Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium by Lucy Jane Santos – Book club

This month we’re reading Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium by historian Lucy Jane Santos. The book traces the story of a radioactive element, from its ascendance as a cure-all ingredient in the late 19th century to the gradual downfall and eventual discredit of the entire radium industry. Find out what we thought about the book, and hear from Santos herself as she talks about digging into forgotten history and taking a bath at a modern radioactive spa.

 You can also read Becky’s review of Half Lives here.

Next month, we’ll read something a little bit different: United We Are Unstoppable: 60 Inspiring Young People Saving Our World edited by self-described climate and energy nerd at Bloomberg News, Akshat Rathi. It’s a book of essays, told by the people who are fighting for their homes and their futures in the face of climate change.

If you, dear listener (or viewer), have any thoughts on Half Lives or know of a book you would like us to discuss in an upcoming book club, let us know in the comments below or tweet at us @ChemistryWorld.