Book Description
"The Periodic Table" introduces budding chemists to the world of the elements as it's never been seen before. Designed to resemble popular networking Web sites, the pages of this book feature "homepages" for each of the chemical elements-complete with witty and informative profiles written by the elements themselves, plus a personally chosen picture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent for motivating students
I use these books with my middle school science students.They absolutely love them.The kids get excited about learning the various elements and arrangement of the periodic table because of the cartoon illustrations and interesting descriptions.Highly recommended both for teachers and for parents looking for a home study book on the elements.Several of my students went home and bought copies for themselves because they liked the book so much.My only complaint would be that some elements do not get their own page. They only show up on the group pages.Overall though, I give the book a five for making a subject that could be boring very fun.

Just what the title and subtitle claim
My five year old seized this at first sight and has enjoyed having it read to him. The art is more creative than Pokemon and appears to have been drawn by a human, not a computer. Factual, but not dry and organized well. What a boon in a topic that is ratherunrepresented in the grade school sciences.

The artist is bringing out a book with a physicist some time this year.

Chemistry for kids
I gave this to my six year old granddaughter for her birthday last August. She has loved this book, and now we can't find it on line. She and her parents read one element each night and now that they have finished, she has memorized all the elements and the types of elements they are. Her daddy has taught her to diagram the atoms based on their atomic numbers, and she now wants the periodic table as wallpaper next to her bed. It is a great book for kids who want to know more than most kids about the world around them.

Great book for teachers!
This book is an excellent resource for teachers. The elements are presented in a simple way that elementary students can understand - giving each one a personality. My students love to hear about "the element of the day" and it really helps them understand the science concepts.

A Great Book for introducing the Periodic Table to kids
The best thing about this book is that it makes a subject that MOST adults (let alone children) consider to be completely dry, extremely interesting!!

As I read through this book, I was struck by how much it reads like some of my kids Pokemon books - the drawings of the elements have a Japanese anime look to them, and they are grouped in very Pokemon-like groups, "The Alkali Earth Metals" (once thought to be harmless and boring, until they were released from Oxygen, at which point they became unruly), "The Transition Elements" (a motley crew of rednecks), etcetera.

And each individual element has a catchy description, a cool drawing, and the same 10 basic bullet points facts for each one (symbol, color, classification, etc..)This presentation makes the information very accessible to most children.It would actually make excellent information for trading or flash cards.

In fact, I think the author could make a great educational game based on this book.Kids could easily learn and retain some of the fascinating facts about different elements if it was presented in the context of a game..

... Read more

Amazon.com
Writer Primo Levi (1919-1987), an Italian Jew, did not come to the wide attention of the English-reading audience until the last years of his life. A survivor of the Holocaust and imprisonment in Auschwitz, Levi is considered to be one of the century's most compelling voices, and The Periodic Table is his most famous book. Springboarding from his training as a chemist, Levi uses the elements as metaphors to create a cycle of linked, somewhat autobiographical tales, including stories of the Piedmontese Jewish community he came from, and of his response to the Holocaust.Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

The Periodic Table is largely a memoir of the years before and after Primo Levi’s transportation from his native Italy to Auschwitz as an anti-Facist partisan and a Jew.

It recounts, in clear, precise, unfailingly beautiful prose, the story of the Piedmontese Jewish community from which Levi came, of his years as a student and young chemist at the inception of the Second World War, and of his investigations into the nature of the material world. As such, it provides crucial links and backgrounds, both personal and intellectual, in the tremendous project of remembrance that is Levi’s gift to posterity.But far from being a prologue to his experience of the Holocaust, Levi’s masterpiece represents his most impassioned response to the events that engulfed him.

The Periodic Table celebrates the pleasures of love and friendship and the search for meaning, and stands as a monument to those things in us that are capable of resisting and enduring in the face of tyranny. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Poetry and Prose in one volume
Entertaining, sad, and insightful.What a loss to the world."Carbon" chapter is fascinating. Began second reading immediately following the first.

The Periodic Table.
It's an emblematic title for a book designed whit tales that confection a whole history. The book is a metaphor of the periodic table: elements conform substance so words conform ideas.

Primo Levi is a mentor; he begins a melancholic tale, connecting us with characters and at less expected time we receive a little lesson about chemistry, -it's a good way to spread science, didn't it?-but that's not enough for him so we also get his testimony about how he suffered WWII.

