Books by Sam Kean
“One of the things that Sam Kean does early in the book is that he calls the periodic table ‘one of the great intellectual achievements of humankind’. I think he’s right. A lot of people may not think about it, but how scientists figured out that periodic table, where the elements are listed, and how they are connected to each other, is essential to the lives that we live today. We would not have the kind of products that we have if researchers had not figured out these relationships.” Read more...
Interviews where books by Sam Kean were recommended
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1
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean -
2
The Story of N: A Social History of the Nitrogen Cycle and the Challenge of Sustainability
by Hugh Gorman -
3
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
by Kate Moore -
4
Rare Earth Frontiers: From Terrestrial Subsoils to Lunar Landscapes
by Julie Klinger -
5
The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another
by Ainissa Ramirez
Best Books on the Periodic Table, recommended by Henrik Selin & Noelle Eckley Selin
Best Books on the Periodic Table, recommended by Henrik Selin & Noelle Eckley Selin
The periodic table of the elements has been described as “one of the great intellectual achievements of humankind”. Here, Noelle Eckley Selin of MIT and Henrik Selin of Boston University talk us through some of their favourite books about various chemical elements and explain why they’re vital to understanding the world around us.
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1
H2O: A Biography of Water
by Phillip Ball -
2
Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie
by Barbara Goldsmith -
3
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean -
4
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
by Deborah Blum -
5
Why Does Asparagus Make Your Wee Smell?: And 57 other curious food and drink questions
by Andy Brunning
The Best Chemistry Books, recommended by Michelle Francl
The Best Chemistry Books, recommended by Michelle Francl
Chemistry plays a vital role in our understanding of life, the universe and the chances of a better future, says Michelle Francl. She chooses five of the best books on the topic—from a biography of water to a portrait of one of the greatest chemists of all time.
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1
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
by Siddhartha Mukherjee -
2
Thunderstruck
by Erik Larson -
3
Moneyball
by Michael Lewis -
4
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean -
5
Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation
by Dan Fagin
The best books on Radiation, recommended by Timothy J. Jorgensen
The best books on Radiation, recommended by Timothy J. Jorgensen
Public understanding of radiation needs to improve if people are to properly assess its benefits and risks argues author and academic, Timothy Jorgensen. From the discovery of radio to a cancer cluster in New Jersey, he chooses highly readable books illuminating different aspects of radiation.
