The Periodic Table

May 15, 2014

This handy scientific reference canvasses the "building blocks" of all matter in a convenient, richly illustrated layout. It is packed with all the pertinent information necessary to gain a solid understanding of the chemical world. The work begins with a vibrantly colored graphic of the periodic table followed by a brief introduction surveying Dmitri Mendeleev's formulation that revolutionized "our understanding of the chemical world." One by one, the elements are each presented within a format that alternates from a page of lucid description to a captioned visual representation for each that pops in lively colors from a white background. Prefatory matter for each element description includes a visual of its location on the table followed by its category, atomic number, atomic weight, phase, and color, as well as its melting and boiling points. Also included are graphics for each element's electron arrangement and crystal structure. The entry for bromine (Br) is typical of the overall coherent, highly informative arrangement. Here we learn of bromine's discovery by Antoine Jerome Balard, rumors of its historical usage as an anaphrodisiac (libido suppressant) by the British Army during World War I, and as a pesticide until 1992 when it was added to the list of ozone-depleting substances. The work is concluded by a discussion of the transfermium elements, complete with chart, and a glossary of related terms such as Actinides, Avogadro Number, Electron Shell, and Spectroscopy. VERDICT This is an outstanding resource for high school and college chemistry students and anyone with a scientific curiosity.--Brian Odom, Birmingham, AL

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
This small volume is exactly what it claims to be: a visual guide to all the elements of the periodic table. Each element gets a minimum two-page spread, consisting of one page of narrative detailing important facts about the element facing a large, full-color photograph of the element itself. (Gases are represented in test tubes, discharge lamps, or bubbles.) Some elements (including hydrogen, iron, and krypton) get two pages of narrative. The useful, simple nature of the material and the price point make this a must-have for all science shelves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)