A Chemical History Tour: Picturing Chemistry from Alchemy to Modern Molecular Science [Hardcover]

Arthur Greenberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471354082 | ISBN-13: 978-0471354086 | Publication Date: February 25, 2000 | Edition: 1

Take a stroll through this one-of-a-kind book that offers readers an illustrated tour of how chemistry developed, from alchemy to the emergence of chemistry as a scientific discipline in the early 17th century, and, finally, modern-day chemistry. Discover this rare collection of more than 180 illustrations spanning 400 years of chemical publications, with each illustration accompanied by an essay discussing its significance in the context of historical scientific beliefs as well as modern chemical science. The author's knowledge and enthusiasm for the books, images, and subject matter are clearly reflected throughout the very readable, informative, and frequently funny essays. High-quality, full-page reproductions from the author's art collection, published from 1599 to the present, are eloquently displayed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Overall, as intended...a fascinating book to browse through and an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the strange and wonderful history of our collective discipline." (Today's Chemist, Vol. 10, No. 2, February 2001)

"This is a delightful book that has no equal. It is a joy to read and well worth its retail price.... Sentences are short; words are familiar; humor and well-turned phrases abound." (Chemical Heritage, Spring 2001)

"Greenberg offers chemistry teachers, practicing professionals...and lay readers a light-hearted tour of his discipline's history." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 24, No. 4, December 2000)

"This is not an encyclopedic work on the entire history of the science, but a picture book to be read an enjoyed by chemists and nonchemists alike. Nevertheless, it will serve as a valuable secondary source for historians of science..." (American Scientist, Vol. 89, May/June 2001)

"...will captivate younger chemists...there has been nothing like it available since [...] 'A pictorial history of chemistry', 1939..." (Chemistry & Industry, 20th November 2000)

"...a work of art as well as of science.... I highly recommend it to practicing chemists, chemical educators, bibliophiles and book collectors, and anyone interested in chemistry, art and culture, and even to historians.... The author obviously had a lot of fun and enjoyed himself in writing it...in reading it you'll experience the same feelings." (Endeavor, Vol. 26, No. 2, June 2002)

From the Back Cover

Praise for A Chemical History Tour: Picturing Chemistry from Alchemy to Modern Molecular Science . . .
"With the original and often startling images of chemistry, Arthur Greenberg makes the history of science come to life. A remarkable, witty book!" -- Roald Hoffmann, PhD, Nobel Laureate
"Chemistry has perhaps the most intricate, most fascinating, and certainly most romantic history of all the sciences. Arthur Greenberg's A Chemical History Tour: Picturing Chemistry from Alchemy to Modern Molecular Science provides an entirely new sort of history, a dramatic journey in which he transports us through more than a hundred scenes or episodes from the earliest beginnings of alchemy to the latest in quantum mechanics and transmutation. Dr. Greenberg's essays--delightful, learned, quirky, highly personal, and richly illustrated with contemporary drawings (many of great rarity and beauty)--provide a kaleidoscope of intellectual landscapes, bringing the experiments, the ideas, and the human figures of chemistry's past intensely alive." -- Dr. Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings
About the cover art . . .
The artwork on the cover of this book is from an egg tempera painting (original in full color; author's private collection) signed in 1845 and is a version of a 17th century work by David Teniers the Younger (J. Read, Prelude to Chemistry, The MacMillan Co., New York, Plate 29; J. Read, The Alchemist in Life, Literature, and Art, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., London, 1947, Plate 21 and pp. 72-79). It has some mischief in it: the leg of the table has a mouth and an eye reminiscent of a tortoise or dragon--both potent chemical symbols. The painting is signed "las voy" ("les noy" or similar) with some symbols and we do not know the identity of the artist.
To view the artwork within the book, visit us at: www.wiley.com/chemicalhistory

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience; 1 edition (February 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471354082
• ISBN-13: 978-0471354086
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,484,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Briefing about the book, July 23, 2001

By 

Fan Wang - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Chemical History Tour: Picturing Chemistry from Alchemy to Modern Molecular Science (Hardcover)

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)."

7 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just finished the book., August 22, 2001

By 

Fan Wang - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Chemical History Tour: Picturing Chemistry from Alchemy to Modern Molecular Science (Hardcover)

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.