A Tale of Seven Elements
Peter Pesic inWall Street Journal, October 21, 2013Mr. Scerri's outstanding book helps us understand the special spirit of chemistry, whose contribution to science and human experience emphasizes the crucible of experiment. The days of discovery aren't over: Beyond uranium, two dozen more elements have been produced artificially. Mr. Scerri notes that chemists have no secure consensus about how many elements are possible: Some say 137; others 173. The periodic table, as imposing as it looks, is still a work in progress. What further surprises might it disclose?Alan Rocke, in Times Higher Education.  Eric Scerri offers us a fascinating account of the discovery of these seven elements. Author of The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance(2007), Scerri is superbly qualified for this task: chemist, philosopher of science and historian, he is the foremost contemporary analyst of the periodic table. The cast of his engrossing tale includes dozens of scientists in many countries, avidly pursuing these last remaining prizes in the classic table of the elements.Andrea Sella inNew ScientistIn recent years, there have been many books about the elements, either encyclopedic surveys, or quirkier and more readable companions. Now we have a very different offering: A Tale of Seven Elements by Eric Scerri, one of the foremost authorities on the history of the periodic table. This is the remarkable story of the seven elements still "missing" from the periodic table by the early 20th century and how they were found.  it is an excellent read, and it is warmly recommended to all students and practitioners of chemistry and related fields, and to all those who are interested in the history and the culture of science. Istvan Hargittai, Journal of Structural Chemistry Eric Scerri offers us a fascinating account of the discovery of these seven elements. Author of The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance (2007), Scerri is superbly qualified for this task: chemist, philosopher of science and historian, he is the foremost contemporary analyst of the periodic table. Alan Rocke, THE As a professional historian of chemistry who thought that he already knew these stories, I was surprised by how much novel and interesting material Scerri has unearthed in this admirable book. He offers corrections to many long-standing textbook errors, both historical and scientific, and presents a fresh, thoroughly researched understanding of a complex web of interacting research during a period of about 30 years... chemists, historians and philosophers of science, as well as educated laypeople, will unquestionably find this book an entertaining and highly instructive read. Alan Rocke, THE It's an extraordinary rich and complete book, not only regarding the chemistry of each of the studied elements, but also on the nature of science [translation] Revista Eureka sobre Ensenanza y Divulgacion de las Ciencias