My first review of a non-fiction book! These will be shorter and less organized than my novel reviews, as they’re more to give you all an idea of what I’m reading these days, but I’ll still be sharing my opinions with the same flair that you’ve come to expect. The slate of non-fiction books that I choose to review will range from YA to adult non-fiction, and expect a lot of science! As you may know, I’m interested in chemistry, and that merges perfectly with my love of reading in the field of non-fiction.
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. Aldersey-Williams wanders through history and chemistry in this compilation of anectotes on the history of the elements. I tried and failed to stay awake (multiple times) as I read, due to the intrinsic nature of this book. First of all, it is SO LONG. Maybe I’m a complainer, but the book suffers from a severe lack of focus. Sure, the chapters were divided by the purposes of each element, which lended a semblance of organization. However, in truth, the subsections could be as long or short as the author pleased, which led to some elements taking up too much oxygen (excuse the pun) and others gasping for breath. Overall, the 451 pages felt more like four thousand. I considered DNF’ing, but some of the stories were so interesting that I couldn’t bring myself to abandon the book. I especially enjoyed the chapters on radium and polonium, as you can’t talk about those elements without mentioning Marie Curie. She’s my favorite chemist, and a pioneer of discovery. That alone almost made the less-than-ideal reading experience worth it. The last chapter, as well, piqued my curiosity. It detailed the discovery of rare earth metals in Sweden, and the intersection of hands-on mining and theoretical chemistry in Ytterby. I loved this connection of elements with a place—it’s what I bought the book for. My only wish is that more of it had been spent in this kind of philosophical exploration of the human urge to discover. You might need to be a chemistry enthusiast to get through this book. I’m having a hard time imagining any less interested reader sticking with it through the end. I hate to put books down. You all know me. I don’t want to instill fear in anyone, but perhaps consider my experience a cautionary tale. I’m going to give Periodic Tales 3/5 stars, because I did manage to finish it somehow. If you’re in seek of more non-fiction reviews, please comment below! I’d love feedback on this new adventure.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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