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Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium Paperback – June 3, 2021

by Lucy Jane Santos (Author)

4.2 54 ratings

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'Half Lives shines a light on the shocking history of the world's toxic love affair with a deadly substance, radium. Unnerving, fascinating, informative and truly frightening.' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five

'The story of this supposed cure-all in everyday 20th century life is fascinating and well told.' Brian Maye, Irish Times

Lucy Jane Santos presents the surprising history of radium in everyday life.

Of all the radioactive elements discovered at the end of the 19th century, it was radium that became the focus of both public fascination and entrepreneurial zeal. Half Lives tells the fascinating, curious, sometimes macabre story of the element through its ascendance as a desirable item – a present for a queen, a prize in a treasure hunt, a glow-in- the-dark dance costume – to its role as a supposed cure-all in everyday 20th-century life, when medical practitioners and business people (reputable and otherwise) devised ingenious ways of commodifying the new wonder element, and enthusiastic customers welcomed their radioactive wares into their homes.

Historian Lucy Jane Santos – herself the proud owner of a formidable collection of radium beauty treatments – delves into the stories of these products and details the gradual downfall and discredit of the radium industry through the eyes of the people who bought, sold and eventually came to fear the once-fetishized substance. She reveals a new history of radium, one in which the stories of those previously dismissed as quacks and fools are brought to life, as part of a unique examination of the interplay between science and popular culture.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Icon Books Ltd (June 3, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1785787187
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1785787188
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.72 x 1.42 x 5.08 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,472,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #232 in Physical Chemistry
- #1,054 in Nuclear Physics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 54 ratings

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About the author

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Lucy Jane Santos

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Lucy Jane Santos is an expert in the history of 20th century leisure, health, and beauty.

Lucy has appeared as an occasional contributor on TV and radio, and her historical research has been featured by History Today, BBC History Revealed, Jezebel, LitHub, New York Post, the Telegraph, and on the BBC2 documentary, Makeup: A Glamorous History. Her most recent project is as Creative Consultant for the documentary Obsessed With Light a film that tells the story of the performance artist Loïe Fuller.

Lucy also works as a freelance historical researcher and consultant.

Santos’s first book Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium examines the fascinating, curious and sometimes macabre story of the highly desirable element taking readers on an enjoyable journey into the odd areas where science and consumerism touch. In 2024 Icon Books will publish Lucy's follow up book on the history of the element uranium.

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4.2 out of 5

54 global ratings

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Immortal Choas

Captivating

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023

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I could not put this book down. Very intriguing topic and a very fast read. A bit scary how people were unaware of the dangers of radioactivity. Like anything it was the era. People were unaware of the horrors that could happen with elements people don’t understand. It’s a grim look at the mistakes people make. You got to remember this was a age of change and the beginning of the 20th century was the age of change.and we entered the modern age. The world changed and the world was speeding up. It’s a grim reminder that we are only human and we have to make mistakes to overcome them. This is a wonderful book and a very fascinating subject. A great buy and wonderful read.

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Kurt Grussendorf

The mystique of radium in the marketplace

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2023

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The author is an entertaining read. She takes a scientific topic and gives it a wonderful personal application to the everyday lives of people--people in search of employment, better health, and miracles--often to their own detriment. The commercialization of radioactivity and the glow of radium was both harmless and deadly. Very well-written from both a scientific and popular culture point of view.

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Crazie Betty

3.5 - 4 Stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2021

A history of radium from the time of its discovery all the way through the invention of the atomic bomb. Surprisingly, there are many that still believe in mild radiation therapy to this day, and you can still find products with low level radiation.

A very interesting look at radium and the many facets of life that it spread through. Although, if you’re looking for something about the Radium Girls, there is only a small reference to them in this book. If you’re specifically looking for something about those women, I would highly recommend The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. If you’re looking for information about the discovery of radium and how it was tested, adapted, and put into the consumer realm, this is definitely a good read.

Received via Edelweiss

One person found this helpful

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Juley Stragand

Best Book Ever!

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2021

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The most informative book on Radium history!! Would 100% recommend!

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Jessica L. Moore

Fantastic and interesting

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2023

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated learning much more about the subject.

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frfubar8

Great book but it had a hard life before I got it!

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2023

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It looks like it was used for a warehouse kickball game.

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CA EV Owner

Excellent history, wonderfully written

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2023

I found this book richly fascinating and had no idea how much the radium craze had gripped the U.S. and the U.K. in the early part of the 20th Century. The stories are endlessly interesting and very well researched and documented. I am impressed at the depth of the research and the elegance of the writing. The Radium Girls story is described but that was only a very small part of the history of the radium impact on society. This would make a good book group selection if your group includes non-fiction in your selections.

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2021

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In my opinion, there is too much focus on the many radium based products available in the 20’s and 30’s with no mention of the dangers associated with them until late in the book. I found myself skimming through most of the chapters until the last one. Would not recommend!

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Tishymonster

Absolutely fascinating

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2020

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So let me start by saying, I bought this book and foolishly left it on my coffee table for a few days and then needed to buy another copy as my Dad 'borrowed' it when he visited. He was so drawn in after a few pages he couldn't put it down. Once I started reading it, I realised why.
I had literally no idea that radium was used in so many ways through history and as someone with an interest in the history of the beauty industry (make up, skin treatments etc) I was completely engaged in this book from start to finish. The book is so easy to read and the passion and fascination of the author is also obvious when you read this book. Extra credit to the author for the use of language and bringing you on an adventure. I'm really hoping there will be a sequel soon as I want to know more!!
I really couldn't put it down. Even if you dont have any interest in radium to start with, this book is fascinating. Highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful

Oldprof

A piece of history about the follies of quack medicine and more.

Reviewed in Canada on December 1, 2020

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This book provides a fascinating review of a time when radium had supposedly quasi-magical properties, able to cure or alleviate many ailments. It took the atom bomb to deflate the quack medicine that had grown about the element. The true results of exposure to high energy radiation only came became well understood after Hiroshima. The book also provides a timely review of some other quack medicines and their sad, bad effects on a gullible public. Not much changes, does it?

Brian Clivaz

Fascinating read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2020

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A really well written first book from a talented author. Fascinating insights on a subject I would not have thought about.

A very easy read - a great gift item too.

One person found this helpful

Jeff

Great Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2021

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Well written, easy to read story of a significant part of our scientific and cultural history

Only four stars from me as the font is too small for comfort

Julie Foster

Interesting from a different angle.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2022

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I first became aware of Radium through the sad story of The Radium Girls. This book is enyoyable if you want a thorough history of the uses and marketing of this new wonder element. I personally found the first chapter on the discovery of Radium to be the most interesting and I would probably of prefared the book to cover more details on the dangers and the science behind it. It is all the same a fascinating read on social history.

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Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium Paperback – June 3, 2021

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