From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table.

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?

The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time.

Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.

• We started tracking this book on July 22, 2010.
• This book was $11.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 64 times in the past 5,392 days.
• The current price of this book is $2.99 last checked 9 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past year.
• The lowest price to date was $1.99 last reached on February 28, 2022.
• This book has been $1.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $11.99 last reached on April 2, 2025.
• This book has been $11.99 9 times since we started tracking it.

• Science & MathChemistryAnalytic

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• File Size: 58 KB