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Rating: 
Summary: Just finished the book.
Review: It's suppose to be a PICTURE book, but most of the pictures are badly printed in B/W except for couple others in the middle of the book. The author's description of these pictures are very dull also; I couldn't understand what was going on on most of pictures. I bought the book to prepare for my Chemistry Class next year. Since it was a "PICTURE" book for "Everybody", I thought I would have no trouble reading, but no, I couldn't understand most of the parts, and was totally confused with all the weird vocabulary and hundreds of names. I was disappointed. The good side: Though I didn't appreciate the book that much, it did have some nice tales that amazed me. And though half knowing, half guessing, I think I did gain a sort of historic understanding of the world from Alchemy to Chemistry, for that I have to say thank You. So overall, it's a badly illustrated book hard for beginners to understand, nevertheless, it's better than nothing.
Rating: 
Summary: Briefing about the book
Review: This is a light-hearted picture book about chemistry with an emphasis on the science in Western World before the 20th century As the author states in the preface: "I anticipate justified criticism of this idiosyncratic tour due to the numerous sites not visited. I freely admit that there are countless other paths through chemical history, and I apologize in advance for discoveries omitted or given short shrift. However, I want this book to be useful and to fulfill this mission it approach will not help to achieve this goal. Although I have attempted to apologize for the weak coverage given to early science in Chinese, Indian, African, Moslem, and other cultures. This is really more an artifact of the availability of printed books rather than intent. "Although our tour is meant to be both light-hearted and light reading it tackles some of the important issues that are often too lightly or confusingly broached in introductory courses and are difficult to teach. We do, however, try out hand at humor and some of the earthiness so evident in the Renaissance works of Chauvcer and Rabeliais. Why not include Van helmont's recipe for punishment of anonymous "slovens" who leave excrement at one's doorstep? By providing such vignettes, I hope to reengage chemists and other scientists in the history of our field, its manner of expressing and illustrating itself and its engagement with the wider culture. I hope to provide teachers in introductory chemistry courses with some guidance through difficult teaching areas and a few anecdotes to lighten the occasional slow lecture. And if a few students are caught snickering over a page of Rabelaisian chemical lore or some bad puns, would that be such a bad thing?" The author also suggested further readings in his acknowledgments: "The most authoritative is the inspirational four volume reference work, A History of Chemistry (McMillan, 1961-1964), by john R. Partington." "The development of Modern Chemistry (Harper & Row, 1964), and the more recent book by William H.brock, the Norton Hisotry of Chemistry (Norton, 1993)."
Rating:
Summary: Briefing about the book
Review: This is a light-hearted picture book about chemistry with an emphasis on the science in Western World before the 20th century As the author states in the preface: "I anticipate justified criticism of this idiosyncratic tour due to the numerous sites not visited. I freely admit that there are countless other paths through chemical history, and I apologize in advance for discoveries omitted or given short shrift. However, I want this book to be useful and to fulfill this mission it approach will not help to achieve this goal. Although I have attempted to apologize for the weak coverage given to early science in Chinese, Indian, African, Moslem, and other cultures. This is really more an artifact of the availability of printed books rather than intent. "Although our tour is meant to be both light-hearted and light reading it tackles some of the important issues that are often too lightly or confusingly broached in introductory courses and are difficult to teach. We do, however, try out hand at humor and some of the earthiness so evident in the Renaissance works of Chauvcer and Rabeliais. Why not include Van helmont's recipe for punishment of anonymous "slovens" who leave excrement at one's doorstep? By providing such vignettes, I hope to reengage chemists and other scientists in the history of our field, its manner of expressing and illustrating itself and its engagement with the wider culture. I hope to provide teachers in introductory chemistry courses with some guidance through difficult teaching areas and a few anecdotes to lighten the occasional slow lecture. And if a few students are caught snickering over a page of Rabelaisian chemical lore or some bad puns, would that be such a bad thing?" The author also suggested further readings in his acknowledgments: "The most authoritative is the inspirational four volume reference work, A History of Chemistry (McMillan, 1961-1964), by john R. Partington." "The development of Modern Chemistry (Harper & Row, 1964), and the more recent book by William H.brock, the Norton Hisotry of Chemistry (Norton, 1993)."
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