What links the Taj Mahal and our skeleton? Calcium. The Eiffel Tower and our blood? Iron. The salt on our fries and the street lamps that guide us home? Sodium. Everything in the known universe is made up of one of the 118 elements of the periodic table, and this book is the definitive illustrated guide. Every element is featured, their vital statistics given, their main compounds and uses explored, and their fascinating histories told. This book is authoritative and accessible, with a sense of wonder about the way in which the material world works.