Books by Sam Kean and Complete Book Reviews

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Sam Kean, Little, Brown, $24.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-316-05164-4
Science magazine reporter Kean views the periodic table as one of the great achievements of humankind, "an anthropological marvel," full of stories about our connection with the physical world. Funny, even chilling tales are associated with each...
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The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love
The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code
Sam Kean. Little, Brown, $25.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-316-18231-7
As he did in his debut bestseller, The Disappearing Spoon, Kean educates readers about a facet of science, in this case, genetics, with wonderfully witty prose and enthralling anecdotes. The book’s title, for instance, refers to the genetic disorder
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The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery
Sam Kean. Little, Brown, $27 (400p) ISBN 978-0-316-18234-8
Science writer Kean (The Disappearing Spoon) delves into the strange ways we've learned about the workings of our brains, rejuvenating with invigorating detail anecdotes that otherwise receive only brief textbook mention. Even his organization, with
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Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us
Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us
Sam Kean. Little, Brown, $28 (384p) ISBN 978-0-316-38164-2
Kean (The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons) pumps chemical and historical trivia into this tale about air and the gases of which it is composed. His style ranges from buoyant to jittery and he bounces ideas around as though they were ping-pong...
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The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb
The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb
Sam Kean. Little, Brown, $30 (448p) ISBN 978-0-316381-68-0
Science writer Kean (The Disappearing Spoon) switches topics with this sprawling history of the Western spies, soldiers, and scientists who worked to thwart Nazi development of a nuclear bomb, accompanied by helpful cartoon illustrations of the...
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The Icepick Surgeon: Murder
The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science
Sam Kean. Little, Brown, $29 (368p) ISBN 978-0-316-49650-6
Kean (The Bastard Brigade) delivers a fascinating survey of crimes committed by scientists, all of whom shared the desire to “do science too well, to the exclusion of their humanity.” For many, the road toward ignominy began gradually, as their...
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  • To Serve Mankind?: PW Talks with Sam Kean
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