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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 540 EAN: 9781585423316 ISBN: 1585423319 Label: Jeremy P Tarcher Manufacturer: Jeremy P Tarcher Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 384 Publication Date: May 24, 2004 Publisher: Jeremy P Tarcher Release Date: May 24, 2004 Studio: Jeremy P Tarcher Editorial Review: Product Description: Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts. With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Makes You Want to Hug Your ChemistI had known about this book for some time but simply did not believe that a couple of organic chemists could possibly write a captivating history. I am now printing out that sentence so I can eat it. This was one of the most original spins on world history that I have ever read. Drs. Le Couteur and Burreson do indeed fill a hefty number of pages with diagrams of chemical structures and formulae but none of them are essential to the understanding of this book. It is absolutely a book ... Read More Rating: - Great for all audiencesA book about chemistry and its role in the history of the world. Awesome book. Great for all audiences. I think its readable for the high school science geek, the beginning college science majors but also the senior citizen curious as to where his or her artificial sweeteners came from or what certain pharmaceutical drugs he or she might be taken are targeting in their body. The author brings chemistry into history which might make this book of interest to ... Read More Rating: - This book was a lot of funNapoleon's Buttons looks at how several compounds have drastically affected human history, including spices, sugars, fabrics, metals, drugs, cleaners, and dyes. The book made me fondly reminiscent of the old 80's TV sitcom "Head of the Class", where the teacher would give lessons such as "how a baseball led to the Bay of Pigs". Some might be turned off by the detail given and discussed regarding chemical structures and formulas, but it can be skipped - however I don't recommend it because ... Read More Rating:  - Excellent collection of science factoidsI really enjoyed how much I learned from this book. It was slow to start, but once I got into the "dense" writing style, I learned so much, and can now really appreciate the critical balance between natural and man-made substances and their effects on the environment. A very fascinating read. Rating: - Great Historical InfoWe have enjoyed this book so much that we bought two for presents. It is a bit deep on the chemistry end of the explanations, but great for the historical significance dealing with each of the 17 molecules explained. |
