So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

Surprisingly detailed given the size..., 09 Jun 2008
This book is a great concise reference book- you can dip in and out of it very easily, and each topic is very clearly indicated so you don't get lost in the tool print or run into finding a topic, only not to be able to decipher it because it relies on a preamble 20 pages long... None of that here. 2 pages per topic and you're done...
It covers both conditions as well as treatments- something not covered as well elsewhere, or perhaps as independently.
The AaG series you either love or hate- I am not that keen, but I must admit that I think this book is useful and contains a surprising level of detail. That said, you aren't going to approach this book looking to answer the niggling little questions that you face on the wards- as this is concise!

The best summary text, 13 May 2008
The benefits are:
- an entire topic is summarised into a 2 page spread (therefore easier to memorise)
- only the important facts are presented
- the diagrams are excellent, real pictures are included when appropriate
- the language of the text is, simple and straight to the point
- the price is extrememly reasonable given the size of the book (420 pages)


Dont expect detailed information from this book e.g. there are no doses for any of the medications (check out the BNF for this).

Should be used, despite it's problems, 10 May 2008
This is a good book to start off your revision for medical finals and I would definitely recommend it, especially the orange sections - however I would say that it does get a bit tedious in places (especially the investigations & management sections which are sometimes a bit sparse and not ordered logically) - so use it with the Oxford Handbook or online sources (gpnotebook, bmj etc which are both absolutely amazing revision resources once you get a hang of them).



Great book, 13 Apr 2008
Im a medical student like everybody else who buys this book. Sure there is the ever popular Kumar and Clark but it just goes on and on, you read through three pages of text to get one or two points.
This is more "wham bam!" approach ; definition, causes, treatment etc.
It does assume you remember your guytons (physiology) and pathophysiology to a certain extent.

I'd recommend working in this order; guytons physiology,then this book, and add another book if you have time for reference and just additional knowledge.

It covers most things, just not all. However its the fact that the book is thin, easy to read and STUDENT friendly, unlike other books which are more for DOCTORS

Medicine at a Glance - a perfect revision tool, 24 Mar 2008
Medicine at a Glance is one of the best, most abundantly and colourfully illustrated books of clinical medicine you are likely to encounter. All the essentials of clinical medicine (as well as some aspects of surgery) are included in just over 400 pages providing a simple and clear way in which to learn from. It covers topics in 2 ways; a disease-based as well as a symptoms-based approach. As a large amount of space is taken up in a diagrammatic form, the book is intended to help the student understand and remember medicine rather than learn it in great depth and detail. It is no doubt, an extremely useful revision.

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

Surprisingly detailed given the size..., 09 Jun 2008
This book is a great concise reference book- you can dip in and out of it very easily, and each topic is very clearly indicated so you don't get lost in the tool print or run into finding a topic, only not to be able to decipher it because it relies on a preamble 20 pages long... None of that here. 2 pages per topic and you're done...
It covers both conditions as well as treatments- something not covered as well elsewhere, or perhaps as independently.
The AaG series you either love or hate- I am not that keen, but I must admit that I think this book is useful and contains a surprising level of detail. That said, you aren't going to approach this book looking to answer the niggling little questions that you face on the wards- as this is concise!

The best summary text, 13 May 2008
The benefits are:
- an entire topic is summarised into a 2 page spread (therefore easier to memorise)
- only the important facts are presented
- the diagrams are excellent, real pictures are included when appropriate
- the language of the text is, simple and straight to the point
- the price is extrememly reasonable given the size of the book (420 pages)


Dont expect detailed information from this book e.g. there are no doses for any of the medications (check out the BNF for this).

Should be used, despite it's problems, 10 May 2008
This is a good book to start off your revision for medical finals and I would definitely recommend it, especially the orange sections - however I would say that it does get a bit tedious in places (especially the investigations & management sections which are sometimes a bit sparse and not ordered logically) - so use it with the Oxford Handbook or online sources (gpnotebook, bmj etc which are both absolutely amazing revision resources once you get a hang of them).



Great book, 13 Apr 2008
Im a medical student like everybody else who buys this book. Sure there is the ever popular Kumar and Clark but it just goes on and on, you read through three pages of text to get one or two points.
This is more "wham bam!" approach ; definition, causes, treatment etc.
It does assume you remember your guytons (physiology) and pathophysiology to a certain extent.

I'd recommend working in this order; guytons physiology,then this book, and add another book if you have time for reference and just additional knowledge.

It covers most things, just not all. However its the fact that the book is thin, easy to read and STUDENT friendly, unlike other books which are more for DOCTORS

Medicine at a Glance - a perfect revision tool, 24 Mar 2008
Medicine at a Glance is one of the best, most abundantly and colourfully illustrated books of clinical medicine you are likely to encounter. All the essentials of clinical medicine (as well as some aspects of surgery) are included in just over 400 pages providing a simple and clear way in which to learn from. It covers topics in 2 ways; a disease-based as well as a symptoms-based approach. As a large amount of space is taken up in a diagrammatic form, the book is intended to help the student understand and remember medicine rather than learn it in great depth and detail. It is no doubt, an extremely useful revision.

A True Joy To Read, 05 Jan 2008
Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide To The Elements, is an outstanding book, and quite possibly the greatest science book I've ever read. It is filled with countless fascinating facts, such as why an octopus has blue blood and why some people can consume more than twice the lethal dose of Arsenic and live. It really is an excellent reference book for anyone interested in chemistry, biology, nutrition, medicine, or history, and you'll find yourself going back to it time and time again. It does get `slightly' scientific in places such as when it starts to talk about the various isotopes of an element, so some basic knowledge of chemistry is recommended. But it is not overly technical so it's not essential. The sections I enjoyed the most were the `medical elements' which I found extremely interesting. The book is very well structured and easy to follow. This is the kind of book that makes you feel smarter, a true joy to read and I recommend to all. No one could possibly be disappointed.

