Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood is a memoir by Oliver Sacks about his childhood that was published in 2001. The book is named after Uncle Dave of Sacks, whom Oliver nicknamed Uncle Tungsten because he was a secretary to a company called Tungstalite[1], which made the lamps Incandescent with tungsten filament. Uncle Tungsten was fascinated by tungsten and believed it to be the metal of the future. According to family members, Oliver used the single surname, Uncle Tungsten, to refer to the combination of Dave with several other members of the same family. The Sacks' middle name is 'Wolf', and in most European languages ​​(particularly Germanic, Spanish, and Slavic), tungsten is called 'Wolfram', which is the origin of the chemical symbol W. The book combines autobiographical elements with a primer on the history and science of chemistry. However, it is not only about his youthful passion for chemistry, but is also eclectic, and relates to his memories of the catastrophic fire in Crystal Palace, his terrible experiences of sadism at school, his interest in amateur chemistry, and his fleeting obsession with coloring. His black and white photos in his home lab.