Science and Art. - 02/09/12 03:58 PM
Has anyone read Primo Levi's excellent book, "The Periodic Table?"
It's a series of vignettes - most of them autobiographical, a few fictional - describing his experiences, his lessons, and his emotional and mental growth. Each chapter is titled after some element and uses some property of that element to bring focus onto "the human condition."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Periodic_Table_%28book%29
I got it for my daughter (who is about to graduate in chemistry), but read it myself. It's enjoyable, but also depressing in parts, because most of the stories transpire as fascists are taking over Europe.
It also illustrates some of the potential in the life of a scientist - as a student, as an employee, as an entrepreneur.
Here's some reviews at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Periodic-Table-Pri...nDateDescending
It's a series of vignettes - most of them autobiographical, a few fictional - describing his experiences, his lessons, and his emotional and mental growth. Each chapter is titled after some element and uses some property of that element to bring focus onto "the human condition."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Periodic_Table_%28book%29
I got it for my daughter (who is about to graduate in chemistry), but read it myself. It's enjoyable, but also depressing in parts, because most of the stories transpire as fascists are taking over Europe.
It also illustrates some of the potential in the life of a scientist - as a student, as an employee, as an entrepreneur.
Here's some reviews at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Periodic-Table-Pri...nDateDescending