Excellent, 30 Jun 2007
Its been pretty thoroughly reviewed already but essentially the author takes each of the first 100 elements (those with an atomic number over 100 are lumped together in a chapter of their own) and details such things as its chemical properties, how it acquired its name and a history of its discovery, how the element is produced within stars, its role in human biology, any nutritional role, medicinal uses, military uses, its economic importance, environmental impact as well as any unusual or curious trivia e.g. Antimony pills being sold as re-usable laxatives in the middle ages!

There are also appendices on the periodic table, its development, basic atomic structure and a chronology of the discovery of the elements.

It actually makes very interesting reading and is one of those books that is equally good as a basic work of reference but can also be picked up and dipped into at any time. A welcome addition to my bookshelf!

A fascinating tour de force, 14 Mar 2007
This is an outstanding piece of work aimed at the intellectually and scientifically curious that also works as a nice reference book on the elements and the Periodic Table.

After a short introduction filled with some top ten tables (e.g., top ten elements in the earth's crust: "Oxygen 466,000" parts per million, "Silicon 277,000" p.p.m., etc.) Emsley spins out a chapter per element in alphabetical order beginning with Actinium and ending with Zirconium. Each chapter is filled with interesting and specific information about the element in question. In the chapter on carbon, for example--understandably one of the longest in the book (7 pages), since carbon is so important to us and so plentiful--there are sections entitled "COSMIC ELEMENT, HUMAN ELEMENT, FOOD ELEMENT, MEDICAL ELEMENT, ELEMENT OF HISTORY, ELEMENT OF WAR, ECONOMIC ELEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT, CHEMICAL ELEMENT," and "ELEMENT OF SURPRISE."

The idea is to place each element in terms of its importance in these various categories as well as giving all sorts of information about its history, abundance and uses. In the ELEMENT OF SURPRISE section Emsley usually comes up with something unusual or striking about the use or the history of the element. In the case of iron, Emsley cites a research project that "fertilized" a barren part of the ocean west of the Galapagos Islands with iron sulfate with dramatic results: "Within a week this barren span of ocean bloomed and turned green with plankton, proving that it was simply lack of this metal that was limiting their growth." (p. 211)

Included in the sections are tables showing how much of the element is in the human body (in the blood, in bones and tissues), and how much is in the environment (in the crust, in the soil, in sea water, and the atmosphere). A third table gives the element's chemical symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, melting point, boiling point, density and oxides, if any.

There is a final chapter on the history and development of the Periodic Table, which I found interesting. One of Emsley's strengths is his ability to make the material just so fascinating to read. Part of that comes from his obvious love for his subject matter. He is so good he makes me regret that I did not study chemistry when I was young. Just reading this book has opened my eyes to some of the ideas of chemistry and has greatly improved my knowledge of what the elements are like and how they interact with one another to form various molecules as they become familiar and not so familiar substances.

Here are examples of some of the fascinating details that can be found in the book:

"Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant metal known... The standard metre bar, kept in Paris, is made of a platinum-iridium alloy (90% platinum and 10% iridium) but this was superseded as the basic unit of length in 1960 by a line in the atomic spectrum of krypton (see p. 213)."

And on page 213 we find that "The standard was changed in 1983 to one based on the speed of light in a vacuum, a metre being the distance light travelled in 1/299 793 458th of a second, as measured by a light beam from a helium-neon laser."

"Inside the body, iron, as iron(III), is strongly bound by transferrin, a protein found in serum and other secretions... Transferrin binds iron tightly and, because it does so, it acts as a powerful antibiotic simply by denying this essential metal to any invading bacteria which need iron to multiply. As soon as our body registers a bacterial invasion, it produces more transferrin to mop up any free iron in the blood stream and 'hide' it in the liver." (p. 206)

"Neodymium-iron-boron (NIB) magnets are so powerful that those handling them must wear protective glasses--they fly together with such force that they can shatter and send splinters flying in all directions. At times young people have used these industrial magnets to attach ornaments to their cheeks by putting one of the small magnets on the inside of the mouth. However, the magnet and ornament have then proved impossible to pull apart, sometimes necessitating a visit to a hospital for surgical removal." (p. 270)

I have two suggestions for the next edition: (1) provide an index; (2) give us the value of the elements in terms of current (or relative) dollars or Euros. It would be fun to compare. (I realize that in some cases, the value of an element because it is so rare or not used for anything would be just an educated guess, but that's okay.)

Another interesting book by John Emsley is The Thirteenth Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus (2000). See my review.

Is this the best science book ever written?, 02 Nov 2006
Yes quite possibly!
Brilliantly written and very readable. You can work your way a-z or just browse and turn your thinking of elements and chemistry from; "its a collection of letters and grapes on sticks" to "wow isnt science interesting". Tales of discovery and use of the elements read like any Hardy novel, woe and deception abound!
If youve never thought about 'popular science' and think its an oxymoron. Pick up this book. If you're president of the RSC and think you know everything about chemistry. Pick up this book. You'll learn alot and enjoy it whatever!
A perfect christmas present for everyone with a remote interest in the world around them from about 12+

Pure delight., 27 Dec 2003
This is a wonderful read - absolutely un-put-downable. It achieves what some may think is the impossible - a book about chemistry or physics that is also entertaining. Open it at any page and you will find something to fascinate and delight.

