Chemistry Connections, Second Edition: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena (Complementary Science) [Paperback]

Kerry K. Karukstis (Author), Gerald R. Van Hecke (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0124001513 | ISBN-13: 978-0124001510 | Publication Date: April 10, 2003 | Edition: 2

One of the greatest challenges facing chemists and chemical educators today is conveying the central importance and relevance of chemistry to students and society at large. The new edition of Chemistry Connections highlights the fundamental role of chemical principles in governing our everyday experiences and observations.

Introductory chemistry students and educators as well as laypersons with an inquisitiveness about the world around them will find the book an informative introduction to the context of chemistry in their lives. The book is written in a lively question-and-answer format with presentations in both lay and technical terms.

* Two levels of explanations: general, accessible ones highlight the chemical essence of the phenomenon; and technical ones using chemical principles provide more in-depth interpretation
* Indexing of questions according to key principles or terms enhances instructional use
* Figures and 3-D chemical structures illustrate the chemical concepts presented
* References to related World Wide Web sites for further exploration provide inexpensive and convient access to related information.
* Color plates enhance connections between specific topics

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a very effective way to increase students' interest in chemistry...The selected examples provide a welcome dose of reality..."
-Jeffrey B. Arterburn, New Mexico State University

"...the authors weave in essential concepts without the reader even knowing it. The references...are EXCELLENT."
-Jennifer Shepherd, Gonzaga University

"...wonderful and fun...buy one...and use it every day to add relevant examples to all your chemistry courses."
-Tricia Ferrett, Carleton College

Book Description

An informative introduction to the context of chemistry in our everyday lives.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 2 edition (April 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0124001513
• ISBN-13: 978-0124001510
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Chemistry > Inorganic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good resource for high-school or liberal arts course, January 3, 2005

By 

Craig MACKINNON (Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chemistry Connections, Second Edition: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena (Complementary Science) (Paperback)

There are a lot of books out there explaining the chemistry of everyday things. For sheer readability, I recommend Prof. Joe Schwarcz's series of books, which are readily available on Amazon. The shortcoming of Dr. Joe's books, and most books for the general public, is that they aren't really meant to be a resource for teachers of chemistry. They only include the most basic of explanations that the layman can understand.

Thus, the need for a book like "Chemistry Connections." It contains the same "basic-level" explanation for a layperson, but also has a second explanation for each subject giving details on a more scientifically rigorous scale. Then there's a section of references (often reputable websites, vetted by the authors) for people that want to get even more in depth.

The way the explanations are written, and the choice of topics, makes this a resource best suited to the high-school chemistry classroom, or to a "liberal arts" (chemistry for non-chemists) university course. The explanations tend to be a little thin for a true freshman-level calculus-based chemistry course. That's not to say that a thoughtful professor can't make great use of this book for any level course - the choices of chemical questions are varied and thoughtful, making it a great reference when planning lessons.

The book is not perfect. It does not have the zing or flow of many other books for sheer readability - it's best used as a resource to give ideas for presentations and lesson examples for high school or liberal arts courses. There are some typos - there is a pentavalent organic carbon (horror of horrors!) in one diagram, for example. Finally, some of the detailed explanations tend to wander off-topic, for example, explaining how polymers are synthesised in a section on polymer structure. While interesting, it was not relevant to the particular question at hand, and likely to be confusing for the student.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great teacher resource, April 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chemistry Connections: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena (Paperback)

I found Chemistry Connections very interesting and informative. I am a high school science teacher and I already have a strong background in chemistry. The format presents infomation on each question at multiple levels of sophistication, from introductory information accessible without much knowledge of chemistry to in-depth information on specific molecular structures and interactions. This book would be a great resource for chemistry teachers. My only critisism is that the writing style could be a bit more engaging.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent way to bring chemistry into the everyday, February 20, 2005

By 

Stephanie Manley (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chemistry Connections, Second Edition: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena (Complementary Science) (Paperback)

Have you always been somewhat fascinated by chemistry? In college was a chemistry minor, and thought it was very exciting. It explans the many whys and hows behind basic everyday chemistry. Is this book super technical, no. Does it have enough science in it to make it credible, definately.
Some of the topics that are included are:

Why are Opals and Pearls Iridescent?
Why are Ice Cubes Cloudy on the Inside?
What Makes a No-Tears Champoo?
How do Sutures Dissolve?
Why do Lightsticks glow?
Are Flamingos Naturally Pink?

There are almost 100 of these types of questions. This book might make a great reference for a teacher, or a student in a science fair. The book covers some basic chemistry, and does a great job in building up some excitement around a subject that some may think is dull.
I really enjoyed the book because it is broken up into sections: gases, solutions, solids, thermodynamics, and then into the questions that apply to those subjects. The book is a fairly easy read, and thankfully isn't too techincal for those of us who may not be so fresh on some of our chemical understanding.