Unlock the Secrets of the Universe: How the Periodic Table Can Explain (Nearly) Everything

jaeshin: I strongly recommend this book to everyone who wants to get to know more about chemistry or who just likes to read a well-written, informative book!

Germany on Oct 20, 2023

Dawes: Very informational, great for a personal statement

United Kingdom on Aug 14, 2023

Cary B: As someone who sat in Chemistry class at school wondering what on earth the teacher was talking about I've never had much of a grasp of any of the subject. If only Tim James had been the teacher I might have done better!

He approaches the subject of the periodic table with excitement and enthusiasm and explains everything so that it always becomes clear. We learn about the elements and all the fascinating people who discovered them. We even learn about why the periodic table is the shape that it is.

I've been living with the impression that chemistry was about mixing various things in test-tubes but the way Tim James tells it, it's about explosions and light and fire, things changing shape and colliding and electrons which dance, there's also the tale of a floating boy whose face generates sparks (don't ask, read the book!). All very exciting. We also get to explore some quantum chemistry.

We go on a journey and are told about the most flammable substance ever, which sets fire to absolutely everything it touches and the most unstable substance ever, created just a few years ago which explodes almost when you look at it. There is nothing boring about this book,...

United Kingdom on Mar 15, 2023

RJN: I am very great ful to Tim James for making to me more sense of the world. Some very basic things that I did not know were presented.

United States on Jan 31, 2023

Book=ace: If you have a curious mind and want to know interesting facts on the elements then this is the book for you. It’s quite challenging in places but it’s written with humour and in a way that most people could grasp. I was surprised I could understand the chapter on Quantum Leaps! Great fun!

United Kingdom on Mar 31, 2022

R. Suitters: Enjoying the book some time ago, I wanted to read it again. Due to wrist fracture, I couldn't keep the pages held back therefor, I decided to order it again, but this time on Kindle.
What makes this book so enjoyable is his sence of humor. Tim puts over the various subjects, which any person can understand and does not get side tracked through a subject.
He explains the truth how diamonds are formed: debunks the myth. He explains how acids work, fire, and many other subjects, including quantum mechanics.
Many feel nervous regarding the subject on quantum mechanics, but with Tim at the wheel, he puts the subject over so well, you will follow it with ease.
I highly recommend this book.

United Kingdom on Oct 03, 2021

D. Ruth: This book is a really good explanation of the periodic table and how it came about. It is well written in a mostly non-technical style, yet when technical terms are necessary clear explanations are provided. It also has a number of annexes that go into great details, but they are not necessary for comprehension. While the author was at explaining the periodic table he also provided explanations on several common chemical processes that are interesting and and of themselves. Highly recommended.

United States on Sep 08, 2019

Cadel: This book gives a good overview of how the element chart came to be along with some clever interpretations and descriptions of the elements and their impact on life. The book could use a better editor however, since .00001 is ten to the minus five, not ten to the minus six (same with the negative log).

United States on Sep 08, 2019

durangok: I get the impression that James greatly enjoyed writing this book and wants to share that joy with us while providing numerous interesting observations about the periodic table and our lives today. I read many science books yet I found some new perspectives and facts here. The last chapter was particularly humorous. Wonderful book. I read the print version while listening to the audible.com version (narrated by Roger Davis) and found the accent and enunciation to be charming. It seems that Davis enjoyed reading it as much as James enjoyed writing it. Thanks to both of you.

United States on Jul 19, 2019

Benjamin W. Slivka: My last chemistry class was my freshman year of college in 1979. Had a year of chemistry in high school a few years earlier. Lots of numbers and balancing equations. The author takes us through a fun history Domo of discovery and invention, with spicy stories of death and destruction, and the ways in which chemistry advanced the human condition.

Many negative reviewers here: I think they are taking themselves and chemistry too seriously. This book will make chemistry more accessible to readers of any age. I think many middle school kids would enjoy and benefit from this book.

United States on Jul 18, 2019