The Disappearing Spoon

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements (2010) by Sam Kean. The disappearing spoon of the title is a classic chemistry student prank: Mold a spoon out of gallium, a metal which melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and offer it to someone with their hot tea. Then watch them recoil in horror as their tea melts their spoon. This book is full of such tidbits about the elements found in the periodic table, though not all are as amusing. Kean's mind ranges widely as he explores the place of the elements in chemistry, physics, history, war, politics, art and human culture. Although the book gets a little esoteric at times, I was able to skim over the difficult parts and enjoy the rest. This book is not for all readers, but if you're at all interested in science, you should get a bang out of it. Grade: A-