Primo's statement is hard: "... I felt guilty at being man, because man had built Auschwitz..." at last it's not clear if he got peace at his mind; but, I must recognize he is honest, because somewhere in the book he says that Primo Levi writes for Primo Levi.

In conclusion, it's a gentle book wrote to present a testimony of a man who was born Jewish in Italy, studied chemistry and suffered the war.

good chemistry!
I didn't know what to expect when picking up this book.I'd recently finished the not unrelated Garden of the Finzi-Continis and thought I might find some variant on this.Yes, both books consider Jewish-Italian culture in the years surrounding WWII, with the specter of the holocaust in the background (mainly).But they are quite different.F.C. has at its roots the humanities, and P.T., the sciences.And what I most enjoyed about P.T. was the chemistry. It's a rarity in literature to find a subtle appreciation for the career of the scientist, and Levi succeeds admirably.This book would be an outstanding choice for any science and engineering student to read just to see how one can ply a trade, be it in the laboratory, the mine, or the consulting business.Bravo, Dr. Levi.

Daringly creative
In this collection of stories, Primo Levi lets go of the Holocaust theme, and tells the story of his life through the prism of his profession as a chemist. As others have said, each chapter is headed up by a different element, and through the properties of that element he explores a theme. There are two chapters--"Lead" and "Mercury"--which are completely fanciful. "Lead" is about a mythical tribe that makes its living mining lead. Not knowing that the metal is deadly, they all ultimately die of a mysterious disease, but they accept it as their fate, the price they pay for fulfilling a special role among men. "Mercury" is about a couple living on a desert island, which holds inexhaustible reserves of mercury, and what happens when two newcomers, one an alchemist, joins them. Both stories are riveting.

I have to admit that I, as well as my very literate book group,lost a lot by having forgotten most if not all of our knowledge of chemistry--not that we had much to begin with. Some familiarity with the science I'm sure reveals a whole new level to the writing.

Some reviewers criticized the lack of insight about the author's time in Auschwitz, but I see that as one of the amazing aspects of this book. For good reason, so many Holocaust survivors are irreversibly marked and changed forever by their experiences. That Levi can write a rich and compelling book that gives weight and significance to the other parts of his life is evidence of an amazingly strong and resilient spirit.

Delightful collection of vignettes
Difficult to classify, not quite an autobiography, but it is nearly so. More a loose collection of short stories principally from the life of the author each based on a chemical element as the focus of the story. Levi then expands on the story more to the why then the what. A search for meaning beneath the activities of the characters leads to a multidimensional feel for them.

The writing style is the main strength of this work. From time to time it does lead Levi to digress farther than I feel he should. Mostly his digressions are positive and add feeling.

This is not a light read. I struggled with the first chapter and if I had not been waiting to be impaneled in a jury for 3 hours I may not have made it through the beginning (and would have been my loss). If you find the beginning difficult, skipping the first chapter, "argon" will not detract from the rest of the work.

I hope you will find this work enjoyable from the discussions of insurmountable struggle in "nickel", the fanciful "lead", the mystery novel in "silver", or the powerful examination of how we live with our past actions in "vanadium". How we each apply revisionist history to our own lives in "uranium" is a tale we can all grow from.

I would have rated the work higher if it had more cohesion, and if from time to time I had not felt the author was adding words merely because he could (see comment of chapter 1 "argon"). And keep your dictionary handy; "The Periodic Table" will be good for your vocabulary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Chemists biographies interesting but too heavy on actual chemistry
The biographical information is interesting but some of the chemistry information is too deep for my children (12, 9, 7) who are listening to me read this. I think it would work better if I read the chapters ahead and just pulled out the interesting parts and explained the concept the chapter wants to get across in a simpler format.

good popular science
By putting over 3,000 years of faces on the search for the elemental principles -- from the Greek philosopher Anaximander, who held that all the material world was made of four "elements", Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; to teams of modern scientistswho race to create new elements -- Benjamin Wiker has moved chemistry off the shelf of dry-and-dusty arcania and given the reader a gum-shoe tale filled with odd and interesting characters.This book is an excellent remedy for people who think the sciences were hatched in university laboratories, or born the test-tube children of egg-headed professors.Tracing the theories of philosophers, alchemists, and scientists, making acquaintance with men of all walks and many nationalities, whose only common trait was their persistent desire to peer ever deeper into the nature of things, Wiker not only outlines the genealogy of the Periodic Table of Elements, but, so doing, introduces his reader to the principles of theoretical and practical science, to the history of the scientific method, and even inklings of atomic theory.This book will be accessible, and of interest, to a wide range of readers:those with no science background can still follow the general story with ease, while even the reader well-versed in high-school level chemistry has probably never encountered the history of modern chemistry synthesized with such clarity and appeal.

