"Chapman provides a solid introduction to the field . An entertaining look at a (super)heavy subject." -- Booklist "Perhaps the first popular-science exploration of the weird world of huge, unstable, laboratory-generated elements . Chapman has done his homework, traveled the world to interview a colorful fraternity of scientists, and delivered an entertaining account of their struggles to create elements that have never existed and that may or may not reveal spectacular new features. A fine pop-science account of elements that 'are rewriting the laws of atomic structure.'" -- Kirkus Review "Chapman takes readers on a tour of the far end of the periodic table in his lively debut . This is a must for anyone interested in how humans have expanded, and continue to expand, the boundaries of scientific knowledge." -- Publishers Weekly "Making elements that don't exist in nature is one of the craziest, most painstaking and bold pursuits in all of science, and Superheavy tells that story for the first time, with wit and verve .

This deeply researched and engaging tour of the nether reaches of the periodic table will delight and inform everyone from the expert to the reader with only the dimmest memory of the iconic chart of chemical elements on the school lab wall." -- Phillip Ball, author of Beyond Weird "To anyone who imagines that the romantic age of elemental discovery ended in the 19th century, Kit Chapman's hugely entertaining account of the discovery of the elements past uranium will be a real eye-opener . Larger than life characters, strange stories of errors, improvisation, and luck (good and bad) abound here. With a solid introduction to the science underpinning the stability and separation of these mysterious and mostly ephemeral species, there is much for everyone to learn and connect with here." -- Andrea Sella, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, UCL, and winner of the Royal Society's Michael Faraday Prize 2014 "With meticulous attention to detail and careful research, Chapman masterfully captures the excitement, politics and competition of the transuranic elements. Chapman's energy and enthusiasm is evident in every interaction , whether he is uncovering elaborate experimental details or unearthing scientific rivalries." -- Jess Wade, Physics Research Associate, Imperial College London.