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BONDING WITH THE ELEMENTS:
A FRIENDLY MEETING WITH THE PERIODIC TABLE
Elemental by Tim James
written by Elisavet Dionysia Chiou
What if I told you that, that time in 9th grade when you mistakenly wrote in your Chemistry tests that sodium-potassium NaK exists, you were not wrong after all, (it was just that the educational system wasn’t ready for you and your groundbreaking ideas)??? Did you know that if you eat 14 bananas daily for a year, you will die from radioactivity? That’s what I call interesting Chemistry!!!
Tim James has a remarkable knack for taking the periodic table—a familiar yet mysterious grid—and turning it into a world of characters, each with quirks and histories as intriguing as any novel. Reading this book feels like you’re discovering the elements as if for the first time—no goggles, gloves, or periodic table needed, only your curiosity!
Unlike the dry, date-heavy books that often pass as “introductory chemistry,” Elemental dives straight into the good stuff. It’s not about memorizing atomic weights and historical dates; it’s about understanding the ideas, the wild discoveries, and the quirky personalities that shaped the periodic table. And trust me, James doesn’t hold back on the strange-but-true stories. Have you ever wondered about the risks scientists took to uncover the secrets of elements like radium? Or how close they came to explosive mishaps? This book has those stories covered—and in the most amusing, page-turning way possible.
Even if you’ve never set foot in a chemistry lab (firstly, you are lucky in a way, as you have not experienced that trauma yet), Elemental makes science accessible and downright enjoyable. It’s written for anyone who wants to understand the periodic table, whether you’re a curious novice or someone who’s been avoiding chemistry since high school. With minimal equations and maximal fun, this book will leave you not just knowing the elements but loving them—or at least loving the stories behind them.
If you ask me, we could all use a little more chemistry in our lives (do not eat too many bananas!). So grab a copy of Elemental, settle in, and prepare to see the elements like never before!