Everybody CAN understand Science
This terrific book helps make a complex area of science - the field of chemistry and the periodic table - accessible to everyone. Benjamin Wiker skillfully and humorously takes us through the history of theories, experiments, mistakes and successes in understanding the elements and the development of the Periodic Table. The icing on the cake is how fascinating the order of the table is and how closely and mathematically the elements are related to each other. Fascinating!

The book is written for ages 10 and up, but high schoolers and even college students would benefit from the memorable way this book presents the big picture and helps it 'stick.' The last three chapters are a little tougher to follow. I found it helpful to draw some of my own diagrams of the various atoms and their electron structure. ... Read more

Book Description
A double deck of regular playing cards with the Periodic TableElements. Each card features one element, it has the atomic number, name ofthe element in English, French and Spanish, the mass, the category, meltingand boiling points, period and group, natural state and common usages. Agreat learning aid. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Gift For Chemistry Geeks
I'm a Chemistry teacher at a high school and used these periodic table playing cards as a charming gift to my students of the year.It has gotten "wow this is cool!" reviews from students that have received them and those that wish they had. ... Read more

Book Description
The periodic table is one of the most potent icons in science.It lies at the core of chemistry and embodies the most fundamental principles of the field.The one definitive text on the development of the periodic table by van Spronsen (1969), has been out of print for a considerable time. The present book provides a successor to van Spronsen, but goes further in giving an evaluation of the extent to which modern physics has, or has not, explained the periodic system. The book is written in a lively style to appeal to experts and interested lay-persons alike.The Periodic Table begins with an overview of the importance of the periodic table and of the elements and it examines the manner in which the term 'element' has been interpreted by chemists and philosophers.The book then turns to a systematic account of the early developments that led to the classification of the elements including the work of Lavoisier, Boyle and Dalton and Cannizzaro. The precursors to the periodic system, like Dobereiner and Gmelin, are discussed.In chapter 3 the discovery of the periodic system by six independent scientists is examined in detail. Two chapters are devoted to the discoveries of Mendeleev, the leading discoverer, including his predictions of new elements and his accommodation of already existing elements.Chapters 6 and 7 consider the impact of physics including the discoveries of radioactivity and isotopy and successive theories of the electron including Bohr's quantum theoretical approach.Chapter 8 discusses the response to the new physical theories by chemists such as Lewis and Bury who were able to draw on detailed chemical knowledge to correct some of the early electronic configurations published by Bohr and others.Chapter 9 provides a critical analysis of the extent to which modern quantum mechanics is, or is not, able to explain the periodic system from first principles.Finally, chapter 10 considers the way that the elements evolved following the Big Bang and in the interior of stars.The book closes with an examination of further chemical aspects including lesser known trends within the periodic system such as the knight's move relationship and secondary periodicity, as well at attempts to explain such trends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Buy this book
This is a readable, current book about the history of the periodic table,
defining organizing tool for chemistry.It should be of interest to
students as well as professional chemists.It is right sized for cover
to cover reading or it can be sampled using a well done index and
table of contents.

A book that honors "one of the most powerful icons in science"
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"In spite of the central...role of the periodic table [of the elements], very few authors have felt drawn to write books on its evolution.There is no book that deals adequately with the historical, and especially the conceptual, aspects of the periodic system [that holds that there is a fundamental relationship among the elements] or its significance in chemistry and science generally.It is with the aim of injecting a more philosophical treatment to understanding the periodic system that [this book] has been undertaken...this book is not intended as a work of historical scholarship...the reader is [taken] on an interdisciplinary tour of the many areas of science that are connected with the periodic system, including physics, mathematics, computational methods, history and philosophy of science, and of course, chemistry."

The above is found in the introduction to this fascinating, extremely well researched book by Dr. Eric Scerri, a professor of chemistry and history & philosophy of science at UCLA.This book is fittingly dedicated to the 100TH anniversary of the death of Dimitri Mendeleev (1834 to 1907).

