The Secret Lives of the Elements

The Secret Lives of the Elements is a unique and new perspective on the well-known periodic table of elements. The periodic table’s ordered columns and rows are a common sight for many people who grew up learning about the elements in science classrooms.

In this book, chemist and author Kathryn Harkup reveals her own view of the elements, describing the personalities, passions, quirks and historical oddities behind each element. The book shows readers that the periodic table is a sprawling family tree. Dr Harkup likens the elements that make up the periodic table to a family photograph, featuring all branches of an extended family, with its own black sheep, wayward cousins and odd uncles. The elements in the periodic table, like many of us, are part of an extended family - some old, some newborn, some shy and reticent, some exuberant or unreliable.

Each of the fifty-two elements featured is its own individual, with unique personalities and characteristics, with its own remarkable tale of discovery, inspiration and revolution, from the everyday to the extraordinary. Dr Harkup utilizes colorful graphics to supplement her in-depth explanations and stories behind each element.

The Secret Lives of the Elements is comprised of a collection of enlightening stories about the elements, from nickel, “the very devil of a mineral,” to calcium, the character actor who can metamorphosize into different personalities.