It will be an important addition to my reference shelf after I have finished reading it cover-to-cover for the enjoyment.

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

Surprisingly detailed given the size..., 09 Jun 2008
This book is a great concise reference book- you can dip in and out of it very easily, and each topic is very clearly indicated so you don't get lost in the tool print or run into finding a topic, only not to be able to decipher it because it relies on a preamble 20 pages long... None of that here. 2 pages per topic and you're done...
It covers both conditions as well as treatments- something not covered as well elsewhere, or perhaps as independently.
The AaG series you either love or hate- I am not that keen, but I must admit that I think this book is useful and contains a surprising level of detail. That said, you aren't going to approach this book looking to answer the niggling little questions that you face on the wards- as this is concise!

The best summary text, 13 May 2008
The benefits are:
- an entire topic is summarised into a 2 page spread (therefore easier to memorise)
- only the important facts are presented
- the diagrams are excellent, real pictures are included when appropriate
- the language of the text is, simple and straight to the point
- the price is extrememly reasonable given the size of the book (420 pages)


Dont expect detailed information from this book e.g. there are no doses for any of the medications (check out the BNF for this).

Should be used, despite it's problems, 10 May 2008
This is a good book to start off your revision for medical finals and I would definitely recommend it, especially the orange sections - however I would say that it does get a bit tedious in places (especially the investigations & management sections which are sometimes a bit sparse and not ordered logically) - so use it with the Oxford Handbook or online sources (gpnotebook, bmj etc which are both absolutely amazing revision resources once you get a hang of them).



Great book, 13 Apr 2008
Im a medical student like everybody else who buys this book. Sure there is the ever popular Kumar and Clark but it just goes on and on, you read through three pages of text to get one or two points.
This is more "wham bam!" approach ; definition, causes, treatment etc.
It does assume you remember your guytons (physiology) and pathophysiology to a certain extent.

I'd recommend working in this order; guytons physiology,then this book, and add another book if you have time for reference and just additional knowledge.

It covers most things, just not all. However its the fact that the book is thin, easy to read and STUDENT friendly, unlike other books which are more for DOCTORS

Medicine at a Glance - a perfect revision tool, 24 Mar 2008
Medicine at a Glance is one of the best, most abundantly and colourfully illustrated books of clinical medicine you are likely to encounter. All the essentials of clinical medicine (as well as some aspects of surgery) are included in just over 400 pages providing a simple and clear way in which to learn from. It covers topics in 2 ways; a disease-based as well as a symptoms-based approach. As a large amount of space is taken up in a diagrammatic form, the book is intended to help the student understand and remember medicine rather than learn it in great depth and detail. It is no doubt, an extremely useful revision.

A True Joy To Read, 05 Jan 2008
Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide To The Elements, is an outstanding book, and quite possibly the greatest science book I've ever read. It is filled with countless fascinating facts, such as why an octopus has blue blood and why some people can consume more than twice the lethal dose of Arsenic and live. It really is an excellent reference book for anyone interested in chemistry, biology, nutrition, medicine, or history, and you'll find yourself going back to it time and time again. It does get `slightly' scientific in places such as when it starts to talk about the various isotopes of an element, so some basic knowledge of chemistry is recommended. But it is not overly technical so it's not essential. The sections I enjoyed the most were the `medical elements' which I found extremely interesting. The book is very well structured and easy to follow. This is the kind of book that makes you feel smarter, a true joy to read and I recommend to all. No one could possibly be disappointed.

Excellent, 30 Jun 2007
Its been pretty thoroughly reviewed already but essentially the author takes each of the first 100 elements (those with an atomic number over 100 are lumped together in a chapter of their own) and details such things as its chemical properties, how it acquired its name and a history of its discovery, how the element is produced within stars, its role in human biology, any nutritional role, medicinal uses, military uses, its economic importance, environmental impact as well as any unusual or curious trivia e.g. Antimony pills being sold as re-usable laxatives in the middle ages!

There are also appendices on the periodic table, its development, basic atomic structure and a chronology of the discovery of the elements.

It actually makes very interesting reading and is one of those books that is equally good as a basic work of reference but can also be picked up and dipped into at any time. A welcome addition to my bookshelf!

A fascinating tour de force, 14 Mar 2007
This is an outstanding piece of work aimed at the intellectually and scientifically curious that also works as a nice reference book on the elements and the Periodic Table.

After a short introduction filled with some top ten tables (e.g., top ten elements in the earth's crust: "Oxygen 466,000" parts per million, "Silicon 277,000" p.p.m., etc.) Emsley spins out a chapter per element in alphabetical order beginning with Actinium and ending with Zirconium. Each chapter is filled with interesting and specific information about the element in question. In the chapter on carbon, for example--understandably one of the longest in the book (7 pages), since carbon is so important to us and so plentiful--there are sections entitled "COSMIC ELEMENT, HUMAN ELEMENT, FOOD ELEMENT, MEDICAL ELEMENT, ELEMENT OF HISTORY, ELEMENT OF WAR, ECONOMIC ELEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT, CHEMICAL ELEMENT," and "ELEMENT OF SURPRISE."