The periodic table of the elements--what is it?Simply, it is basically a two-dimensional representation of a periodic system (that is explained above).The aim of this book is to bring the story of the periodic table "up to date."

This book from my own personal perspective can roughly be divided into five parts:

(I) An overview of the periodic system.(1 chapter)
(II) The development of the periodic table.(4 chapters)
(III) The nucleus and the periodic table: radioactivity, atomic number (the number of protons contained in the nucleus of the atom of an element), and isotopy (isotopes are any of two or more forms of an element having the same number of protons but differing in the number of neutrons).(1 chapter)
(IV) Electronic explanations for the elements of the periodic table: physics versus chemistry.(3 chapters)
(V) Astrophysics, element formation, other chemical trends that defy neat explanations, and three fundamental questions regarding the periodic table.(1 chapter)

One of the key features of this book, as mentioned above, is that it is well researched.However, Scerri goes one step beyond mere information gathering.He actually questions the information he has found.Here are just three examples:

(1) "The notion that the periodic table was deduced from quantum theory by [physicist Niels] Bohr [as the historical record implies] is something of an exaggeration."
(2) "This, I submit, suggests remarkable foresight and intuition on the part of [chemical writer] Gmelin, as does the way in which he uses his system to ground the presentation of the chemistry of these elements.Yet Gmelin's contribution to the classification of the elements has not been sufficiently appreciated of chemistry, or even historians of the periodic system."
(3) Clearly [chemist Dimitri] Mendeleev was spectacularly successful in [his] predictions [of new elements] but perhaps not quite to the extent that is implied by the more selective tables of comparison that regularly appear in chemistry textbooks and even histories of chemistry."

Another feature of this book is the inclusion of the actual writings of key people involved in the development of the periodic table.I found all of these interesting.

Yet another feature is that it is jam-packed with charts, tables, diagrams, etc. so readers can see for themselves what is going on.Some of these tables, etc. are actual copies from historical documents.As well, there are black and white portraits of some of those who contributed to some aspect of the formation and understanding of the periodic table.

The majority of the chapters end with a conclusion that consolidates all the information in a particular chapter.I found these most helpful.

Finally, I feel that this book can be read by all who are interested in the periodic table.However, the author assumes some science background.Many terms are defined in the book's main narrative but many are not.Thus, it would have been helpful if an appendix explaining key terms was also included.As well, a glossary would have been most helpful.Of course, any difficulties can be resolved by referring to a good, standard dictionary or even a basic science dictionary (especially for part IV above).

In conclusion, there are elements of the periodic table that are named after admired others.Examples include Einsteinium and Mendelevium.Eric Scerri has written a comprehensive book that honors the periodic table.Perhaps when a new element is discovered it should be named "Scerrium."

(first published 2006;acknowledgements;introduction;10 chapters;main narrative 285 pages;notes;index)

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Beautiful Patterns
Humans are exquisitely good at finding patterns.Sometimes those patterns turn out to be illusory, such as the constellations.Sometimes they turn out to be very real, such as the patterns illustrated by the periodic table of the elements.Eric Scerri, in his book The Periodic Table, has done an excellent job of presenting a "warts and all" history of the periodic table.Instead of presenting the "heroes only" version of the history of the periodic table [speaking of illusory patterns] found in most high school and college textbooks, he gives us a full historical view with all the players, big and small, and shows how even ideas that turned out to be wrong had a positive effect on getting us to the periodic table we use today.Although scientists may someday show that the periodic table ultimately reduces to quantum mechanics, Professor Scerri shows us why we can't say that with the level of certainty with which it is often presented in chemistry classes [the next time I find chemistry among my preps at the high school where I teach, I will be much better prepared to deal with the periodic table].The interested lay reader should find the book quite accessible, but a knowledge of high school chemistry, especially in the later chapters where electron configurations are presented [idea for the paperback - include an appendix that covers some chemistry basics like electron configurations], will help.Knowledge of the terminology used in the study of philosophy will also help the reader.This book should be of interest to folks with an interest in the history and philosophy of science, even if they don't have a specific interest in chemistry and the periodic table, especially fans of Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.I strongly suggest that The Periodic Table become required reading for all high school chemistry teachers!John Emsley is still my favorite writer on chemical topics, but Eric Scerri moves to a place not far behind.

