Books › The Disappearing Spoon
The Disappearing Spoon
423 pages
A delightfully quirky romp through the periodic table that reveals the eccentricities, obsessions, and scandals behind the building blocks of our universe.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting next to the most fascinating, slightly eccentric guest at a dinner party who happens to know the secret history of everything. It moves at a brisk, anecdotal clip, bouncing effortlessly from tales of madness and obsession to financial ruin and artistic triumph, all anchored by the elements of the periodic table. The mood is one of relentless, joyful curiosity, stripping away the dry equations of high school chemistry to reveal a world soaked in wonder, scandal, and human frailty. The prose is conversational and witty, making complex science feel as accessible as a juicy piece of gossip. It is an absolute delight for trivia hounds, history buffs, and anyone who loves seeing the hidden threads that connect the physical universe to the messy reality of human nature.
- Mood
- intellectually stimulating
- eccentric
- wonder-filled
- Tone
- enthusiastic
- wry
- conversational
- playful
- inquisitive
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the quirks of human genius · hidden histories · obsession and discovery · the building blocks of reality
- The writing
- Conversational and witty, the writing effortlessly translates dense scientific concepts into engaging, character-driven anecdotes.
- The arc
- The reader begins with casual curiosity and is swept into a state of delighted wonder at the bizarre, interconnected nature of the physical world.
- Who it's for
- Curious minds and trivia lovers who wish their high school science classes had focused more on eccentric geniuses, historical scandals, and bizarre facts.
Content notes
- historical poisoning
- mental illness
- war and weaponry
About the book
The infectious tales and astounding details in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. --from publisher description
Description from Open Library.
Books like The Disappearing Spoon
See why they match
Periodic TalesHugh Aldersey-WilliamsA globe-trotting, history-hopping cabinet of curiosities that reveals the hidden personalities of the universe's building blocks.
Caesar's Last BreathSam KeanAn expansive, globe-trotting exploration of the invisible elements that connect our every breath to the grand sweep of human history.
Stuff MattersMark MiodownikA joyful, eye-opening tour through the hidden miracles of the everyday objects we touch, use, and ignore.
Napoleon's ButtonsPenny LeCouteur and Jay BurresonA fascinating, perspective-shifting journey that reveals the invisible chemical scaffolding holding up human history.
A Really Short History of Nearly EverythingBill BrysonA delightfully witty, bite-sized tour of the cosmos that makes the mind-boggling scale of science feel like a fun conversation with a very smart friend.
The Alchemy of AirThomas HagerA gripping, tragic narrative history about the brilliant minds who pulled bread from the air and inadvertently unleashed a century of unprecedented destruction.