The idea is to place each element in terms of its importance in these various categories as well as giving all sorts of information about its history, abundance and uses. In the ELEMENT OF SURPRISE section Emsley usually comes up with something unusual or striking about the use or the history of the element. In the case of iron, Emsley cites a research project that "fertilized" a barren part of the ocean west of the Galapagos Islands with iron sulfate with dramatic results: "Within a week this barren span of ocean bloomed and turned green with plankton, proving that it was simply lack of this metal that was limiting their growth." (p. 211)

Included in the sections are tables showing how much of the element is in the human body (in the blood, in bones and tissues), and how much is in the environment (in the crust, in the soil, in sea water, and the atmosphere). A third table gives the element's chemical symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, melting point, boiling point, density and oxides, if any.

There is a final chapter on the history and development of the Periodic Table, which I found interesting. One of Emsley's strengths is his ability to make the material just so fascinating to read. Part of that comes from his obvious love for his subject matter. He is so good he makes me regret that I did not study chemistry when I was young. Just reading this book has opened my eyes to some of the ideas of chemistry and has greatly improved my knowledge of what the elements are like and how they interact with one another to form various molecules as they become familiar and not so familiar substances.

Here are examples of some of the fascinating details that can be found in the book:

"Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant metal known... The standard metre bar, kept in Paris, is made of a platinum-iridium alloy (90% platinum and 10% iridium) but this was superseded as the basic unit of length in 1960 by a line in the atomic spectrum of krypton (see p. 213)."

And on page 213 we find that "The standard was changed in 1983 to one based on the speed of light in a vacuum, a metre being the distance light travelled in 1/299 793 458th of a second, as measured by a light beam from a helium-neon laser."

"Inside the body, iron, as iron(III), is strongly bound by transferrin, a protein found in serum and other secretions... Transferrin binds iron tightly and, because it does so, it acts as a powerful antibiotic simply by denying this essential metal to any invading bacteria which need iron to multiply. As soon as our body registers a bacterial invasion, it produces more transferrin to mop up any free iron in the blood stream and 'hide' it in the liver." (p. 206)

"Neodymium-iron-boron (NIB) magnets are so powerful that those handling them must wear protective glasses--they fly together with such force that they can shatter and send splinters flying in all directions. At times young people have used these industrial magnets to attach ornaments to their cheeks by putting one of the small magnets on the inside of the mouth. However, the magnet and ornament have then proved impossible to pull apart, sometimes necessitating a visit to a hospital for surgical removal." (p. 270)

I have two suggestions for the next edition: (1) provide an index; (2) give us the value of the elements in terms of current (or relative) dollars or Euros. It would be fun to compare. (I realize that in some cases, the value of an element because it is so rare or not used for anything would be just an educated guess, but that's okay.)

Another interesting book by John Emsley is The Thirteenth Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus (2000). See my review.

Is this the best science book ever written?, 02 Nov 2006
Yes quite possibly!
Brilliantly written and very readable. You can work your way a-z or just browse and turn your thinking of elements and chemistry from; "its a collection of letters and grapes on sticks" to "wow isnt science interesting". Tales of discovery and use of the elements read like any Hardy novel, woe and deception abound!
If youve never thought about 'popular science' and think its an oxymoron. Pick up this book. If you're president of the RSC and think you know everything about chemistry. Pick up this book. You'll learn alot and enjoy it whatever!
A perfect christmas present for everyone with a remote interest in the world around them from about 12+

Pure delight., 27 Dec 2003
This is a wonderful read - absolutely un-put-downable. It achieves what some may think is the impossible - a book about chemistry or physics that is also entertaining. Open it at any page and you will find something to fascinate and delight.

It will be an important addition to my reference shelf after I have finished reading it cover-to-cover for the enjoyment.

An invaluable resource, 29 Jan 2008
I have been using this book for the three years of my degree, originally buying the first edition then the second when it was published. This is an invaluable resource for 1st year Forensic Science students and the comprehensive introductory material provides good reading for any budding CSI. Throughout my degree I have returned to this book, either as a refresher for learned material or as an introduction to further reading. The content is accessible and I have found that reading this material prior to further reading gives you the background knowledge necessary to understand more detailed specific subject texts.

The second edition does contain useful new material, including birefringence of fibres and archaeology. There is a tremendous amount of good accessible information in here, I can highly recommend it.


Excellent, 20 Sep 2006
Andrew Jackson is one of the lecturers on my Forensic Science course at Uni, so it was no surprise to find this book was listed as a core text. I used it practically every day in my first year and now I'm starting my second year I imagine I'll still refer to it for useful information.

I've found it very helpful, interesting and not too complicated (while also not being patronising like some other books).

I would greatly recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the subject, or for those who have a genuine interest in pursuing it beyond the boundaries of "just for pleasure".

Students, 19 Oct 2005
i am a currently a student doing a forensic science degree and i find this book very helpful! as it has all releivant information and is easy to read over all it is a very good book!.

Great book!, 26 Jun 2005
I bought this book as an aid for my Forensic Science degree course and it has been extremely helpful. It contains useful and informative sections on items such as DNA, footwear impressions analysis, explosives, fibres, court procedures etc. The illustrations are also good. I found the book easy to digest and understand, definately recommended, regardless of whether you are studying this as a subject or just want to know more about forensic science.

Forensic Science Textbook Review, 10 Aug 2004
This book provides information on a wide range of Forensic techniques and enables the reader to gain an understanding of the many areas associated with Forensic Science. The use of photographs, diagrams and charts clearly displays the most important facts and makes the more difficult topics more easily comprehensible. I recommend this text for anyone interested in this subject area.