An instant classic
The Periodic Table is one of the most iconic symbols in our culture.Every person interested in the physical world in which we live will want to read this book.It is also a masterful history of the people involved in the establishment of the periodic law of chemistry.The gradual growth in awareness of the regularities of the elements is the main theme of this work. It is already a classic in its first year in print!

A brilliant achievement
Scerri's work is a rich and fascinating account of the history, development and current significance of the Periodic Table: if you have any interest in chemistry you should read it.In his book he describes how the Period System was discovered (giving due credit to Mendeleev, but also to many others who deserve their place in the history of discovery),showing how it was received by other chemists. The most interesting part for me is in the brilliant later chapters, where the role of the Periodic System in influencing Bohr's ideas on the atom, and the nature of the relationship between quantum theory and empirical evidence is presented as clearly as you will find anywhere.Chemistry emerges not (as Dirac once claimed) entirely reduced to physics, but as a still-developing science in which quantum mechanics plays an important but not yet wholly reductive role. ... Read more

Book Description
Many charts have extra information or reproducible activities on the back. Large 17" x 22" size! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Must have for chem students
This is a great little reference tool for any student in chemistry or engineering.You should buy this for someone you know who is entering the field.Students beginning their college career will benefit most from this handy 8.5x11 laminate.The Periodic table is loaded with valuable data (crystal structure, density, MP, BP, eletronegativity, and more).Plus, the back side is chock full of conversions, constants, organic chemistry structures, and air and water properties.As I said, a MUST HAVE for any chemistry or related science student.Even as a grad student, I use this quite often for classes and research. ... Read more

Book Description

This table displays all 115 known elements. Sized for classroom use at36" x 24". Plastic-coded, three-hole punched.

Book Description
'You'll love Gloria Lamerino and her friends.' -Janet Evanovich, New York Times bestselling author In the latest installment in this marvelously entertaining series, Gloria Lamerino, retired physicist, has traveled to California with her fianc, homicide detective Matt Gennaro, to attend the wedding of an old friend. Unfortunately, the groom has disappeared. As Gloria and Matt try to figure out a con-nec-tion between the missing groom and missing classified nitrogen research, the body count rises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great science mystery without being too scientific for lay people
Retired physicist Gloria Lamerino and her homicide detective fiancé Matt Gennaro are in Berkley, CA, to help her friend Elaine prepare for her wedding.Elaine's fiancé, Phil, is a fellow scientist, but he rubbed Gloria wrong from the minute she met him.

Phil's daughter's EMT work partner is shot dead by what is believed to be a mugger.Gloria is soon suspicious because of the information Phil seems to have about the shooting and the patient his daughter was helping transport when her partner was shot.

Gloria's suspicions of Phil soon alienate Elaine, but when Phil goes missing, everyone joins together to try to locate him.Plus Gloria is sure that this has something to do with his work and the shooting.Can she find him in time to save the wedding?

I really like Gloria.Even though she is a scientist, I don't feel these mysteries are written so that laymen can't understand even the scientific talk.I like that.This is a great cozy series that is such an easy read.

This one being set in California was fun.It was Gloria's old stomping grounds from years ago, so she knew people and places.Made it all more believable.I highly recommend this book and the series.

disappointing
As a retired chemist and fan of cozy mysteries I looked forward to what I thought based on the reviews would be a good new author with a scientific twist. This book is my first by Minichino. The involvement of Nitrogen in this was so superficial and sketchy as to look contrived. The two plots (nitrogen research and stolen medical supplies) wereloosely tied together and very poorly developed.The connection wasvery forced and not convincing. The development of all the male characters was very, very poor with little dialogue. They were all vaguely there, even Gloria's fiance. The only good spot and character was the "star" Gloria and she kept me reading. But, I kept wondering when is this all going to tie together and where is the substance?
In summary, though the book had its interesting parts the overall conclusion was dissatisfaction and the feeling that it was put together to meet a publishers deadline. I might look for an earlier episode in paperback, but definitely never pop for a hardcover again.

Two Murders, Stolen Drugs, Secret Nitrogen Files, and a Missing Scientist
Retired physicist Dr. Gloria Lamerino is visiting California with her fiance, Revere Police Detective Matt Gennaro.Gloria's best friend Elaine Cody is getting married in two weeks, and Gloria and Matt are in Berkeley to help with the celebration and have a little vacation.Just as soon as Gloria and Matt arrive in California, though, trouble strikes when they learn that Tanisha Hall, a young paramedic gunned down at the door to an Oakland hospital is the partner of Elaine's future daughter-in-law.The plot thickens when they learn that the patient being transported to the hospital (who later dies of his wounds) is an Indian scientist working on highly classifed research pertaining to powerful new explosives using newly discovered nitrogen molecules.Gloria and Matt begin to suspect that Elaine's fiance Phil Chambers might be involved in the two murders.When Phil suddenly disappears, no one is sure if he's just gotten cold feet about his wedding or if he is running from the law.

