Overview

A readable and informative entry on each one of the chemical elements, arranged alphabetically from actinium to zirconium. Each entry comprises an explanation of where the element's name comes from and is structured to provide accessible information under various headings: body element (the role it plays in living things); elements of history (how and when it was discovered); economic element (what it is used for); environmental element (where it occurs and how much); chemical element; (facts, figures and narrative); and element of surprise (an ""amazing"", little know fact about it). This volume should prove to be a useful ""dipping into"" resource for the family reference shelf and for the student.

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9780198503415

Table of Contents

Reviews

An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot. --Malcolm Browne, New York Times A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk. --Oliver Sacks Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of a single fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficiency and on to the number of elements named for one small town in Sweden (four). --New York Times Book Review From actinium to zirconium, Emsley marshals the details into a well-organized, user-friendly reference about every little thing that makes up every big thing that makes up the universe as we know it.... A quite useful and even fascinating book in its own way, a lot of fun to flip through during idle moments. --San Francisco Chronicle Amusing and finely crafted.... The most amusing sections of the book are the text boxes and the little parting shots at the end of each chapter, the 'Elements of surprise'.... The elements come alive through stories and anecdotes. Emsley has cast his net wide and drawn on a huge range of material--this is a book for browsing almost at random.... The more general reader will find plenty to be intrigued and amused by.... A fine, amusing and quirky book that will sit as comfortably on an academic's bookshelf as beside the loo, to be browsed and savored in idle moments. --Nature An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot. --Malcolm Browne, New York Times A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk. --Oliver Sacks Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of a single fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficiency and on to the number of elements named for one small town in Sweden (four). --New York Times Book Review From actinium to zirconium, Emsley marshals the details into a well-organized, user-friendly reference about every little thing that makes up every big thing that makes up the universe as we know it.... A quite useful and even fascinating book in its own way, a lot of fun to flip through during idle moments. --San Francisco Chronicle Amusing and finely crafted.... The most amusing sections of the book are the text boxes and the little parting shots at the end of each chapter, the 'Elements of surprise'.... The elements come alive through stories and anecdotes. Emsley has cast his netwide and drawn on a huge range of material--this is a book for browsing almost at random.... The more general reader will find plenty to be intrigued and amused by.... A fine, amusing and quirky book that will sit as comfortably on an academic's bookshelf as beside the loo, to be browsed and savored in idle moments. --Nature An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot. --Malcolm Browne, New York Times A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk. --Oliver Sacks Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of a single fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficiency and on to the number of elements named for one small town in Sweden (four). --New York Times Book Review From actinium to zirconium, Emsley marshals the details into a well-organized, user-friendly reference about every little thing that makes up every big thing that makes up the universe as we know it.... A quite useful and even fascinating book in its own way, a lot of fun to flip through during idle moments. --San Francisco Chronicle Amusing and finely crafted.... The most amusing sections of the book are the text boxes and the little parting shots at the end of each chapter, the 'Elements of surprise'.... The elements come alive throughstories and anecdotes. Emsley has cast his net wide and drawn on a huge range of material--this is a book for browsing almost at random.... The more general reader will find plenty to be intrigued and amused by.... A fine, amusing and quirky book that will sit as comfortably on an academic's bookshelf as beside the loo, to be browsed and savored in idle moments. --Nature An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot. --Malcolm Browne, New York Times A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk. --Oliver Sacks Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of asingle fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficiency and on to the number of elements named for one small town in Sweden (four). --New York Times Book Review From actinium to zirconium, Emsley marshals the details into a well-organized, user-friendly reference about every little thing that makes up every big thing that makes up the universe as we know it.... A quite useful and even fascinating book in its own way, a lot of fun to flip through duringidle moments. --San Francisco Chronicle Amusing and finely crafted.... The most amusing sections of the book are the text boxes and the little parting shots at the end of each chapter, the 'Elements of surprise'.... The elements come alive through stories and anecdotes. Emsley has cast his netwide and drawn on a huge range ofmaterial--this is a book for browsing almost at random.... The more general reader will find plenty to be intrigued and amused by.... A fine, amusing and quirky book that will sit as comfortably on an academic's bookshelf as beside the loo, to be browsed and savored in idle moments. --Nature

"""An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot.""--Malcolm Browne, New York Times""A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk.""--Oliver Sacks""Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of a single fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficiency and on to the number of elements named for one small town in Sweden (four).""--New York Times Book Review""From actinium to zirconium, Emsley marshals the details into a well-organized, user-friendly reference about every little thing that makes up every big thing that makes up the universe as we know it.... A quite useful and even fascinating book in its own way, a lot of fun to flip through during idle moments.""--San Francisco Chronicle""Amusing and finely crafted.... The most amusing sections of the book are the text boxes and the little parting shots at the end of each chapter, the 'Elements of surprise'.... The elements come alive through stories and anecdotes. Emsley has cast his net wide and drawn on a huge range of material--this is a book for browsing almost at random.... The more general reader will find plenty to be intrigued and amused by.... A fine, amusing and quirky book that will sit as comfortably on an academic's bookshelf as beside the loo, to be browsed and savored in idle moments.""--Nature"

An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot. --Malcolm Browne, New York Times<br> A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk. --Oliver Sacks<br> Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of a single fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficiency and on to the number of elements named for one small town in Sweden (four). --New York Times Book Review<br> From actinium to zirconium, Emsley marshals the details into a well-organized, user-friendly reference about every little thing that makes up every big thing that makes up the universe as we know it.... A quite useful and even fascinating book in its own way, a lot of fun to flip through during idle moments. --San Francisco Chronicle<br> Amusing and finely crafted.... The most amusing sections of the book are the text boxes and the little parting shots at the end of each chapter, the 'Elements of surprise'.... The elements come alive through stories and anecdotes. Emsley has cast his netwide and drawn on a huge range of material--this is a book for browsing almost at random.... The more general reader will find plenty to be intrigued and amused by.... A fine, amusing and quirky book that will sit as comfortably on an academic's bookshelf as beside the loo, to be browsed and savored in idle moments. --Nature<br>

<br> An astonishingly comprehensive survey of nature's fundamental ingredients.... By combining juicy anecdotes and fun with a wealth of up-to-date reference material, 'Nature's Building Blocks' hits the spot. --Malcolm Browne, New York Times<br> A marvel--encyclopedic in scope, but so full of enthusiasm, so engagingly written, that one can open it at any point and read for sheer delight.... I have read and possess many books on the elements, but it is Dr. Emsley's new book which will now sit next to me on my desk. --Oliver Sacks<br> Emsley's colorful account of all the elements in the universe is a succinct history of everything.... Emsley drew on 20 years of collected magazine and newspaper articles to produce this marvelous reference work. 'Nature's Building Blocks' is the kind of book people consult in the pursuit of a single fact, but this fact will lead to another and another, drawing the reader in an enjoyable chase from naturally occurring nuclear reactors to human zinc deficie

Author Information

John Emsley is Science Writer in Residence at the University of Cambridge. Author of the highly popular ""Molecule of the Month"" column for The Independent and of the book Molecules in an Exhibit, he has received both a Glaxo Award for science writing and the Chemical Industries Association's President's Award for science communication. He lives in London.

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