The Disappearing Spoon Audiobook by Sam Kean

What this episode covers

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/audiobook/33/ to download full audiobooks of your choice for free. Title: The Disappearing Spoon Subtitle: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements Author: Sam Kean Narrator: Sean Runnette Format: Unabridged Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins Language: English Release date: 08-18-10 Publisher: Tantor Audio Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3573 votes Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Science & Technology Leaders Publisher's Summary: The Disappearing Spoon is my favorite kind of science journalism: it reveals a hidden universe in the form of a thrilling tale.BoingBoing Arthur C. Clarke once noted that truly advanced science cannot be distinguished from magic. Kean succeeds in giving us the cold hard facts, both human and chemical, behind the astounding phenomena without sacrificing any of the wonder a trait vital to any science writer worth his NaCl.Entertainment Weekly Science Magazine reporter Sam Kean reveals the periodic table as its never been seen before. Not only is it one of man's crowning scientific achievements, it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country; their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in The Disappearing Spoon. Editorial Reviews: Those of you who try but cant always avoid grabbing handrails on subways and buses may be relieved to know that elements used by many transportation systems like copper and silver are naturally antibacterial. The structure and composition of the metal is somehow able to inactivate the bacteria, making it an ideal surface for things likesubway handrails. This is the type of instantly lovable, immediately gratifying knowledge you get from Sam Keans The Disappearing Spoon, a fascinating column-by-column, row-by-row dissection of the periodic table. Kean must be commended for turning what could have been boring historical and scientific accounts into bite-sized human dramas filled with humorous moments and ironic twists. The predictable accounts of science heroes like Marie Curie and Dmitri Mendeleev are given fresh new spins, while the tales of lesser-known scientists are told with gusto. Only in the last few chapters did things get a little heady for me, but Im admittedly on a steep learning curve when it comes to atoms, electrons, neutrons, and the like. The remarkably intriguing narration by Sean Runnette is the icing on the cake here. He had his work cut out for him even in good hands, the science could be overbearing for a narrator to effectively relay to the listener. Runnette gives weight to the text by employing an authoritative but gently understanding tone of voice. He doesnt pose as the high school science teacher reading from the textbook, but instead as the calm and patient tutor willing to work with you until you understand. His David Strathairn-like voice works to keep you entertained even while discussing P-shells, superatoms, Molybdenum, and the causes of Japans Itai-itai disease.

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