The Last Sorcerers: The Path from Alchemy to the Periodic Table

Richard Morris has done a wonderful job of taking what should be a dry topic and making it very interesting.
The Last Sorcerer details the discovery of the elements and the people behind these discoveries.
Along the way we meet a number of brilliant eccentrics, would be charlatans and an interesting collection of scientists and non-scientists. The chapters are short and punchy. The book flows well.