The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus
The incredible "glowing" history of the "Devil's element "phosphorusDiscovered 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...
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The incredible "glowing" history of the "Devil's element "phosphorusDiscovered 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.
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Format: paperback
ISBN:
9780471441496 (047144149X)
Publish date: January 1st 2002
Publisher: Wiley
Pages no: 352
Edition language: English
I learned so much about phosphorus and phosphorus-related things in this book. I think the coolest thing I learned was that phosphorus is not actually phosphorescent (it's luminescent!). My only complaint is that sometimes the author falls into what I feel is too much detail for a general audience...
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