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

Surprisingly detailed given the size..., 09 Jun 2008
This book is a great concise reference book- you can dip in and out of it very easily, and each topic is very clearly indicated so you don't get lost in the tool print or run into finding a topic, only not to be able to decipher it because it relies on a preamble 20 pages long... None of that here. 2 pages per topic and you're done...
It covers both conditions as well as treatments- something not covered as well elsewhere, or perhaps as independently.
The AaG series you either love or hate- I am not that keen, but I must admit that I think this book is useful and contains a surprising level of detail. That said, you aren't going to approach this book looking to answer the niggling little questions that you face on the wards- as this is concise!

The best summary text, 13 May 2008
The benefits are:
- an entire topic is summarised into a 2 page spread (therefore easier to memorise)
- only the important facts are presented
- the diagrams are excellent, real pictures are included when appropriate
- the language of the text is, simple and straight to the point
- the price is extrememly reasonable given the size of the book (420 pages)


Dont expect detailed information from this book e.g. there are no doses for any of the medications (check out the BNF for this).

Should be used, despite it's problems, 10 May 2008
This is a good book to start off your revision for medical finals and I would definitely recommend it, especially the orange sections - however I would say that it does get a bit tedious in places (especially the investigations & management sections which are sometimes a bit sparse and not ordered logically) - so use it with the Oxford Handbook or online sources (gpnotebook, bmj etc which are both absolutely amazing revision resources once you get a hang of them).



Great book, 13 Apr 2008
Im a medical student like everybody else who buys this book. Sure there is the ever popular Kumar and Clark but it just goes on and on, you read through three pages of text to get one or two points.
This is more "wham bam!" approach ; definition, causes, treatment etc.
It does assume you remember your guytons (physiology) and pathophysiology to a certain extent.

I'd recommend working in this order; guytons physiology,then this book, and add another book if you have time for reference and just additional knowledge.

It covers most things, just not all. However its the fact that the book is thin, easy to read and STUDENT friendly, unlike other books which are more for DOCTORS

Medicine at a Glance - a perfect revision tool, 24 Mar 2008
Medicine at a Glance is one of the best, most abundantly and colourfully illustrated books of clinical medicine you are likely to encounter. All the essentials of clinical medicine (as well as some aspects of surgery) are included in just over 400 pages providing a simple and clear way in which to learn from. It covers topics in 2 ways; a disease-based as well as a symptoms-based approach. As a large amount of space is taken up in a diagrammatic form, the book is intended to help the student understand and remember medicine rather than learn it in great depth and detail. It is no doubt, an extremely useful revision.

A True Joy To Read, 05 Jan 2008
Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide To The Elements, is an outstanding book, and quite possibly the greatest science book I've ever read. It is filled with countless fascinating facts, such as why an octopus has blue blood and why some people can consume more than twice the lethal dose of Arsenic and live. It really is an excellent reference book for anyone interested in chemistry, biology, nutrition, medicine, or history, and you'll find yourself going back to it time and time again. It does get `slightly' scientific in places such as when it starts to talk about the various isotopes of an element, so some basic knowledge of chemistry is recommended. But it is not overly technical so it's not essential. The sections I enjoyed the most were the `medical elements' which I found extremely interesting. The book is very well structured and easy to follow. This is the kind of book that makes you feel smarter, a true joy to read and I recommend to all. No one could possibly be disappointed.

Excellent, 30 Jun 2007
Its been pretty thoroughly reviewed already but essentially the author takes each of the first 100 elements (those with an atomic number over 100 are lumped together in a chapter of their own) and details such things as its chemical properties, how it acquired its name and a history of its discovery, how the element is produced within stars, its role in human biology, any nutritional role, medicinal uses, military uses, its economic importance, environmental impact as well as any unusual or curious trivia e.g. Antimony pills being sold as re-usable laxatives in the middle ages!

There are also appendices on the periodic table, its development, basic atomic structure and a chronology of the discovery of the elements.

It actually makes very interesting reading and is one of those books that is equally good as a basic work of reference but can also be picked up and dipped into at any time. A welcome addition to my bookshelf!

A fascinating tour de force, 14 Mar 2007
This is an outstanding piece of work aimed at the intellectually and scientifically curious that also works as a nice reference book on the elements and the Periodic Table.

After a short introduction filled with some top ten tables (e.g., top ten elements in the earth's crust: "Oxygen 466,000" parts per million, "Silicon 277,000" p.p.m., etc.) Emsley spins out a chapter per element in alphabetical order beginning with Actinium and ending with Zirconium. Each chapter is filled with interesting and specific information about the element in question. In the chapter on carbon, for example--understandably one of the longest in the book (7 pages), since carbon is so important to us and so plentiful--there are sections entitled "COSMIC ELEMENT, HUMAN ELEMENT, FOOD ELEMENT, MEDICAL ELEMENT, ELEMENT OF HISTORY, ELEMENT OF WAR, ECONOMIC ELEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT, CHEMICAL ELEMENT," and "ELEMENT OF SURPRISE."

The idea is to place each element in terms of its importance in these various categories as well as giving all sorts of information about its history, abundance and uses. In the ELEMENT OF SURPRISE section Emsley usually comes up with something unusual or striking about the use or the history of the element. In the case of iron, Emsley cites a research project that "fertilized" a barren part of the ocean west of the Galapagos Islands with iron sulfate with dramatic results: "Within a week this barren span of ocean bloomed and turned green with plankton, proving that it was simply lack of this metal that was limiting their growth." (p. 211)

Included in the sections are tables showing how much of the element is in the human body (in the blood, in bones and tissues), and how much is in the environment (in the crust, in the soil, in sea water, and the atmosphere). A third table gives the element's chemical symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, melting point, boiling point, density and oxides, if any.

