Preview
  • The Disappearing Spoon: Young Listeners Edition

  • By: Sam Kean
  • Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
  • Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (53 ratings)

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The Disappearing Spoon: Young Listeners Edition

By: Sam Kean
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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Publisher's summary

A young listeners edition of the New York Times best seller The Disappearing Spoon, chronicling the extraordinary stories behind one of the greatest scientific tools in existence: the periodic table.

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?

The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, greed, betrayal, and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow elements on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.

Adapted for a middle-grade audience, the young listeners edition of The Disappearing Spoon offers the material in a simple, easy-to-follow format. Students, teachers, and burgeoning science buffs will love learning about the history behind the chemistry.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Sam Kean (P)2018 Hachette Audio
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What listeners say about The Disappearing Spoon: Young Listeners Edition

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Nice history stories but....

Nice history stories but a bit disjointed. The editors brief is a bit vague. I now know why. This collection of stories while interesting I don’t think could keep the interest of a teenager. It could barely hold mine.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Would be tough for kids

Jumps around a lot but is generally pretty funny and informative. I would recommend it for adults.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great stories for science lovers!

The audiobook narrated by Robert Petkoff was great! I enjoyed it all and almost couldn't stop listening! I loved the stories as well, so I ordered the actual book in the original edition :) looking forward to receiving it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent listen

even with a chemistry background I learned a lot. wish I heard this when I was in school.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

history with soul

Sam breathes life into the scientific community with his vibrant portrayal of one of the dusty grey tomes of Earth's history: the development of the periodic table. I've listened to it 4 times and I'm looking forward to many more.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Informative but dry at times

I'm not sure what I was expecting for this novel. It felt like a science teacher's rite of passage to read it. Lots of new information but nothing particularly fun.

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