I am deeply honored to have such kind words said about my book, and I invite you to judge for yourself whether they are deserved. This is a book I've put a lot of heart and soul into: It's not just a catalog of pictures or a dry recitation of the properties and applications of the elements. It's a personal conversation with the stuff we're made of.



I love to see and feel this stuff, and I've tried to make the elements as real for you as I can, through photography and by telling the stories that make them meaningful to me. You may be tempted to just look at the pictures, but I encourage you to read the text as well: Some of it's quite interesting, if I do say so myself.