An extremely interesting approach to the cultural trajectory of all the elements in the periodic table. With curious stories, the author explains what makes these elements so fascinating to scientists, emphasizing why they are so important in our daily lives and why they appear in the works of artists like Shakespeare and Wagner. In one of the book's most intriguing passages, Hugh recounts the details behind the discovery of an element that captured the public imagination: radium. This happened in 1898, when Marie and Pierre Curie announced the discovery of the element, whose radioactivity made headlines in newspapers around the world. Unaware of the danger, people lined up to buy chocolate, beer, and even contraceptives, all "boosted" with radium. These and other stories fill this fabulous book, a read that combines fun and valuable information. An attractive title for any curious reader. This is not a chemistry book, but a book of stories of discoveries and discoverers, of rituals and values, of exploration and celebration, of superstition and science.
