The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe

Great book - very visual and not at all stuffy old school. I bought it for a 9 year old interested in science, who has only been introduced to the periodic table through mine craft. He has started to ask questions about elements and what they are. Wanted to show him that the REAL elements are different and not like the mine craft ones. He is particularly interested in radioactive substances, this book was ideal in explaining what uranium was to satisfy his curiosity. It's a great book to dip in and out of, I wouldn't expect him to read it cover to cover, (although it is under his pillow). There is a double page colourful spread for each element, and the text is very readable. It is ordered in a way sympathetic to the periodic table. I love that practical everyday objects are used to illustrate what the elements are and how we use them in everyday life. Takes you up to secondary level science concepts, but in a way younger children may find interesting. He likes to categorise, order and group things, so this is right up his street. Found it when searching for a periodic table poster on line. Would quite like to get the cards that go with the book, and the poster. Also the book about molecules from the same series. I do think that when kids ask questions about a topic it's fine to give them text that takes them beyond what they may be doing at school. Hopefully it will make chemistry look interesting rather than scary, by the time he reaches secondary school.

Unless you want to pit them together, stick in a frame and hang on the wall, I do not recommend. There are areas that are just black AND the pieces fit into many spots equally well. Usually you would start with a frame, bug this one is all black and the bottom turned out 2 pieces longer! The middle is relatively easy, so it would be good to start there and then try to fit all the black pieces around, it's tedious and not enjoyable. Not your usual jigsaw experience, more like try and error...They are reasonably sturdy but the surface is very shiny.

As a child science really wasn't my thing, but while mathematics still leaves me cold, an entertainingly written book like this provides a wonderful window into the varied cast (some reliable, some eccentric, some a little dull) of elements that make up the periodic table. It's a bit like reading that long list of technicians, supervisors, and stunt men, that scroll passed you all too quickly at the end of a blockbusting film. A great read. An extremely useful resource. And a bit of science in my life where there otherwise might not be any. Highly recommended.

Sight is our most important sense, and so it's always nice to see what something looks like. As most of us aren't going to hold a physical specimen of each element in our hands, this book is a good proxy for that.It was nice to see what most elements and some of their ores looked like. My only very small criticism would be that for something like sulphur I would like to have seen some good pictures of its allotropes: some perfect rhombic crystals produced from dissolving sulphur in carbon disulphide, a nice magnified shot of freshly prepared monoclinic sulphur, and maybe a small weight hanging from some plastic sulphur.But this is a very minor concern for a book which I found a visual delight and am glad I purchased.

Love chemistry and this book it always on my coffee table. Read a page regularly, the information is interesting and is accompanied by beautiful photographs. Love the features in the margins too.