The book begins with Kean conversing with the reader about his fascination with the periodic table of elements as a child. He goes into depth describing the relevance of the periodic table to human life and the world as we know it. Kean then proceeds to break down the elements, describing each of their properties in detail.
The scene then shifts to the composition of the Earth, as it is mostly composed of carbon and some other elements. He highlights how the findings of notable scientists, such as Robert Bunsen and Dmitri Mendeleev was essential for our present day understanding of the elements.
Kean then describes how the Big Bang resulted in the creation of these elements, and how we can use their existence to date the creation of the world to 4.55 billion years ago. He then contemplates the ways in which new discoveries can make us adjust our current understanding of the elements, and how he is eager to find out if there is more to it than we currently know.
