The Periodic Table Hardcover – Illustrated, 1 October 1996

Me llegó bien, con un pequeño doblez pero no siento que sea muy significativo. En cuestión de contenido, se ve bien, va a ser un regalo y leí muchas reseñas de este libro y se ve muy interesante. Espero tener la oportunidad de leerlo.La portada está linda, tiene una textura muy peculiar que no había visto en otros libros.

Book is fine but packaging is a problem obviously. It was supposed to be a gift. Careless!

ottimo servizio sia per prezzo che per spedizione

I came to this book expecting a more traditional nonfiction science book based on various elements that compose the periodic table. It was after all voted as the best science book ever in 2006 by the respected Royal Institution of Great Britain. In this respect I have to admit I was rather disappointed. The book comprises a series of autobiographical stories from Levi’s life. Each of these stories are inspired in some way by an element from the table. Nickel, for instance, tells the story of the chemical laboratories of a mine, Arsenic (a personal favourite) examines the analysis of a sugar sample (perhaps laced with arsenic) and silver the story of faulty photographic plates. While the majority of these stories are autobiographical in nature several, such as those of mercury and lead, are fictional. While some of the links to the periodic table are clear and front-centre others are more subtle. It is for this reason I was disappointed with the book as a science book in the strictest of definitions.That said, though I expected something entirely different the book makes for a compelling, thoughtful and interesting read which gives an intimate insight into Levi’s life, identity and experiences, especially that of being a Jew living under Fascist rule during the war and its aftermath. The quality of the work is astounding and the stories are each incredibly moving in their own way. I don’t know whether I can recommend this as a science book in the manner of the Royal Institution but I can wholeheartedly recommend it as the compelling collection of autobiographical stories with a scientific theme it is. This book really does give you a lot to think about and is one that I think has the potential to have a profound emotional impact.

This review is for the following particular paperback I purchased on Amazon Australia: Nothing wrong with purchase experience, and all fine- except that the book's physical size (and the print font) is too small for a comfortable reading.Product Details are as follows: Publisher : Penguin (General UK); 1st edition (12 June 2012) Paperback : 202 pages ISBN-10 : 02419 56811 ISBN-13 : 978 - 02419 56816 Dimensions : 11.1 x 1.3 x 18.1 cmTranslation from Italian to English is by Rosenthal.The book is profound and the translation is great (originally it was Non-English).I had ordered this book under the (fallacious) impression that this was about elements on the 'periodic table' . It is NOT. I was 'wrong' in that impression, however, I was 'RIGHT' in ordering this book. This book is about author's life journey (as a Jew who survived times of The Holocaust) and how he 'relates' and draws certain abstract - yet profound- parallels to certain 'elements' on the periodic table, and hence the book's rather unique title which may well be misleading for some.The Reason I recommend Hardcover over this particular paperback:1) Hard cover book appears to be larger (over 23 cm in height) whereas this book is 18 cm in height- too small in physical science as well as font sizes are too small for a good easy read (and I dont need reading glasses- yet).2) I also am in habbit of adding extensive apostills/marginalia and at mere18 cm length, there was not much margin space on the pages. There is a stand-alone Hardcover format of this book which is bigger and I should have checked the size and ordered that. But no big deal.This book is deep stuff. I liked this book's contents and writing style so much that I just ordered the full Hardcover set of Primo Levi's Works (I am not sure who the translator of that particular product is/are but it appears to be Ann Goldstein). The writing style is truly profound. I dont know if its the translator did an awesome job, or that the original is just so awesome that despite translation, it remains so deeply touching.I hope that the "Complete Works of Primo Levi" are also just as well translated by Ann Goldstein as Rosenthal did in the paperback that I have.