First published 2022
Dmitri Mendeleyev sits exhausted at his desk in 1869, wrestling with the chaos of chemical knowledge. The Russian scientist has been trying to organize the elements into a coherent system, but the puzzle pieces refuse to fit together. Fatigue overcomes him and he falls asleep where he works. In his dream, the solution appears complete and perfect. When he awakens, Mendeleyev possesses the key that will transform chemistry from a collection of observations into a true science. Paul Strathern weaves this pivotal moment into the broader story of chemistry's evolution, tracing the path from ancient philosophical speculation through medieval alchemical experiments to the modern understanding of atomic structure. The book follows humanity's long quest to identify and organize the fundamental building blocks of matter, showing how one man's unconscious breakthrough provided the framework that still guides chemical thinking today.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, chemistry, 19th-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, scientific-breakthrough
Setting: Russia
Period: 1869
320 pages · Hardcover · Pegasus Books