Superheavy

Superheavy is an interesting and engaging review of how the periodic table was populated with the synthetic elements. Chapman writes in a conversational prose that is easy to follow and captures the personality of the scientists involved. He clearly explains the processed involved in creating new elements, and gives credit to both the chemists and physicists involved. All too often, the realm of nuclear reactors is thought to be the exclusive province of theoretical physicists, but Chapman shows how different skills were necessary to create and characterize the heavy elements. The book captures the successes, failures, lucky guesses and mistakes (because science involves all of these) and provides a book that should stand next to the perennial classic, Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

This is a must read for all scholars of scientific history as well as students eager to understand more about the nature of the periodic table.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.

Hot Carbon

This was an easy-to-understand description of the discovery of radioactivity in general and the utility of carbon-14 in particular. In the digital ARC I received from NetGalley, there was an error in the definition of isotope which prevents me from giving this a higher recommendation. Contrary to the text in Hot Carbon, all isotopes of an element must have the same number of protons, though they do have different numbers of neutrons.

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/hot-carbon/9780231186704

The Long Call

This is a new series from Ann Cleeves and I’m already impatient for the next one! Cleeves’ is a master of detective fiction, and has managed to craft three unique and different series–Detective Matthew Venn could easily hold his own with Vera and Jimmy Perez. I found Venn to be an intriguing protagonist with an interesting backstory. This is highly recommended for all Cleeves’ fans and others who enjoy well-crafted stories.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.

A Merciful Promise

The story of Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick comes to an end in the sixth installment of the “Merciful” series, Raised by preppers in Oregon, Mercy was kicked out her home at 18 and joined the establishment, becoming an FBI special agent. Over the course of the series, she has come home and fallen in love with the local police chief, and begun to re-connect with her estranged family. In this thriller, Mercy is on her own in an undercover assignment and must rely on her wits and courage to survive. A satisfying conclusion to the story arc begun in “A Merciful Death.”

I received a digital arc via NetGalley.