Here is the essential guide to the Periodic Table, an authoritative reference book and timeline with at-a-glance information for every element. The Periodic Table, set out by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, is the result of centuries of accumulated knowledge. It is a powerful yet elegant tool that opens a window onto the very stuff of nature – stars, rocks, life, and more –and it shows us the way to make ever smarter technologies. One hundred ponderables, the puzzles solved and inspirations reached, tell the story of how the Periodic Table came to be. The journey begins just as the first cities are forming and follows the contributions made by philosophers, alchemists, industrialists, and great scientists. It ends with the synthesis of superheavy elements never seen before on Earth – and an understanding of how the universe really works.

• 100 milestone facts reveal the chronological history of how the weighty problems in the world of chemistry led to great discoveries.
• Authoritative but lively text, first-hand imagery, and explanatory illustrations set out the reasoning behind the Periodic Table, bringing the elements into clear focus.
• Includes a 12-page fold-out Timeline – stretches out to 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) long.