Praise for Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium:

“As Lucy Jane Santos observes in Half Lives, ‘It is not hard to pinpoint exactly why it was this substance (which Curie referred to as ‘my beautiful radium’) that eventually became the focus of both public fascination and of entrepreneurial zeal."

– The Wall Street Journal

“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, national bestselling author of The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

“Santos tracks the history of a mysterious element in her sweeping debut. Radium is not just a scientific marvel, Santos writes, but has also had a profound impact on popular culture. Santos keeps the science accessible, and her survey is full of fun facts; this is sure to please scientific minds and history buffs alike.”

– Publishers Weekly

"In telling this history, Santos is careful not to judge from the perspective of hindsight: the use of radiation in medicine wasn't quackery, it was supported by the best current scientific understanding. It's an entertaining and eye-opening tale of a strange time in the early history of modern science."

– Booklist

“A fascinating work of popular science and history looks back on a time when radium represented everything bright and promising about the future.”

– Shelf Awareness

"Lucy Santos transports us back to a time when when diners cheerfully drank radioactive cocktails that glowed in the dark. Santos has a masterful grasp of a complex area of science history. A delightfully disturbing book that reminds us all of the age-old Latin maxim: caveat emptor.”

– Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, Pen Award-winning author of The Butchering Art

"With verve and vivacity, Lucy Jane Santos conducts her readers on a unique tour of the twentieth century's most significant scientific discovery. Before the R-word threatened destruction, it offered hope for the future—teeth would glow white, cocktails would shine in the dark, and cancer would be vanquished.”

– Dr. Patricia Fara, President of the British Society for the History of Science

"There was a time when radioactivity seemed to promise the future. It was the stuff that twentieth-century dreams were made of—before those dreams turned sour. This marvelous book explores the ways radioactivity stood for a better future. A cautionary tale about the dangers of putting too much faith in simple technological solutions to all our problems.”

– Iwan Rhys Morus, author of How the Victorians Took Us to the Moon

“A little gem of a book.”

– The Medical Journalists' Association