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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.
"This new book is by two knowledgeable and expert popularizers of
chemistry and deals exclusively with molecules and compounds rather
than with the simpler atoms and elements. It is based on the very
successful Molecule of the Month website that was begun by Paul May
fifteen years ago and to which his co-author Simon Cotton has been
a frequent contributor. The authors strike an excellent balance
between introducing the novice to the world of molecules while also
keeping the expert chemist interested. I highly recommend this book
to all readers. It will vastly expand your knowledge and horizons
of chemistry and the human ingenuity that surrounds it." From the
Foreword by Dr. Eric Scerri, UCLA, Los Angeles, website:
www.ericscerri.com, Author of The Periodic Table, Its Story and Its
Significance and several other books on the elements and the
periodic table. The world is composed of molecules. Some are
synthetic while many others are products of nature. Molecules That
Amaze Us presents the stories behind many of the most famous and
infamous molecules that make up our modern world. Examples include
the molecule responsible for the spicy heat in chilies (capsaicin),
the world s first synthetic painkiller (aspirin), the pigment
responsible for the color of autumn leaves (carotene), the
explosive in dynamite (nitroglycerine), the antimalarial drug
(quinine), the drug known as "speed" (methamphetamine), and many
others. Other molecules discussed include caffeine, adrenaline,
cholesterol, cocaine, digitalis, dopamine, glucose, insulin,
methane, nicotine, oxytocin, penicillin, carbon dioxide, limonene,
and testosterone. In all, the book includes 67 sections, each
describing a different molecule, what it does, how it is made, and
why it is so interesting. Written by experts in the field, the book
is accessible and easy to read. It includes amusing anecdotes
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.
"This new book is by two knowledgeable and expert popularizers of
chemistry and deals exclusively with molecules and compounds rather
than with the simpler atoms and elements. It is based on the very
successful 'Molecule of the Month' website that was begun by Paul
May fifteen years ago and to which his co-author Simon Cotton has
been a frequent contributor. ... The authors ... strike an
excellent balance between introducing the novice to the world of
molecules while also keeping the expert chemist interested. ... I
highly recommend this book to all readers. It will vastly expand
your knowledge and horizons of chemistry and the human ingenuity
that surrounds it."-From the Foreword by Dr. Eric Scerri, UCLA, Los
Angeles, website: www.ericscerri.com, Author of 'The Periodic
Table, Its Story and Its Significance' and several other books on
the elements and the periodic table. The world is composed of
molecules. Some are synthetic while many others are products of
nature. Molecules That Amaze Us presents the stories behind many of
the most famous and infamous molecules that make up our modern
world. Examples include the molecule responsible for the spicy heat
in chilies (capsaicin), the world's first synthetic painkiller
(aspirin), the pigment responsible for the color of autumn leaves
(carotene), the explosive in dynamite (nitroglycerine), the
antimalarial drug (quinine), the drug known as "speed"
(methamphetamine), and many others. Other molecules discussed
include caffeine, adrenaline, cholesterol, cocaine, digitalis,
dopamine, glucose, insulin, methane, nicotine, oxytocin,
penicillin, carbon dioxide, limonene, and testosterone. In all, the
book includes 67 sections, each describing a different molecule,
what it does, how it is made, and why it is so interesting. Written
by experts in the field, the book is accessible and easy to read.
It includes amusing anecdotes, historical curiosities, and
entertaining facts about each molecule, thereby balancing
educational content with entertainment. The book is heavily
illustrated with relevant photographs, images, and cartoons-the aim
being both to educate and entertain.
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