U.S. Hardcover

The Disappearing Spoon – Young Readers Edition

And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

  • Language:
    Publisher:
  • English (U.S.)
    Little, Brown
  • English Audio
    Hachette Audio/Blackstone Audio
  • Chinese (Simplified)
    CITIC Press
  • Korean
    Bookhouse Publisher Co.
  • Russian
    Eksmo
  • Spanish
    Grupo Anaya
About The Disappearing Spoon – Young Readers Edition:
A young readers edition of the New York Times bestseller The Disappearing Spoon, chronicling the extraordinary stories behind one of the greatest scientific tools in existence: the periodic table.
Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie’s reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?

The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it’s also a treasure trove of adventure, greed, betrayal, and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow elements on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.

Adapted for a middle grade audience, the young readers edition of The Disappearing Spoon offers the material in a simple, easy-to-follow format, with approximately 20 line drawings and sidebars throughout. Students, teachers, and burgeoning science buffs will love learning about the history behind the chemistry.
About the Author(s):

Sam Kean is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books at the intersection of science and history, including The Disappearing Spoon and Dinner with King Tut. His writing has appeared in National Geographic, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic. His work has also been featured on Radiolab, Science Friday, and NPR’s All Things Considered. His podcast, The Disappearing Spoon, debuted at #1 on the iTunes science charts. A three-time finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing award, he lives in Washington D.C.

Other Editions:

  • Audio Edition

  • Chinese (Simplified)

Other Books by Sam Kean:

  • Caesar’s Last Breath

  • Dinner with King Tut

  • The Bastard Brigade

  • The Disappearing Spoon

  • The Icepick Surgeon

  • The Museum of Lost Things

  • The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons

  • The Violinist’s Thumb