“When it comes to the periodic table, the United States really blew its chance to make a name for itself. If you look over a map of all the elements named for cities, states, countries, and continents, it's not surprising that European locales dominate the map.”

American writer

Sam Kean is an American writer known for books that tell the story of scientific discoveries in a narrative style. He was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and lives in Washington, D.C. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, Psychology Today, and The New Scientist. He has also published eight books, and they have been reviewed positively by The Wall Street Journal, Library Journal, and The New York Times.