Introduction
Chapter 1: The Periodic System
Chapter 2: Quantitative Relationships among the Elements and the
Origins of the Periodic Table
Chapter 3: Discoverers of the Periodic System
Chapter 4: Mendeleev
Chapter 5: Prediction and Accommodation: The Acceptance of
Mendeleev's Periodic System
Chapter 6: The Nucleus and the Periodic Table: Radioactivity,
Atomic Number, and Isotopy
Chapter 7: The Electron and Chemical Periodicity
Chapter 8: Electronic Explanations of the Periodic System Developed
by Chemists
Chapter 9: Quantum Mechanics and the Periodic Table
Chapter 10: Astrophysics, Nucleosynthesis
Chapter 11: The Missing Seven Elements
Chapter 12: Synthetic Elements
Chapter 13: Alternative Forms of the periodic table
Chapter 14: More Chemistry
Appendix
Index
Bibliography
Dr. Eric Scerri is a leading philosopher of science specializing in
the history and philosophy of the periodic table. Throughout his
career, he has specialized in historical and philosophical aspects
of the periodic table. He has published over 140 articles and a
number of books including The Periodic Table: A Very Short
Introduction, A Tale of Seven Elements, A Tale of Seven Scientists
and a New Philosophy of Science, and Essays in
the Philosophy of Chemistry. For the past twenty years, Scerri has
been a full-time lecturer at UCLA.
"This second edition comprises 14 chapters, four of them new or
modified versions of chapters in the first edition. The periodic
table has evolved over the last 150 years, even over the last
decade, so both editions of this book are valuable." -- R. E.
Buntrock, Choice
"In this second edition of his classic tome, there is depth,
lucidity, and comprehensiveness, making this book a must-buy for
anyone who wants to completely understand the history and
implications of the Periodic Table. Many of the readers of this
review will already own a copy of the first edition and will wonder
whether it is necessary to purchase the second edition. In the
opinion of this reviewer, the answer is an emphatic "Yes." -- Geoff
Rayner-Canham,
Memorial University, Canada, Centaurus
"The concentrated wave of scholarship accompanying 150-year
celebrations of the discovery of the periodic system, of course, is
of value for those who want to expand their knowledge on a staple
icon such as the periodic table ..." -- Karoliina Pulkkinen,
Metascience
"As a whole, this book is not highly technical, and it has the
attractiveness of providing material that doesn't appear in typical
school textbooks. Generally, those textbooks present the last
triumphant version, not the unsuccessful episodes' history and
context. Only a few experts know the "dark side" of the story, so
this book fills in many useful parts of that bigger picture. This
book will appeal to scholars and science readers alike, especially
those
interested in history of science, chemistry, physics, and
philosophy." -- Maria Elvira Callapez, ChemTexts
"Scerri's book is one that I trust will find its way on to the
shelves of all libraries, be they real or virtual, and no doubt it
will be consulted by generations to come, as it well it deserves to
be." -- John Emsley, Foundations of Chemistry
"The periodic table continues to generate new thoughts as the list
of elements grows, its foundations are refined, and new portrayals
are developed. Eric Scerri captures all these innovations in this
timely updating of his very readable account of the origin,
structure, and interpretation of the table." -- Peter Atkins,
University of Oxford
"The 2nd edition of Eric's Scerri's journey through the periodic
table is up-to-date, readable, and intellectually enticing. This
icon of chemistry has never had a better expositor!" -- Roald
Hoffmann, Cornell University
"This second edition is a revised and expanded take on the
philosophical and historical aspects of the periodic table that
made his first edition such a worthy successor to van Spronsen's
classic history." -- Carmen Giunta, , Le Moyne College
"Written to a high standard of scholarship, The Periodic Table is
the best book on this subject currently available. It gives both an
historical and philosophical perspective to the development of this
key to the elements, as well as including all the recent additions
to the table." -- John Emsley, author of Nature's Building
Blocks
"Since Eric Scerri's The Periodic Table was the definitive book on
the topic when it first appeared, it is wonderful to see that
status claimed anew by this second edition during the International
Year of the Periodic Table. The story is still unfolding, thanks in
large part to the ingenuity of today's element-makers, and the
additions bring this volume right up to date. It remains as clear,
balanced and thoughtful as ever, and is the best guide to this
iconic
formulation of nature's atomic building blocks." -- Philip Ball,
author of Elements: A Very Short Introduction
Ask a Question About this Product More... |