Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with miss
iles made of cadmium (Cd, 48)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's
reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush i
n history? The periodic table is one of our crowning scientific achievements, bu
t it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal and obsession.