Forged in the Big Bang, the elements and their resulting compounds created the solar system, planet Earth, the air we breathe, the water we rely on and the proteins that would become life. In fact, everything in the known Universe is made up of one of the 118 elements of the periodic table - so we really should know something about them! This little book is the perfect guide, listing all the elements' vital stats, and exploring their astonishing histories and usages in an accessible and easy-to-understand way.