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From cooking to medicine, from engineering to art, chemistry-the science of molecules-is everywhere.
A celebration of the molecules of chemistry, Every Molecule Tells a Story celebrates the molecules responsible for the experiences of everyday life: the air we breathe; the water we drink; the chemicals that fuel our living; the steroids that give us sex; the colours of the seasons; the drugs that heal us; and the scented molecules that enrich our diet and our encounters with each other. You can't see them, but you know that they are there.
Unveiling the structures of poisonous "natural" substances and beneficial man-made molecules, this book brushes away any preconceived notions about chemistry to demonstrate why and how molecules matter.
List of contents
Air And water, Food - fuels for the body, Hydrocarbons, not just fuels, Acids and alkalis, Strength and Sex, Chemistry of the senses - vision, smell and warm + cold molecules, Cosmetics and Perfumes, Natural killers, Unnatural killers, Destructive molecules (drugs and explosives), Pleasure molecules, Natural healers, Man-made healers, Giant molecules, Vitamins.
About the author
Simon Cotton obtained his B.Sc. and PhD at Imperial College London, followed by research and teaching appointments at Queen Mary College, London, and the University of East Anglia. He subsequently taught chemistry in both state and independent schools for over 30 years, has lectured widely in the UK and carries out research on the chemistry of iron, cobalt, scandium, and the lanthanide elements.
Summary
Written by a seasoned teacher, speaker, and writer in the field of chemistry, this text provides a guide on chemicals that make life possible and enrich the senses, as well as those that endanger it. It combines the science and history of many molecules and deals with the chemistry of each substance in an interesting and easily understandable ma
