Was Napoleon really poisoned by his wallpaper? Why is the light in medieval St. Denis so heavenly? What makes your lipstick that luscious red? You can find the answers to these and much more esoteric questions in Periodic Tales. Author Hugh Aldersey-Williams gives a terrific tour from aluminum to zinc, including why the British have an extra syllable in Aluminum. For those of us who had only a pathetic attempt at science in school,(namely me) he writes in a simple explanatory fashion, while still displaying playfulness and humor. This book is fun to read while still covering all the info an amateur would want or need to know. He hits the important people who discovered new elements, or who came heart-breakingly close and never knew it. He takes us to places where discoveries were made. He gives us the origins of names and explains why they were chosen. This book is like candy that is good for you. It makes you WANT TO KNOW all that stuff that lulled you to sleep in high school. He quotes John Keats, Buckminster Fuller and Tom Lehrer. Now that's eclectic! I really liked this, and I think almost any curious person would like it, too.