The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Janet MaslinMr. Kean…[has] a big supply of odd facts and anecdotes related to the periodic table. He uses these to turn The Disappearing Spoon into a nonstop parade of lively science stories.
—The New York Times




Publishers WeeklyScience magazine reporter Kean views the periodic table as one of the great achievements of humankind, "an anthropological marvel," full of stories about our connection with the physical world. Funny, even chilling tales are associated with each element, and Kean relates many. The title refers to gallium (Ga, 31), which melts at 84°F, prompting a practical joke among "chemical cognoscenti": shape gallium into spoons, "serve them with tea, and watch as your guests recoil when their Earl Grey 'eats' their utensils.