There is a final chapter on the history and development of the Periodic Table, which I found interesting. One of Emsley's strengths is his ability to make the material just so fascinating to read. Part of that comes from his obvious love for his subject matter. He is so good he makes me regret that I did not study chemistry when I was young. Just reading this book has opened my eyes to some of the ideas of chemistry and has greatly improved my knowledge of what the elements are like and how they interact with one another to form various molecules as they become familiar and not so familiar substances.

Here are examples of some of the fascinating details that can be found in the book:

"Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant metal known... The standard metre bar, kept in Paris, is made of a platinum-iridium alloy (90% platinum and 10% iridium) but this was superseded as the basic unit of length in 1960 by a line in the atomic spectrum of krypton (see p. 213)."

And on page 213 we find that "The standard was changed in 1983 to one based on the speed of light in a vacuum, a metre being the distance light travelled in 1/299 793 458th of a second, as measured by a light beam from a helium-neon laser."

"Inside the body, iron, as iron(III), is strongly bound by transferrin, a protein found in serum and other secretions... Transferrin binds iron tightly and, because it does so, it acts as a powerful antibiotic simply by denying this essential metal to any invading bacteria which need iron to multiply. As soon as our body registers a bacterial invasion, it produces more transferrin to mop up any free iron in the blood stream and 'hide' it in the liver." (p. 206)

"Neodymium-iron-boron (NIB) magnets are so powerful that those handling them must wear protective glasses--they fly together with such force that they can shatter and send splinters flying in all directions. At times young people have used these industrial magnets to attach ornaments to their cheeks by putting one of the small magnets on the inside of the mouth. However, the magnet and ornament have then proved impossible to pull apart, sometimes necessitating a visit to a hospital for surgical removal." (p. 270)

I have two suggestions for the next edition: (1) provide an index; (2) give us the value of the elements in terms of current (or relative) dollars or Euros. It would be fun to compare. (I realize that in some cases, the value of an element because it is so rare or not used for anything would be just an educated guess, but that's okay.)

Another interesting book by John Emsley is The Thirteenth Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus (2000). See my review.

Is this the best science book ever written?, 02 Nov 2006
Yes quite possibly!
Brilliantly written and very readable. You can work your way a-z or just browse and turn your thinking of elements and chemistry from; "its a collection of letters and grapes on sticks" to "wow isnt science interesting". Tales of discovery and use of the elements read like any Hardy novel, woe and deception abound!
If youve never thought about 'popular science' and think its an oxymoron. Pick up this book. If you're president of the RSC and think you know everything about chemistry. Pick up this book. You'll learn alot and enjoy it whatever!
A perfect christmas present for everyone with a remote interest in the world around them from about 12+

Pure delight., 27 Dec 2003
This is a wonderful read - absolutely un-put-downable. It achieves what some may think is the impossible - a book about chemistry or physics that is also entertaining. Open it at any page and you will find something to fascinate and delight.

It will be an important addition to my reference shelf after I have finished reading it cover-to-cover for the enjoyment.

An invaluable resource, 29 Jan 2008
I have been using this book for the three years of my degree, originally buying the first edition then the second when it was published. This is an invaluable resource for 1st year Forensic Science students and the comprehensive introductory material provides good reading for any budding CSI. Throughout my degree I have returned to this book, either as a refresher for learned material or as an introduction to further reading. The content is accessible and I have found that reading this material prior to further reading gives you the background knowledge necessary to understand more detailed specific subject texts.

The second edition does contain useful new material, including birefringence of fibres and archaeology. There is a tremendous amount of good accessible information in here, I can highly recommend it.


Excellent, 20 Sep 2006
Andrew Jackson is one of the lecturers on my Forensic Science course at Uni, so it was no surprise to find this book was listed as a core text. I used it practically every day in my first year and now I'm starting my second year I imagine I'll still refer to it for useful information.

I've found it very helpful, interesting and not too complicated (while also not being patronising like some other books).

I would greatly recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the subject, or for those who have a genuine interest in pursuing it beyond the boundaries of "just for pleasure".

Students, 19 Oct 2005
i am a currently a student doing a forensic science degree and i find this book very helpful! as it has all releivant information and is easy to read over all it is a very good book!.

Great book!, 26 Jun 2005
I bought this book as an aid for my Forensic Science degree course and it has been extremely helpful. It contains useful and informative sections on items such as DNA, footwear impressions analysis, explosives, fibres, court procedures etc. The illustrations are also good. I found the book easy to digest and understand, definately recommended, regardless of whether you are studying this as a subject or just want to know more about forensic science.

Forensic Science Textbook Review, 10 Aug 2004
This book provides information on a wide range of Forensic techniques and enables the reader to gain an understanding of the many areas associated with Forensic Science. The use of photographs, diagrams and charts clearly displays the most important facts and makes the more difficult topics more easily comprehensible. I recommend this text for anyone interested in this subject area.

Excellent source for reference, 10 Dec 2005
I recently qualified as a CSI and this book was reccommended, having had a chance to quickly view its contents prior to purchase. The book delivers excellent detail and will be used for reference or indeed as background reading to anyone interested in a career in this field.

University core text, 14 Jan 2001
I found this book a great source of information and understanding during the first year of my degree in forensic science. I am yet to find whether it will be as useful in the second year. Great so far!

