Chemistry of the Elements

For anyone in need of a general reference on the chemical elements and their compounds (anyone majoring or working in chemistry), this book is indeed the bible. It has the advantage of being a well-written reference, but make no mistake, it is a reference - in the same way that a book on grammar, even if it is well-written, is still a book on grammar. Which means that if you are looking for an interesting and pleasantly readable popular science book about the chemical elements, and unless you have a serious technical interest in chemistry, this is probably not the best choice. The author doesn't make any claims that it was written for a popular audience, but some of the reviews seem to hint that it might be.

Did you know that the ending ON in silicon was chosen (by Thomas Thomson) to stress the analogy of this element with both carbon and boron? I didn't. Along with such kind of historical details, Greenwood and Earnshaw's book contains a great deal of information (data, tables, graphs, etc.) about the elements of the Periodic Table and their corresponding compounds. The material is logically organized in 31 chapters, which are followed by 7 appendices (1341 pages!). This chemistry bible should stay on the desk of every chemist and scientist alike.

This book is an essential component of the practicicing inorganic chemist's library. The fundamental information contained within are the seeds for the further study of chemistry.

For years I have enjoyed the previous edition as a source of information and reference. It is a good adjunct to many of the courses in Chemistry to give additional background. The authors seem to anticipate what you will need to learn. The inset boxes are excellent in that they call attention to practical industrial chemistry and I know of no other text that so successfully stresses applied chemistry while most texts give no insight into the real world of the practical side of Chemistry. Do you know how a match is made? Chemistry of the Elements will educate you! Harry Persinger

Greenwood and Earshaw is an excellent inorganic chemistry text as well as a valuable reference for the chemist or geochemist. Their systematic treatment of the elements by group within the periodic table makes for a coherent treatment of periodic properties. Besides the almost encyclopedic coverage of element chemistry, they cover the sources and uses of the elements and their compounds, making the chemistry much more relevant to everyday life. This is a good text for a university level inorganic class, but has enough general information that would be digestable for lower level students as well. An excellent resource for chemistry instructors at all levels.