Nature’s Building Blocks (2nd edn) - Hodder Education Magazines

(2nd edn)

This is the International Year of Chemistry, and many books have been published that take the elements as their theme, such as Periodic Tales by Hugh Aldersey-Williams, The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean and The Elements by Theodore Gray. All can help you understand how the elements and periodic table work. Now there is a second edition of John Emsley’s bestseller about the elements, Nature’s Building Blocks. CHEMISTRY REVIEW editor Anne Hodgson asked him about it

NASA

AH: Was a second edition of your book really necessary? Surely there isn’t much that is new about the elements?

JE: The first edition of Nature’s Building Blocks appeared in 2001 and at the time I thought that its 520 pages contained everything that the general reader might want to know — and it’s not just for chemists. Since then, I have continued to collect data and have been surprised by how much extra I have amassed. Particularly noticeable has been the development of the 15 lanthanoid elements, which are now of global significance, being a vital part of wind generators, mobile phones, iPads, flat screens and hospital equipment. However, it’s not only these elements that have seen their usage increase. For example, gold has taken on a new role, especially as a catalyst, and gold nanoparticles are showing a very different chemistry compared to gold in its normal form, which is unreactive. Even an inert element like helium is finding new uses, such as in the helium ion microscope.