Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Disappearing Spoon Review and Giveaway...


Details:
The Disappearing Spoon-And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Author: Sam Kean
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (July 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316051640
ISBN-13: 978-0316051644
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.2 inches

Synopsis:
The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country and their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON.



What we thought:
This book is very interesting, especially if you like chemistry, but even if you didn't pay much attention in high school, you'll probably enjoy this book. I think if the elements had been taught using this book, I would have retained a little more knowledge of the Periodic Table(sorry Ms. Polski:) The tales behind each element are truly fascinating and Kean does a fabulous job of getting the reader interested in the subject matter. ABCD Diaries gives The Disappearing Spoon an A!

Buy It: You can get your hands on your very own copy of the Disappearing Spoon at your local book store or online book seller:)

Win It: Hatchette Book Group has generously offered two ABCD Diaries readers a copy of The Disappearing Spoon!!
To enter, comment below telling us whether or not YOU paid attention in high school Chemistry class!

Extra Entries:
1.Follow ABCD Diaries via Google Friend Connect(if you already follow, leave a comment saying so) +1 entry
2.Subscribe to our RSS feed +2 entries...comment twice please
3.Follow ABCD Diaries via Twitter(leave id) +1 entry
4.Tweet about this giveaway(leave link)+2 entries...comment twice please
5.Blog about this giveaway(leave link) +2 entries...comment twice please
6.Enter any other current giveaways on ABCD Diaries and leave a comment saying so. +1 for each entered


Giveaway ends Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US residents 18+:)


Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a copy of this book for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

59 comments:

  1. Yeah, I paid attention in chemistry class. I kind of thought it was interesting.....

    abfantom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I follow via GFC: abfantom

    abfantom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I might have paid attention at the time, but I know none of it stuck with me! And thankfully, I don't think our teacher made us memorize the periodic table - so that's a relief!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I entered the Pretzelmania Review and Giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  5. I also entered the I Hate to Cook Book Review and Giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi! Stopping by from MBC. Great blog!
    Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I did NOT pay attention in High School Chemistry class (my excuse is that I was busy writing poetry in the margins of my notebook...) HOWEVER, in college, I really got into it!

    jessterlyn(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I entered your Swirlie Pendant Giveaway
    jessterlyn(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I paid attention in High School Chemistry.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I honestly tried to pay attention, but mostly the smartest kid in class had to tutor the rest of us before exams. Thanks for the chance to win the book. I could use the remedial study! (krstrpp at hotmail dot com)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I follow on Google Friend Connect (krstrpp at hotmail dot com)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I follow on Twitter @krstrpp (krstrpp at hotmail dot com)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I did pay attention because I had an awesome teacher and I thought he would make a great husband for my mom.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I never took High School Chemistry! I took Biology instead :)

    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I follow on GFC!

    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I entered Enstrom's giveaway

    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I entered Maggie's Soap Nuts giveaway

    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't take chemistry! But this book sounds really interesting, so maybe it's about time I learned a little about it!

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  19. I follow you on GFC!

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  20. I entered your YumYum Pendants giveaway.

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  21. I subscribe to your feed #1

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  22. I subscribe to your feed #2

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  23. Entered your Mederma giveaway.

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  24. I entered your Enstrom's giveaway.

    kt1969 at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  25. no i disliked chemistry and did not do well in the class. Now I wish I would have. angiewith3 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. already following ABCD diaries via gfc

    ReplyDelete
  27. already follow abcd diaries via twitter as @angiewith3 angiewith3 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I wish I paid attention more...I only paid attention enough to get an A! I guess I probably know more than others (at least in my class...)

    flufffreebies@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Nope. lol. It was in the morning. Science was my worst subject.

    misusedinnocence@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I follow on gfc.

    misusedinnocence@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I entered the Enstrom's giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I entered the Everyday Minerals giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  33. While I love science, I never went to Chemistry. It was too much like work. I did end up getting a career based more in Biology, though. Go figure. In high school I thought I'd be a hair stylist. That lasted all of 6 months.

    ReplyDelete
  34. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I paid attention although I did not retain a lot of the information. I did always find it fascinating

    jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Tweeted

    http://twitter.com/parkerozgood/status/19765658073

    jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Tweeted #2

    http://twitter.com/parkerozgood/status/19765658073

    jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  38. I paid attention in Chemistry, I was such a nerd! But do I remember much of what I was taught now? Mmm...not really!

    -Becky
    rebecca31604 at juno.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I loved Chemistry class; I can still remember my s, p, d, and f orbitals!

    theyyyguy@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I never had chemistry in high school.
    vrtheriot@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I definitely paid attention, I ended up going to chemistry camp one summer.
    andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  42. I did pay attention, it was very interesting, thanks!

    Hotsnotty2@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. I did pay attention to Chemistry in school

    ReplyDelete
  44. I don't really know anything about Chemistry so I guess I didn't pay attention

    ReplyDelete
  45. I took Chemistry and AP Chemistry but it wasn't really my thing. I'm definitely a Biology person!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I subscribe to your feed through Google Reader 1

    ReplyDelete
  47. I subscribe to your feed through Google Reader 2

    ReplyDelete
  48. i loved chemistry in high school
    susansmoaks at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  49. I did not pay attention, but when I got to college I wish I would have. eaglesforjack@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  50. I was terrible in Chemistry. The only way I passed was by wearing short skirts!

    ReplyDelete
  51. I follow your blog with GFC.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I follow you on twitter - ncschools.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thanks for the giveaway...I was a great Chemistry student in high school & college !

    senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Following you via Twitter: @brianpiero

    senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  55. Subscribed via RSS.

    senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  56. #2 Subscribed via RSS.

    senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.