THE INGREDIENTS: A Guided Tour of the Elements

The Ingredients: A Guided Tour of the Elements by Philip Ball

This companion volume to “Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules” looks at how our ideas about the fundamental constitution of matter have evolved through the ages, from the four classical elements of Aristotle to the creation of new, artificial elements in the particle-smashing machines of physics laboratories.
It explores the many and varied roles that elements play in our culture, from the gold of Midas and the alchemists to the silicon of the Information Age.

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“[Ball] teaches by seduction. By weaving the elements seamlessly into a coherent narrative, the author has given meaning to the entire system without overwhelming the reader with the profusion of its parts. Thatâs good writing.”Natural History

“I would have loved this book as an enthusiastic 16-year-old and I would recommend it as a Christmas present to anyone of that age, or to journalists who may occasionally wish to appear smarter than they really are.”Chemistry & Industry

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Oxford University Press Hard Back (2002) hardcover ISBN 0-19-284100-9
Republished by Oxford University Press in their Very Short Introductions series as “The Elements: A Very Short Introduction” (2004) ISBN 0-192-84099-1