In this readable, informative, and fascinating guide to the elements are entries on each of the 100-odd chemical elements, arranged alphabetically from actinium to zirconium. Each entry comprises an explanation of where the element's name comes from, followed by the role it plays in living things, how and when it was discovered, what it is used for, where it occurs and other facts and figures of interest.
Since publication of the first edition there have been a number of developments. Three new chemical elements have been named and validated: darmstadtium, roetgenium, and copernicium. Economic uses of elements have grown, and some quite rare elements such as Scandium are now economically important. A comprehensive new index has been included.