The Disappearing Spoon Essay

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean is a non-fiction science book that tells of all the elements found on the periodic table. The main goal of this book is to relate how the elements and periodic table came to be, along with the importance of such things. This consists of telling of the different scientists that discovered the elements. The novel follows some of the most known scientists, like Marie Curie and Niels Bohr, to those who are lesser known, but made important contributions to science. It also describes how these elements were used in the time they were discovered, along with their importance today. Kean does an excellent job of connecting the elements to society in a way that keeps the audience captivated. He does this by using narratives
The connection of the elements to topics such as war, politics and art, made it possible to truly understand the importance of such elements. Showing the lasting effects that discoveries have One connection in the book to society today is the use of x-rays. When Wilhelm Rontgen could see his bones, he thought he was going mad. He locked himself away for seven weeks before he finally had his wife come in. When he exposed his wife’s hands to the x-rays and she too saw her bones, Rontgen was elated; he wasn’t going made. In fact, he had just made a discovery that has made a major impact in the science and medial fields. Before reading this, I never even thought about how the practice of x-rays had come into being. Now, I realize how influential science is in many various aspects of society. Overall, I found this book to be very interesting. Kean could inform the readers about the periodic table and its origin while incorporating related tales that are more relatable to the audience. In my opinion, he was successful in accomplishing his goal, as the book engrossed me the whole time I was reading it. Also, this book opened my eyes to all the facts about the elements that I had never known before, and kept me wanting to know