The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus

John Emsley

ISBN 10: 0471394556 / ISBN 13: 9780471394556

Published by John Wiley & Sons Inc 01/08/2000, 2000

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

Title: The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder,...

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc 01/08/2000

Publication Date: 2000

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis:

The incredible "glowing" history of the "Devil's element "phosphorus

Discovered by alchemists, prescribed by apothecaries, exploited by ninth-century industrialists, and abused by twentieth-century combatants, the chemical element phosphorus has fascinated us for more than three centuries. It may even be the cause of will-o'-the wisps and spontaneous human combustion! Now John Emsley has written an enthralling account of this eerily luminescent element. Shining with wonderful nuggets-from murders-by-phosphorus to a match factory strike; from the firebombing of Hamburg to the deadly compounds derived from phosphorus today-The 13th Element weaves together a rich tableau of brilliant and oddball characters, social upheavals, and bizarre events.

From the Back Cover:

Praise for John Emsley's the 13th Element "This is popular science at its best, a great subject, unfolded with the skill of the storyteller; at once a mine of information and a thoroughly good read." --The Sunday Times (London) "This well-written book is an examination of the very character of all chemicals." --The Sunday Telegraph (London) Praise for John Emsley's Molecules at an Exhibition "Emsley's facts can be fascinating and his stories are nicely loopy." --Ann Finkbeiner, New York Times Book Review "The worst smell in the world comes from methyl mercaptan; phosphoric acid (an ingredient in Coke) can remove rust from chrome; and phenylethylamine (PEA) is the feel-good molecule in chocolate--just a few of the curious facts found in science writer and chemistry professor Emsley's gallery. Blending history, science, anecdote, and intriguing facts, he discusses curious molecules in food, molecules that can help and harm the young, detergents, high-tech materials, molecules in the environment, and molecules from hell." --Book News