There's a lot of interesting and well-tied together plot lines in this book.In addition to the mystery of the two murders and the missing Dr. Phil Chambers, there are some missing drugs and medical supplies, stolen from the ambulance company, which are found in the murdered paramedic's home.As in all the stories in this series, author Minichino sprinkles in a healthy dose of scientific knowledge.The information she gives on newly found nitrogen compounds and their use in new powerful explosives is really fascinating.The characters in this series are well-developed and very believable.

Being a former resident of the California Bay area myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the Berkeley setting.Whether or not readers are familiar with the previous books in this series, I highly recommend "The Nitogen Murder" as a very entertaining mystery.

superb scientific mystery
Retired scientist Gloria Lamerino and her fiancé Matt Gennaro are in Berkley California to attend the wedding of her close friend scientist Elaine Cody to retired chemist Phillip Chambers, a consultant to Dorman Industries.Phil's daughter Dana is still traumatized by seeing her EMT partner gunned down while bringing their patient Lakesh Patel to the hospital.Mr. Patel dies in the hospital and the killer makes off with his duffel bag but Dana brings home his briefcase what contains severed ID's under different names including access to Dorman Industries.

When Phil and Gloria meet, she isn't impressed with him but her mild feelings of disdain turn to severe anxiety when Dana confides that somehow the briefcase wound up in her father's apartment.Patel and Phil collaborated on several papers involving nitrogen weapons research.When Phil disappears, Gloria and Matt work together to try and figure out the connection between the dead scientist, the stolen research and the multiple identifications that Mr. Patel carried.

There are very few mystery authors today who can incorporate a lot of scientific data into the story and make it part of a one sitting thriller as Camilla Minichino consistently does.She makes the science understandable so reader can learn while they are being entertained.The protagonist of THE NITROGEN MURDER is spunky, strong-willed and totally loyal to her friends, which endears her to the audience.The relationship between Gloria and Matt is believable and affirms that there is life after retirement.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Book Description
Discover more than 3000 element data on this handy and extremely durable chart. 1000.000000e+00rror-free and according to the latest IUPAC recommendations. ... Read more

Book Description
Power of the Periodic Table shows the reader how to visualize, understand and predict which chemical reactions may or may not occur, under what conditions of temperature and pressure, and how fast - to see clearly the roles of electronic structure, molecular structure, bonding and thermodynamics.It follows a pathway of those mental challenges which must be met, structures of thought which must be formed to reach that level of understanding, a pathway through the center of chemistry touching on the origins and effects of that knowledge.So doing, it illuminates the ways of the scientist, thinking, learning and feeling about this wondrous cosmic reality.Entirely readable and substantive, it is written for those who say, "I want to know that."Its best audience so far has been doctors, engineers, teachers, and bright students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent text for basic chemistry and advanced cognition
As a former student of the author, I can truly say that Mr. Timmreck has compiled a truly wonderful work in this book.He has successfully captured the essence of his classroom lectures, making learning the science of chemistry not only significantly easier, but very enjoyable.If you don't think well this book can help ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A rich, durable, and handy reference of the Periodic Table and the properties of the elements
This is a terrific version of the periodic table for the serious science student.It has the atomic number, atomic weight, electronegativity, atomic radii and ionic radii, elctron affinity, and 1st ionization potential.It even defines what these terms mean, but if you can use the information, you already know.This chart covers the front two pages of this laminated chart (quite durable).

The back of the chart has eight versions of the table that cover enthalpy of atomization, natural forms (solid, liquid, gas), molar volume, density, enthalpy of vaporization, boiling point, enthalpy of fusion, melting point, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity.The other back page provides some chemical properties of the elements and common uses.

All in all, a very interesting and useful chart.It might be overwhelming if all you are looking for is the name, symbol, and atomic number, though.

As I noted, it is laminated for durability and it is also three-hole-punched so it will fit easily in a student's notebook.

