The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus

This book was so interesting that I rammed right through it, in spite of being in the midst of moving! I've been on a kick of reading books about elements lately...which is probably good because I can always use this information in the classes I teach. Part of it is wanting to understand how these elements were discovered, and their uses and misuses over the years. Part of it is I've been reading about the Victorian Age and wanted to know more about the problems that they obviously had with chemicals in their environment and in the foods and medications. Apparently phosphorus was a huge part of the problem. If you've read Dickens or some of the other writers from that period, you know a little bit about children working in bad situations. Apparently, the matchmaking industry which was big at this point made a point of using children and teens and young women, who of course, suffered the dire consequences of working with phosphorus (fossy or phossy jaw).This book was chock full of research. The book talks about how phosphorus was originally obtained through use of urine. It wasn't until the late 1800's that a process was found to abstract phosphorus from minerals. Phosphorus is a very important mineral for human beings. We need it for our bones, but as with most things in the body...it's moderation in all things. Too much of even a good thing is going to end up badly. This book covers all of the dangers of phosphorus, almost too much so. The research is phenomenal, as is the story...but there are some parts that were repetitive. I noticed several places where the author was repeating himself, maybe to draw attention to the facts...but it was too much. The book is quite long anyway, so there was no need to make it longer.Of course, knowing man's propensity to use anything new they find for weapons, someone got the smart idea of using phosphorus in weapons. This is covered well in the book. The firebombing of Germany was enough to make me cringe. I hope people remember there were atrocities on both sides. I've read plenty on the wrongs of Germany during WWII but that particular chapter of war history on our part is horrendous.Terrific book, very worth reading.

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).

I was required to read this book for a high school chemistry course this past year. While I am not typically fond of scientific reading, especially regarding elements and their uses, I found this book to be surprisingly entertaining and informational. Emsley combines both scientific facts and human interest stories to make the novel a worthwhile read for anyone with a slight background in chemistry. I enjoyed the book much more than I had originally thought I would, and was able to read it cover to cover in about two weeks. There were a few chapters that I found rather dull towards the beginning, more specifically the medical chapter and the initial chapters detailing the discovery of phosphorous. I am sure someone of a more scientific mind would find these chapters enjoyable, but I was personally bored by them. I also found several grammatical and spelling errors throughout the pages that have nothing to do with differences between the American and English dialects. Overall, I found the book interesting enough for a piece of assigned reading. I would recommend The 13th Element mainly to science students looking for an engrossing read or high school teachers looking for a fairly easy book to assign students.

If you are a chemist this book is fun. Emsley is always good. It is hard to say how much you would enjoy this if high school was the last time you studied chemistry.

A wonderful little book with a great story about just one chemical element but spilling over into business issues, culture of the day, and several other broader topics. This reminds me of the small book Oranges by John McPhee, a big story emerging from what begins with a single item.

Interesting book about the history of phosphorus

For those who like science with a dark side, this book is for you! Starting with a massive vat of putrid urine boiling away for a fortnight, what can possibly go wrong?