From astronomy to computer science to energy innovation, several scientific fields of research rely on understanding the elements of the periodic table and how they relate to and interact with each other as well as other particles such as electrons, protons, and photons. Some of the most important concerns of the public-including agriculture, health care, and national defense-cannot be addressed without up-to-date scientific knowledge about phosphorus, mercury, and plutonium.

The six-volume Periodic Table of the Elements set provides a fascinating look at the chemical elements by group, as well as the past, present, and future impact on the scientific community and general world. The full-color books go beyond explaining how the elements were discovered and what their most prominent chemical and physical properties are, to also focus on new discoveries and uses in fields ranging from astrophysics to material science. Students, teachers, and the general public seldom have the opportunity to keep abreast of these new developments, as journal articles for the non-specialist are hard to find. This set communicates new scientific findings simply and clearly, in language accessible to readers with little or no formal background in chemistry or physics as well as scientists who wish to update their understanding of the elements of nature.