The History and Surprises of Science

In telling the story of the periodic table of the elements, Sam Kean uses the history of scientific developments to demonstrate the changing role that the elements have had in our lives as we learn more about them and their natures. Furthermore, he often focuses on the scientific discoveries that have surprised researchers which makes an important thematic point about how we conceptualize our own understandings of the field: often, research reveals that we do not know as much as we thought, or that we were very wrong about a particular assumption.

The theme of the history of science is present throughout the book’s content as Kean charts the progress of scientific development in relation to the periodic table over the course of multiple centuries. However, this topic becomes a theme in addition to a subject as readers see how the history...