This is a well written and interesting book. Coupled with noting Marie Curie’s life and accomplishments, a good majority of the book focuses on her science and its explanations. It does a good job of explaining these science of these discoveries. It also mentions or showcases the many, many scientists who were a part of progressing the research of radioactivity, a term which she and her husband coined, at the time. It’s amazing what she accomplished and the Nobel prizes she won while being a mother, housekeeper, cook, teacher, and researcher. Thank you NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for giving me the opportunity to read this galley.

Starting with her displacement from diminishing homeland of Poland to her travels to France and tracing all the revolutionary “firsts” she was able to accomplish, The Elements of Marie Curie is a wonderful history of one of the most incredible figures in scientific history. Still only one of the few female scientists most can came and a twice Noble laureate, what Curie achieved in her life was immense. From the first inklings of a curiously tuned mind to her discovery of an entire facet of chemistry yet to be discovered to her fatal diminishing by what she spent most of her time with - the history of Curie becomes both a history of passionate scientific zeal as well as just being that of radioactivity. Not only did she repeatedly stand out as the only dress among hoards of suits, but under her precise tutelage, many many more girls were able to step into science’s room, sit at the table barred for them till now, and create many more “firsts” in their own countries. Sobel, thus, does a wonderful job marrying Curies’ own particular history with all the lives they changed for the better. Through quoting letters, recorded conversations, biographies from her own daughters as well as photographic records, the author masterfully weaves a worthy tapestry of an extraordinary life.

With chapters entitled with names of the girls as well as the elements or isotopes discovered, I really enjoyed the way in which Sobel arranged this work. Even though we were acquainted with so many names by the halfway point - so many lives had Curie helped transform - that one would expect to get muddled, but Sobel successfully manages to keep them quite distinctive by assigning them particular characteristics that made them easier to identify. Even still, none of them really felt like caricatures and even with the very brief encounters with some of them, the author managed to show us the humanity and the sense of wonder that propelled these girls forward.

The only gripe I had with the work - and this is quite superficial - was the sheer amount of names of institutes that Sobel repeats quite frequently throughout. Don’t get me wrong, of course I understand that those institutions play as much a part in the history but I wish it wasn’t peppered throughout so much - especially since most of them are in French - that they hindered an otherwise smooth reading process. I would be totally immersed in a great narrative that I was eagerly following only to be bumped up and down by having to pause to digest the names of the institutes. There were some chapters where this was a bigger issue than others, but like I said, it was just a shallow gripe that hampered my overall enjoyment just a little bit.

To quote Eve Curie in her biography of her mother. “There are, in the life of Marie Curie, so many great moments that one is tempted to tell her story as a legend.”, and I agree. It seems impossible to not mythologize such a figure but Sobel again does a great job of combining her admiration with an acknowledgement of her profoundly simple humanity. Moreover, she returns again and again to Marie and Pierre’s wishes against celebration and adoration - in their eyes they were simply doing what they must. Despite being the first woman to enter so many esteemed rooms of science, Marie was never “seeking uniqueness”, Sobel says. She continuously admitted girls to her laboratory, making it a haven for women who were otherwise turned away from places like Harvard and Yale. Along with acquainting us with the women and their brief histories, I also loved how Sobel checked in on them from time to time, even if they left Curies’ lab or science entirely, looking into how they spend their lives after Curie.

To us now, it seems obvious that the highly disastrous and dangerous radium is not something to be intimate with as much as the Curies were. Fingers numbed and roughened, Marie surely realized the effects her beloved discovery was having on her but never went beyond a simple getaway to get some fresh air as the cure. Sobel describes thus the “cognitive dissonance” in which all radio-activists lived. Though they were actively learning about and experiencing the destructive, decaying effects of radio-active elements, the allure of discovery always kept them coming back.

All in all, this biography - brief but all encompassing - did a masterful job of portraying all that her life was both within and outside science’ realms. Pierre too is ever-present in the first half before his unfortunate demise, and is given all the credit due for his immense support for his wife and his repeated clarifications on the part she played when the committees and tables of men would have preferred to assign her only the assistant’s role. Thus her immense loss, though insurmountable, stoked the fire for her to assume both their roles and live the life of innovation and discovery they dreamed of. To Curie, whose only definition of scientific enquiry was to simply follow where one curiosities led and to figure out how Nature worked, science became the means through which she loved and lived. This was a wonderfully told narrative, if a little clunky at times, but that too can be forgiven for what Sobel was able to achieve. Highly recommend.

Dava Sobel, a renowned science writer, offers a compelling portrait of Marie Curie in "The Elements of Marie Curie". This book aims to encapsulate not only Curie's scientific achievements but also her personal struggles and triumphs. As someone coming from a more theoretical background in physics, my review will focus on the accuracy of the scientific content, the depth of analysis, and the broader contextual understanding Sobel provides of Curie's work and its impact on science.

Sobel excels in presenting the scientific achievements of Marie Curie with commendable accuracy. The descriptions of Curie's discovery of polonium and radium are detailed yet accessible, making complex scientific concepts understandable to a broad audience. However, for a reader like me, the book might seem to lack the deeper mathematical and theoretical explorations that underpin Curie’s discoveries.

Curie's pioneering work in radioactivity is pivotal in the field of physics, leading to significant advancements in quantum theory and nuclear physics. Sobel touches on these connections but does not delve into the intricate theoretical frameworks that would interest a more specialised reader. For instance, the mathematical formulations of radioactive decay laws and their implications for quantum mechanics are only briefly mentioned.

One of the book's strengths lies in its contextual analysis of Curie's work within the broader scientific community of her time. Sobel effectively portrays the challenges Curie faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, highlighting her perseverance and resilience. The narrative provides a balanced view of her professional and personal life, illustrating how her discoveries were both a product of her genius and her extraordinary determination.

The book also discusses the historical context of Curie's research, including her collaboration with her husband, Pierre Curie, and the subsequent solo endeavors following his untimely death. This contextual background is essential for understanding the full impact of Curie’s work and the obstacles she overcame.

Sobel's writing is engaging and accessible, making the book suitable for both general readers and those with a scientific background. Her ability to humanise Curie, portraying her as a multi-dimensional figure rather than a distant scientific icon, is particularly effective. This approach makes the book an inspiring read, although it may sacrifice some depth in the scientific discussions.

From a critical standpoint, the book could benefit from a more rigorous exploration of the theoretical implications of Curie's discoveries. A deeper dive into the theoretical models and their subsequent influence on later scientific developments would provide more substantial content for readers well-versed in physics. Additionally, a more thorough examination of how Curie’s work laid the groundwork for future breakthroughs in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics would enhance the book's appeal to a specialised audience.