A Lot Of Information On Four (4) Pages.
The most up to date I have ... but still behind the times.Had names for elements up to 109.I know that element 110 and 111 have been named but the chart have them unnamed.Element 118 is on the chart even though the discoverers have removed their claim of discovery due to errors in their detection equipment.
The chart has the usual information on the elements as most charts will have ... Name, Atomic Symbol, Atomic Number, Atomic Weight, Density, Electron Configuration, Oxidation States, Melting Point, Boiling Point and more on all of the elements up to 103.
All this info folds up and will fit in a standard 3 ring note book. ... Read more

Book Description
What do calendars, music, card games and chocolate chip cookies have in common? They are the basis for a unit that lets students become actively engaged in discovering the arrangement of the periodic table. Layered exercises introduce the periodic table using familiar terms and analogies while simulating the struggle to create this cornerstone of science. Students explore these relationships as they practice their basic lab and recording skills through hands-on activities that emphasize higher-order creative thinking. Completion of the entire series helps students gain a more thorough comprehension of the periodic table pattern, and confidence in navigating through the information it contains.

The activities presented in this book approach the periodic table from the perspective of ongoing scientific exploration. Information is not presented, it is discovered through creative, hands-on, minds-on activities that encourage the application of higher-level thinking skills. Suggestions are also made on how to carry the analogies through in other science units.

This dynamic unit meets national science standards in seven teaching and content areas. Tested and evaluated over a six year period, The Periodic Table includes detailed teaching outlines, student worksheets, teacher keys and helpful appendices.

Grades 5-8 ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Good, but not useful
The book very briefly lists our current knowledge of the atomic world.

The issue I have is that for those who are even vaguely familiar with the subject already, the book provides no more knowledge.For those who are not familiar, they would albeit get to know about the terms used in Physics, but would gain no appreciation or true understanding of it.(In the sense that you learn that the Earth is round, but appreciating this fact requires understanding how mankind learned that, and what kind of surprise it was for them to learn this.)

Feynman once asked his father why the ball on the top of his toy truck moves backwards (with respect to the truck) if he pushes the truck forward.His father answered that nobody knows!He could have said that it is because of inertia blah blah.But that does not answer the question, it only gives new terminology to ask the same question all over again (what is inertia).

By telling Feynman that the answer is not known, his father developed his curiosity and simultaneously prevented him from developing biases.

This book gives you all the answers without making you appreciate how all that came about.Its doing exactly the opposite of what Feynman's father did to him.

By the way:I have read a few other books from the Wooden Books series.I usually love them.

Totally original
This is a really fun book.It successfully manages to get across the massive amount of weirdness down in the smaller end of things.My sons love it.Some of the pictures are the best I've seen anywhere.A little bit of a pity it didn't go into bond angles and so organic chemistry (lack of space I guess),and, as another reviewer has noted, there are some weak places ...but I just love the feel of the book, the way the subjects have been handled, and, unlike so many 'popular' chemistry books, this one at least has a beautifully designed periodic table at the back!Really highly recommended for kids or for adults who need their science refreshing.

Should have had a chemist review your manuscript.
This is a "cute" book for its' size and illustrations.Not especially informative, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be.
However, it should not make gross mistatements such as found on page 6: ie., Isotopes of the same element can have radically diverse chemical properties.
Chemical properties of an element are the result of the electronic arrangement of its' orbiting electrons.All isotopes of a particular element have the same orbiting electron arrangement, thus the same chemical properties.
The isotopes of a given element have different masses due to the different number of neutrons in their nuclei.For this reason, physical methods are used to separate the various isotopes of a given element.

A Wonderful Little Book!
Tiny and almost like a child's book, this puppy helped me catch up with all the new stuff that's been going on in the world of physics since I took the subject in high school decades ago. Only slightly larger than a CD jewel case and only 58 pages - and half of those are filled with diagrams - it still took me the better part of my Sunday morning to read and comprehend it. I was particularly impressed with the last page: a graphic representation of 36 different electron orbitals. I also liked the alternatives to the periodic tables that he offers. And his depiction of the universe since the Big Bang is enlightening. I finished the book amazed at how much of everything is nothing.

The author also has added a sense of playfulness to the diagrams (and occasionally, the text) that helps to keep this subject from turning into the snoozer it traditionally is. Now I know why all those nerdy, high-end mathematician-types are so passionate about their work!

If you take mass transit to work, this is an excellent book for you. ... Read more