PERIODIC TALES A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc

The periodic table of elements is well known to any science student, but the history behind each element is not. Author Williams offers an interesting, informative, and, at times, fun examination of the stories, myths, and people behind each number. Narrator Antony Ferguson's British accent adds just the right touch to the author's style, but that can be a problem. The author mentions several places and people that will be common knowledge to English listeners, but Americans won't understand the references. While none of these will impede basic understanding, the listener may puzzle over them momentarily. Meanwhile, Ferguson has gone on the something else, and the listener must catch up. Also, the scientific details of the stories are used so generously that they become difficult to keep straight. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2015]