We all know the saying: "Don't judge a book by its cover." » Likewise, each element on the periodic table has its own history and meaning. However, the average high school student simply associates these items with something they use in their chemistry classes. In fact, the elements of the periodic table actually have much more to do with our daily lives and throughout history than most people realize. While giving a whole new perspective to the meaning of chemistry, author Sam Kean successfully tells the hidden stories with humor and wit in his bestselling novel The Vanishing Spoon: And Other True Stories of Madness, Love and D periodical world history. Table of elements. Specifically, Chapter 15, “An Element of Madness,” discusses the lives of several “mad scientists” associated with selenium, manganese, palladium, barium, and roentgenium that ultimately led to their downfall. So, what makes a scientist “mad”? Kean represents the mad scientist as someone who possesses both qualities of supreme intelligence and, undoubtedly, mad characteristics. The author first describes the life of William Crookes, a bestselling author and member of an exclusive club of elite scientists. A combination of experimenting with selenium and the tragic death of his brother, he has definitely reached his point of insanity. Additionally, Kean connects manganese to history through the discovery of shark teeth on the ocean floor. Scientists discovered that manganese coated the surface of large teeth; and people associated this with the megalodon craze. The author also discusses the scandal of Pons and Fleischmann, who claimed to create cold fusion from palladium, a powerful element capable of consuming immense quantities of hydro...... middle of paper .... ..we really thought it was provocative and insightful while being entertaining at the same time. This novel definitely changes the way I view these elements and provides background information on these elements that have affected the lives of many scientists. Personally, I really enjoyed reading this chapter because I got to experience a mad scientist in a real world sense. Even for someone who doesn't particularly like non-fiction novels, especially about chemistry, I found this to be quite enjoyable to read. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and World History Based on the Periodic Table of Elements is surely a novel that a high school student, even with minimal training in chemistry, can read. This is definitely a book that will advance your knowledge of chemistry by providing a quirky and satisfying experience through various tales and examples..