M. J. Wright a publié une critique de Elementary par James M. Russell
A Taste of Elementary Goodness.
4 étoiles
Right off the bat, Elementary was a fun, enjoyable, and leisurely read. Russell turned a subject that some would perceive as a slog and instead whipped us up tasty, bite-sized pieces that are easier to chew while maintaining and communicating a whole slew of informational flavors. The book is (more or less) divided into a couple of broad chapters, which consist of single elemental sub-chapters of 2-ish pages each. This makes it a perfect book to pick up and put down without losing the train of thought—great for commuting, coffee tables, or even the porcelain throne. (Admittedly, my preferred reading location; hey, at least it’s better than doomscrolling.)
I walked away from this book with more than I came with—that, in my eyes, is a success. It was worth my time, especially since I enjoyed it. The only downside (if you can even call it that) is the fact …
Right off the bat, Elementary was a fun, enjoyable, and leisurely read. Russell turned a subject that some would perceive as a slog and instead whipped us up tasty, bite-sized pieces that are easier to chew while maintaining and communicating a whole slew of informational flavors. The book is (more or less) divided into a couple of broad chapters, which consist of single elemental sub-chapters of 2-ish pages each. This makes it a perfect book to pick up and put down without losing the train of thought—great for commuting, coffee tables, or even the porcelain throne. (Admittedly, my preferred reading location; hey, at least it’s better than doomscrolling.)
I walked away from this book with more than I came with—that, in my eyes, is a success. It was worth my time, especially since I enjoyed it. The only downside (if you can even call it that) is the fact that the book does exactly what it says on the tin, and therefore I have very little to write about.
One thing I will mention is the format each element takes: consisting of its name, category, atomic number, color, melting and boiling points, when it was first identified (more or less), and of course its history and how we came to learn of it. Sometimes Russell also includes some interesting fun excerpts set in little call-out boxes. One of my favorites is from Cesium on pages 118–119, entitled Just a Second. It goes:
"If you're ever asked to give the internationally recognized definition of a second, just memorize this: in 1967, the official definition was set by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures at 9,192,631,770 cycles of the radiation that gets an atom of cesium-133 to vibrate between two energy states. Simple!" —James M. Russell, Elementary: The Periodic Table Explained, p. 119.
In conclusion, Elementary and Russell turn the subject of the periodic table into what I can only describe as literary candy (my favorite kind of candy) instead of a heady investigation that only chemistry students would summon the willpower to complete.
—MJW