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

Surprisingly detailed given the size..., 09 Jun 2008
This book is a great concise reference book- you can dip in and out of it very easily, and each topic is very clearly indicated so you don't get lost in the tool print or run into finding a topic, only not to be able to decipher it because it relies on a preamble 20 pages long... None of that here. 2 pages per topic and you're done...
It covers both conditions as well as treatments- something not covered as well elsewhere, or perhaps as independently.
The AaG series you either love or hate- I am not that keen, but I must admit that I think this book is useful and contains a surprising level of detail. That said, you aren't going to approach this book looking to answer the niggling little questions that you face on the wards- as this is concise!

The best summary text, 13 May 2008
The benefits are:
- an entire topic is summarised into a 2 page spread (therefore easier to memorise)
- only the important facts are presented
- the diagrams are excellent, real pictures are included when appropriate
- the language of the text is, simple and straight to the point
- the price is extrememly reasonable given the size of the book (420 pages)


Dont expect detailed information from this book e.g. there are no doses for any of the medications (check out the BNF for this).

Should be used, despite it's problems, 10 May 2008
This is a good book to start off your revision for medical finals and I would definitely recommend it, especially the orange sections - however I would say that it does get a bit tedious in places (especially the investigations & management sections which are sometimes a bit sparse and not ordered logically) - so use it with the Oxford Handbook or online sources (gpnotebook, bmj etc which are both absolutely amazing revision resources once you get a hang of them).



Great book, 13 Apr 2008
Im a medical student like everybody else who buys this book. Sure there is the ever popular Kumar and Clark but it just goes on and on, you read through three pages of text to get one or two points.
This is more "wham bam!" approach ; definition, causes, treatment etc.
It does assume you remember your guytons (physiology) and pathophysiology to a certain extent.

I'd recommend working in this order; guytons physiology,then this book, and add another book if you have time for reference and just additional knowledge.

It covers most things, just not all. However its the fact that the book is thin, easy to read and STUDENT friendly, unlike other books which are more for DOCTORS

Medicine at a Glance - a perfect revision tool, 24 Mar 2008
Medicine at a Glance is one of the best, most abundantly and colourfully illustrated books of clinical medicine you are likely to encounter. All the essentials of clinical medicine (as well as some aspects of surgery) are included in just over 400 pages providing a simple and clear way in which to learn from. It covers topics in 2 ways; a disease-based as well as a symptoms-based approach. As a large amount of space is taken up in a diagrammatic form, the book is intended to help the student understand and remember medicine rather than learn it in great depth and detail. It is no doubt, an extremely useful revision.

A True Joy To Read, 05 Jan 2008
Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide To The Elements, is an outstanding book, and quite possibly the greatest science book I've ever read. It is filled with countless fascinating facts, such as why an octopus has blue blood and why some people can consume more than twice the lethal dose of Arsenic and live. It really is an excellent reference book for anyone interested in chemistry, biology, nutrition, medicine, or history, and you'll find yourself going back to it time and time again. It does get `slightly' scientific in places such as when it starts to talk about the various isotopes of an element, so some basic knowledge of chemistry is recommended. But it is not overly technical so it's not essential. The sections I enjoyed the most were the `medical elements' which I found extremely interesting. The book is very well structured and easy to follow. This is the kind of book that makes you feel smarter, a true joy to read and I recommend to all. No one could possibly be disappointed.

Excellent, 30 Jun 2007
Its been pretty thoroughly reviewed already but essentially the author takes each of the first 100 elements (those with an atomic number over 100 are lumped together in a chapter of their own) and details such things as its chemical properties, how it acquired its name and a history of its discovery, how the element is produced within stars, its role in human biology, any nutritional role, medicinal uses, military uses, its economic importance, environmental impact as well as any unusual or curious trivia e.g. Antimony pills being sold as re-usable laxatives in the middle ages!

There are also appendices on the periodic table, its development, basic atomic structure and a chronology of the discovery of the elements.

It actually makes very interesting reading and is one of those books that is equally good as a basic work of reference but can also be picked up and dipped into at any time. A welcome addition to my bookshelf!

A fascinating tour de force, 14 Mar 2007
This is an outstanding piece of work aimed at the intellectually and scientifically curious that also works as a nice reference book on the elements and the Periodic Table.

After a short introduction filled with some top ten tables (e.g., top ten elements in the earth's crust: "Oxygen 466,000" parts per million, "Silicon 277,000" p.p.m., etc.) Emsley spins out a chapter per element in alphabetical order beginning with Actinium and ending with Zirconium. Each chapter is filled with interesting and specific information about the element in question. In the chapter on carbon, for example--understandably one of the longest in the book (7 pages), since carbon is so important to us and so plentiful--there are sections entitled "COSMIC ELEMENT, HUMAN ELEMENT, FOOD ELEMENT, MEDICAL ELEMENT, ELEMENT OF HISTORY, ELEMENT OF WAR, ECONOMIC ELEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT, CHEMICAL ELEMENT," and "ELEMENT OF SURPRISE."

The idea is to place each element in terms of its importance in these various categories as well as giving all sorts of information about its history, abundance and uses. In the ELEMENT OF SURPRISE section Emsley usually comes up with something unusual or striking about the use or the history of the element. In the case of iron, Emsley cites a research project that "fertilized" a barren part of the ocean west of the Galapagos Islands with iron sulfate with dramatic results: "Within a week this barren span of ocean bloomed and turned green with plankton, proving that it was simply lack of this metal that was limiting their growth." (p. 211)

Included in the sections are tables showing how much of the element is in the human body (in the blood, in bones and tissues), and how much is in the environment (in the crust, in the soil, in sea water, and the atmosphere). A third table gives the element's chemical symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, melting point, boiling point, density and oxides, if any.

