell respiration, between building and burning, between life and death. Dag Olav Hessen is our guide as we discover carbon in minerals, rocks, wood, and rain forests. He explains how carbon is studied by scientists, as well as its role in the greenhouse effect, and, not least, the impact of manmade emissions. Hessen isn’t afraid to ask the difficult questions as he confronts us with the literally burning issue of climate change. How will ecosystems respond to global change, and how will this feed back into our climate systems? How bad could climate change be, and will our ecosystems recover? What are our moral obligations in the face of excess carbon production? Neither alarmist nor moralistic, Hessen takes readers on a journey from atom to planet in informative, compelling prose.

... information on carbon, such as Hugh Aldersey - Williams , Periodic Tales : The Curious Lives of the Elements (London, 2011) (also published as Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc (New York, 2011))."

Astrobiology, Discovery, and Societal Impact

Examines humanistic aspects of astrobiology, exploring approaches, critical issues, and implications of the discovery of extraterrestrial life.

Chiang , Ted . 2002. “Story of Your Life,” in Ted Chiang (ed.), Stories of Your Life and Others . New York, NY: Vintage Books, 91–145. Cho, Adrian. 2012a. “Higgs Boson Makes Its Debut after Decades-Long Search,” Science 143, 141–143."