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The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance

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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.

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.

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!

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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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When I was fifteen I began collecting elements as a hobby, mostly by raiding chemistry sets for samples of carbon and sulfur, and writing letters to industries that used or produced them. U.S. Steel sent me some silicon, Bethlehem Steel followed with vanadium, and I soon had an impressive collection. Now, four decades later, I still have my little set of elements, and every so often I take it out and marvel at the vials with their precious contents. Such is my background. Is it any wonder that I would greet a book like this with enthusiasm, and devour it like manna? The Periodic Table is more than a good read, it's a ready reference for anyone seeking to deepen and enrich his or her knowledge of chemical periodicity, which is what Prof. Scerri refers to as one of chemistry's two great, underlying ideas (the other being chemical bonding). As a biology professor, I discuss the elements and periodicity in the section of my course that deals with chemistry. I thought I had it all under control, but after reading this book I found myself revising and updating my notes. Prof. Scerri's work sits in my office, and I refer to it often. I think it will have a long shelf life, because I have seen nothing better on the subject.

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.

An excellent and lucid book about the icon of chemistry. Every chemistry student and chemistry educator should own a copy and dip into it from time to time to put their studies into a wider historical - philosophical context.
Eric Scerri has done a wonderful job of integrating many disciplines through the lens of how the periodic table developed and continues to be at the heart of chemistry.

There are two versions of the periodic table's history: The one you thought you knew, and the one Eric Scerri lays out in this delightful history. Do yourself a favor: Let him be your Virgil and reveal the much richer version of the story! Scerri -- a chemist, historian, and philosopher all rolled into one -- sleuths out what really happened in the creation and development of the table over more than a century of science history. He takes the static chart you remember on the wall in high school chemistry and shows how it was pieced together. (It certainly wasn't just Dmitri Mendeleev...) Overall, Scerri provides a thorough scientific grounding in the table, and shows why its study is relevant to science today. Just as important, he balances the science with stories about the personalities behind it, revealing an eye for anecdote you won't find in most other studies.

Highly recommended for anyone who ever wondered how this scientific icon became an icon in the first place.

-Sam Kean, author of The Disappearing Spoon