"The Periodic Table" says author Theodore Gray, "is the global catalog of everything that can fall at your feet." Anything tangible in the world is made up of elements, and elements have two sides - their pure form and the chemical compounds they form when combined with other elements. This book, based on seven years of research and photography, gives us the rare opportunity to see both of these sides up close. Its photographs constitute the most complete and visually captivating portrait of all the elements in the universe.

The material is structured according to the Periodic Table, and each element is presented (where possible) with a large, beautiful photograph depicting it in its pure form. For example, oxygen (element 8) is a colorless gas, but at -183°C it turns into a pale blue liquid. The book also includes photographs illustrating typical ways in which this element exists in the world - compounds and applications through which we encounter the element in our everyday lives.
The accompanying text for each spread tells the story of the element. It informs us, for example, that fluorine (element 9) is one of the most reactive elements. Almost any material, if exposed to a stream of fluorine gas, will burst into flames. However, because it is so reactive, its compounds are very stable.

The presentation also includes essential physical data about each element, such as atomic weight, atomic radius, crystal structure diagrams, and graphs representing the sequence of electron filling, atomic emission spectra, and temperature ranges in which the element is solid, liquid, and gas. The introduction of the book includes an explanation of these properties, as well as a tour of the structure of the Periodic Table. A unique combination of valid science and high-quality photography, "The Elements" is the ideal gift for any knowledge enthusiast.