The Periodic Table is one of the most recognizable images in science - and in our culture. Its 118 elements make up everything on our planet and in the entire universe.

But how many of us actually know how to interpret its distinctive design? And what does its unique arrangement tell us about the behaviour of each element in the world around us?

The Periodic Table looks at the fascinating story and surprising history of each of these elements, from the little-known uses of gold in medicine to that of arsenic as a wallpaper dye in the ninteenth-century and the development of the hydrogen bomb. Packed with interesting facts and figures and helpful illustrations, this accessible guide will help the armchair chemist navigate through the different groups of elements - and discover the world afresh.