The disappearing spoon by sam kean fascinating tales of love, history, and human nature, brought to us by the periodic table. The disappearing spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discoveryfrom the big bang through the end of time. Keans little piece in slate talks nothing of the books. The disappearing spoon is perhaps one of the best science books i have ever read. Sam keans disappearing spoon explores elements the new. The disappearing spoon is a pleasure and full of insights.
In the disappearing spoon, bestselling author sam kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. Sam kean is the author of the new york times bestsellers the disappearing spoon and the violinists thumb and the forthcoming book the tale of the dueling neurosurgeons. Jun 27, 20 62720 5 stay tuned for your chance to win. The fascinating tales in the disappearing spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold and every single element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine and the lives of the frequently mad scientists who discovered them. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements. Kean comes across as naive when he bemoans the use of elements in warfare and writes that counterfeiters dont understand that they could make more money working an honest trade than trying to make their own currency.
Jul 12, 2010 the disappearing spoon and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements. Theres the titular disappearing spoon, along with a font and layout that shouts history. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the. The name of the series may be familiar to you because the video content has been adapted, with author involvement, from the widely popular book, the disappearing spoon. The disappearing spoon study guide by pembroke notes alibris. Mark kurlansky, author of salt and cod if you stared a little helplessly at the chart of the periodic table on the wall of your high school chemistry class, then this is the book for. The disappearing spoon was a runnerup for the royal society of londons book of the year for 2010, and the violinists thumb and the tale of the dueling. The curious lives of human cadavers from the worlds largest community of readers.
I heard great things about this book through word of. The disappearing spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery from the big bang through the end of time. But theres more to the table than just a clever arrangement of letters and number, and in his book, the disappearing spoon and other true tales of. More nonfiction fun and games with this highly readable book on the history. Sam kean opens the disappearing spoon with an almost identical story of his own childhood play with a ball of mercury, so you might say that he had me at hello. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements, by sam kean. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. The book itself looks like quite a fascinating read. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the disappearing spoon. Classroom resources sam keans disappearing spoon aact.
But his book goes well beyond the opening anecdote to provide a lively and edifying history of the elements. But sam kean does an amazing job in his bestseller book as its content is. It is also very bendable, so you can bend it into the shape of a spoon, then give it to someone to put in their tea or other hot drink, and it will suddenly disappear although its really just melting into the drink. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements audiobook by sam kean. Disappearing spoon chapter 1 elesson julia, julianna, and jon chemistry project. The disappearing spoon journalist sam kean expounds on true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of.
And why is gallium ga, 31 the goto element for laboratory. The disappearing spoon by sam kean the new york times. More nonfiction fun and games with this highly readable book on the history of the periodic table, the elements, science, and stuff. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements, is a 2010 book by.
In the violinists thumb, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life. The disappearing spoon npr coverage of the disappearing spoon. Science news was founded in 1921 as an independent, nonprofit source of accurate information on the latest news of science, medicine and technology. From the author of the bestseller the disappearing spoon, tales of the brain and the history of neuroscience. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The disappearing spoon only occasionally feels overly simplified or hard to follow.
Jul 20, 2010 but theres more to the table than just a clever arrangement of letters and number, and in his book, the disappearing spoon and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from. I had never heard of sam keans the disappearing spoon before coming across this wonderful little essay in slate. In his debut, science magazine reporter kean uses the periodic table as a springboard for an idiosyncratic romp through the history of science. Scientific, or in general nonfiction, literature can be a chore to get through if the voice is textbooklike or if the book is just too dense.
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. Sam kean is the new york times bestselling author of caesars last breath, the tale of the dueling neurosurgeons, the disappearing spoon, and the violinists thumb, all of which were also named amazon top science books of the year. He cant cut like knife, hes not as useful as fork, and no one thinks hes cool and exotic like chopsticks. The book was first published in hardback on july 12, 2010 through little, brown and company and was released in paperback on june 6, 2011 through little, brown and. A spoon made from gallium looks normal, but melts the moment its dipped into a.
