About book The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale Of Murder, Fire, And Phosphorus (2002)
The discovery and history of an element that is essential to life & is a deadly poison. What's not to look forward to?This book starts out interestingly enough. It recounts the early years after the discovery of phosphorus where the personalities of the pioneers of chemistry effect the progress of this element from the secretively made subject of parlor tricks (literally) to a mass produced necessity. It moves through the dark parts of the history as a weapon of murder both individually and for large groups. Finally, it recounts the redemption of phosphorus to its now required place in modern agriculture.The history is amazing, the chemistry interesting (if you are into it); where this book fails (in my opinion) is its missed opportunities. The author spends pages talking about the structure of the phosphorus compounds, but when the opportunity comes to talk about the demonstrations during the 16 & 1700's that enthralled nobility throughout Europe it gets mere paragraphs. These stories could have served as a vehicle to talk about the properties of the element as they were first understood. Instead, they became a footnote. The author spent most of a chapter describing and debunking spontaneous human combustion (I think I counted four times he said it couldn't happen even as he described it happening) but ignored the effects of phosphorus based fertilizers drying as a combustible material on certain farmers clothing (again interesting stories left behind).On the whole, not a book to be rejected out of hand, especially if you are interested in chemistry; however not a must-read (at least in the US release).
Cheap SensationalismThe first hundred pages address the history of the alchemists and their attempts to make phosphorus, in a breathless recounting of professional jealousy and completing claims to have discovered…. Oh, sorry I dozed off for a moment there-- a method for its manufacture, mainly using vast quantities of human urine. Early medicinal claims have all been debunked. Well, that covers the first hundred pages.It has some interesting anecdotes like the history of the Swedish match king, but these have no lasting bearing on the "story," and as I finished reading each anecdote, I couldn't help but thinking, so what?The most interesting aspects of phosphorus were the ones that relate to daily life. For example the debate about the environmental damage allegedly caused by phosphorus in laundry detergent, and how subsequently it was discovered was that the culprits were the heavy metals, oils and insecticides that had killed the zooplankton that eat the algae blooms. I remember the hue and cry over phosphates, and then how the debate quietly faded away.The book attempts to compelling but the closest it achieves is sensationalism, with graphic descriptions of the gruesome ailment phossy jaw, the horrors of the incendiary bombs that were dropped on Germany, tales of murder by phosphorus, and a look at how phosphorus might be implicated in what is known as spontaneous human combustion. All in all, The 13th Element left a bad taste ion my mouth… wait a minute, what is that taste? I've been poisoned! Arrrrgh…..
Do You like book The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale Of Murder, Fire, And Phosphorus (2002)?
Thoughts on [The 13th Element] - I read [Molecules at an Exhibition] by this author and really enjoyed it, so when I found this one in the chemistry section at the library, I thought it looked interesting. I was right.This is all about the element phosphorus - its discovery, its uses, hazards, and history. Not just for scientists, it was an entertaining and easy read. A few times the chemistry got a little technical for me, so I just skimmed ahead for a bit. But I can recommend it to those with an interest in science.
—Cindy
I had put this on my to-read list because I'd read a glowing review of it. Overall, yes it was interesting. However I agree with other readers who say it contained a bit more detail than a general audience is likely to appreciate, and I have to admit that I skimmed through (or maybe skipped would be more accurate) a paragraph or even a page or two now and then when the author got too technical. I found the information about matches really interesting because it explained why some matches won't light except on their strike pad and maybe not even on that if it's too worn. I also found it interesting to read about nerve gasses since I'd heard about sarin in the news. Probably the most interesting to me was learning about phosphate detergents and why they are linked to environmental problems and that phosphorus is the limiting factor of life on earth.
—MD
I am not a fair judge of such a book. Were I a chemist or an alchemist or a murderer, I'd probably be singing its praises right now. If you are uL2 ♥2 bn2 this1! And I can’t even figure out how to hang numbers in mid-air, or dangle them from the base line. Well, just imagine it: uL² ♥2 bn2 this1! Too little interest in the history and who’s who of the phosphorus world, but I did find some things of interest.Matchstick girls on strike, Salvation Army’s campaign to mobilize public opinion for better working conditions, poison recipes, firework bombs, day-glow people, spontaneous human combustion, environmental impact. Multitude of facts were boring, antidotes were interesting.
—Almeta