There is a final chapter on the history and development of the Periodic Table, which I found interesting. One of Emsley's strengths is his ability to make the material just so fascinating to read. Part of that comes from his obvious love for his subject matter. He is so good he makes me regret that I did not study chemistry when I was young. Just reading this book has opened my eyes to some of the ideas of chemistry and has greatly improved my knowledge of what the elements are like and how they interact with one another to form various molecules as they become familiar and not so familiar substances.

Here are examples of some of the fascinating details that can be found in the book:

"Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant metal known... The standard metre bar, kept in Paris, is made of a platinum-iridium alloy (90% platinum and 10% iridium) but this was superseded as the basic unit of length in 1960 by a line in the atomic spectrum of krypton (see p. 213)."

And on page 213 we find that "The standard was changed in 1983 to one based on the speed of light in a vacuum, a metre being the distance light travelled in 1/299 793 458th of a second, as measured by a light beam from a helium-neon laser."

"Inside the body, iron, as iron(III), is strongly bound by transferrin, a protein found in serum and other secretions... Transferrin binds iron tightly and, because it does so, it acts as a powerful antibiotic simply by denying this essential metal to any invading bacteria which need iron to multiply. As soon as our body registers a bacterial invasion, it produces more transferrin to mop up any free iron in the blood stream and 'hide' it in the liver." (p. 206)

"Neodymium-iron-boron (NIB) magnets are so powerful that those handling them must wear protective glasses--they fly together with such force that they can shatter and send splinters flying in all directions. At times young people have used these industrial magnets to attach ornaments to their cheeks by putting one of the small magnets on the inside of the mouth. However, the magnet and ornament have then proved impossible to pull apart, sometimes necessitating a visit to a hospital for surgical removal." (p. 270)

I have two suggestions for the next edition: (1) provide an index; (2) give us the value of the elements in terms of current (or relative) dollars or Euros. It would be fun to compare. (I realize that in some cases, the value of an element because it is so rare or not used for anything would be just an educated guess, but that's okay.)

Another interesting book by John Emsley is The Thirteenth Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus (2000). See my review.

Is this the best science book ever written?, 02 Nov 2006
Yes quite possibly!
Brilliantly written and very readable. You can work your way a-z or just browse and turn your thinking of elements and chemistry from; "its a collection of letters and grapes on sticks" to "wow isnt science interesting". Tales of discovery and use of the elements read like any Hardy novel, woe and deception abound!
If youve never thought about 'popular science' and think its an oxymoron. Pick up this book. If you're president of the RSC and think you know everything about chemistry. Pick up this book. You'll learn alot and enjoy it whatever!
A perfect christmas present for everyone with a remote interest in the world around them from about 12+

Pure delight., 27 Dec 2003
This is a wonderful read - absolutely un-put-downable. It achieves what some may think is the impossible - a book about chemistry or physics that is also entertaining. Open it at any page and you will find something to fascinate and delight.

It will be an important addition to my reference shelf after I have finished reading it cover-to-cover for the enjoyment.

An invaluable resource, 29 Jan 2008
I have been using this book for the three years of my degree, originally buying the first edition then the second when it was published. This is an invaluable resource for 1st year Forensic Science students and the comprehensive introductory material provides good reading for any budding CSI. Throughout my degree I have returned to this book, either as a refresher for learned material or as an introduction to further reading. The content is accessible and I have found that reading this material prior to further reading gives you the background knowledge necessary to understand more detailed specific subject texts.

The second edition does contain useful new material, including birefringence of fibres and archaeology. There is a tremendous amount of good accessible information in here, I can highly recommend it.


Excellent, 20 Sep 2006
Andrew Jackson is one of the lecturers on my Forensic Science course at Uni, so it was no surprise to find this book was listed as a core text. I used it practically every day in my first year and now I'm starting my second year I imagine I'll still refer to it for useful information.

I've found it very helpful, interesting and not too complicated (while also not being patronising like some other books).

I would greatly recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the subject, or for those who have a genuine interest in pursuing it beyond the boundaries of "just for pleasure".

Students, 19 Oct 2005
i am a currently a student doing a forensic science degree and i find this book very helpful! as it has all releivant information and is easy to read over all it is a very good book!.

Great book!, 26 Jun 2005
I bought this book as an aid for my Forensic Science degree course and it has been extremely helpful. It contains useful and informative sections on items such as DNA, footwear impressions analysis, explosives, fibres, court procedures etc. The illustrations are also good. I found the book easy to digest and understand, definately recommended, regardless of whether you are studying this as a subject or just want to know more about forensic science.

Forensic Science Textbook Review, 10 Aug 2004
This book provides information on a wide range of Forensic techniques and enables the reader to gain an understanding of the many areas associated with Forensic Science. The use of photographs, diagrams and charts clearly displays the most important facts and makes the more difficult topics more easily comprehensible. I recommend this text for anyone interested in this subject area.

Excellent source for reference, 10 Dec 2005
I recently qualified as a CSI and this book was reccommended, having had a chance to quickly view its contents prior to purchase. The book delivers excellent detail and will be used for reference or indeed as background reading to anyone interested in a career in this field.

University core text, 14 Jan 2001
I found this book a great source of information and understanding during the first year of my degree in forensic science. I am yet to find whether it will be as useful in the second year. Great so far!

Fantastic!!!, 31 Jan 2002
A dictionary of exceptional quality - I've found it very useful while reading through my A-level chem textbooks to explain some of the terms I come across quickly and concisely. Absolutley marvellous!!

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not t