And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements, is a 2010 book by science reporter sam kean. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests. A really fun read that teaches you so much while being totally accessible, no matter your level of education in science. 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. The disappearing spoon by sam kean overdrive rakuten. In an ideal world where science was central to high school and college learning for all students, keans book would be required reading before all the dreary daily details create a lasting, dull impression. Sam keans disappearing spoon each video in this classroom resource series tells the story of an element from the periodic table. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history. And other true tales of rivalry, adventure, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements young readers edition and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of elements by sam kean might just be the greatest collection of chemistry campfire stories. Study 19 terms disappearing spoon flashcards quizlet. He thinks his friends knife, fork, and chopsticks have it so much better than him. Ranking dmitri mendeleevs creation of the first version of the periodic table one of the great intellectual achievements of humankind alongside achievements by darwin and einstein, the author extends the metaphor of a geographical map to. Sam keans disappearing spoon explores elements the.
Aug 31, 2010 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. The disappearing spoon shows that chemistry can be understood in all its rich history of competition, discovery, achievement, and tragedy. The book was first published in hardback on july 12, 2010 through little, brown and company and was released in paperback on june 6, 2011 through little, brown and companys imprint back bay books. I love books but only have so much time, so im pretty careful about what i choose to read. The disappearing spoon was a runnerup for the royal society of londons book of the year for 2010, and the violinists thumb and the tale of the dueling neurosurgeons were nominated for the pene. The disappearing spoon by sam kean and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from.
And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of. Aug 05, 2010 on the one hand, as sam kean points out at the start of the disappearing spoon, the periodic table of the elements is a clear, accessiblelooking chart that ought to make sense to anyone who. There is a material called gallium that has a very low melting point. Kean writes in the book, a work of chatty popular science that means to rekindle affection for the table and its many mysteries.
Wilson literary science writing award in 20 and 2015, as well. Jun 06, 2011 the disappearing spoon is a pleasure and full of insights. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements from. Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method. The disappearing spoon by sam kean, 9780316051637, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Sep 08, 2014 the disappearing spoon is perhaps one of the best science books i have ever read.
The disappearing spoon abebooks abebooks shop for books. Jan 10, 2014 a really fun read that teaches you so much while being totally accessible, no matter your level of education in science. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements on free shipping on qualified orders. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements kindle edition by kean, sam. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements by sam kean. Buy the disappearing spoon study guide by pembroke notes online at alibris.
The disappearing spoon was a runnerup for the royal society of londons book of the year for 2010, and the. Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees fahrenheit. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements book. Mark kurlansky, author of salt and cod if you stared a little helplessly at the chart of the periodic table on the wall of your high school chemistry class, then this is the book for you. The author works his way through the periodic table element by element with tales of how each one has influenced history through. And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements showcases everyones favorite scientific organization tool in a way its never been seen before. You may not remember anything from this book 2 years from now, but you will retain this. To set up the context, have a look at the books american cover. How did radium ra, 88 nearly ruin marie curies reputation. Aug 22, 2011 keans little piece in slate talks nothing of the books content, however. On the one hand, as sam kean points out at the start of the disappearing spoon, the periodic table of the elements is a clear, accessiblelooking chart. For a long time, i kept an eye out for element eighty at school and in books, as you might watch for a childhood friends name in the newspaper. His work has appeared in the new york times magazine, mental floss, slate, and new scientist and has been featured on nprs radiolab, all things considered, and fresh air. The disappearing spoon has the answers, fusing science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, discovery and alchemy, from the big bang through to the end of time.
When most people think of the periodic table, they remember a chart hanging on the front wall of their high school chemistry class, an asymmetric expanse of columns and rows looming over one of the teachers shoulders. Jun 06, 2011 sam kean is the author of the new york times bestsellers the disappearing spoon and the violinists thumb and the forthcoming book the tale of the dueling neurosurgeons. Jul 28, 2011 the fascinating tales in the disappearing spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold and every single element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine and the lives of the frequently mad scientists who discovered them. The book is not so much a primer in chemistry as a lively history of the. Jul 12, 2010 the disappearing spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery from the big bang through the end of time.
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