Conceptual Chemistry: Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules, Second Edition [Hardcover]

John A. Suchocki (Author), John Suchocki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0805332286 | ISBN-13: 978-0805332285 | Edition: 2

John Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry: Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules makes chemistry come alive for the nonscience reader through an engaging writing style, fun and easy-to-perform experiments, and a multimedia package that is as uniquely integrated as it is extensive. Building on the success of the First Edition, this revised book provides a fresh, insightful, and welcoming look into the concepts of chemistry. Twelve core chapters cover basic chemical concepts including atomic models, chemical bonding, and chemical reactions. These are followed by seven chapters organized around applied chemistry topics such as nutrition, drugs, agriculture, water resources, the atmosphere, modern materials, and energy sources. For college instructors, students and readers interested in chemistry.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

John Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry: Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules makes chemistry come alive for the nonscience reader through an engaging writing style, fun and easy-to-perform experiments, and a multimedia package that is as uniquely integrated as it is extensive. Building on the success of the First Edition, this revised book provides a fresh, insightful, and welcoming look into the concepts of chemistry. Twelve core chapters cover basic chemical concepts including atomic models, chemical bonding, and chemical reactions. These are followed by seven chapters organized around applied chemistry topics such as nutrition, drugs, agriculture, water resources, the atmosphere, modern materials, and energy sources. For college instructors, students and readers interested in chemistry.

About the Author

John Suchocki received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1987 from Virginia Commonwealth University, where his research focused on the isolation and characterization of natural products. After a two year post-doc in medicinal chemistry/pharmacology at the Medical College of Virginia, John became a visiting assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he began working with his uncle, Paul Hewitt, on the liberal arts college textbook, Conceptual Physical Science, now in its Third Edition. After a couple of years at the Manoa campus, John transferred to and eventually received tenure from Leeward Community College, one of the University of Hawaii's community colleges. At Leeward CC, his research efforts turned to chemical education, with particular emphasis on liberal arts chemistry courses and distance learning technology. After a decade in Hawaii, John relocated to Vermont with his wife and three children, where he now teaches liberal arts chemistry at Saint Michael's College. Concurrent to his writing and teaching careers, John is also a producer of multimedia content for science education, including his Conceptual Chemistry Alive! CD-ROM series.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 647 pages
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings; 2 edition (March 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805332286
• ISBN-13: 978-0805332285
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chemistry book that talks to you, not at you, October 8, 2008

By 

A. Sejfulla - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conceptual Chemistry: Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules, Second Edition (Hardcover)

I just really feel that this book explained the basics of chemistry in a very relavent and interesting way. It is more conceptual than mathematical so it reads easier. Sure, some parts I had to read over to clarify because Chemistry is not a subject that comes naturally to most. But I am actually enjoying reading this text book for my college class. Im not sure many students would say that! I even find myself telling my boyfriend some interesting facts I learn along the way.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Tripe, August 29, 2010

By 

ZZT - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conceptual Chemistry: Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules, Second Edition (Hardcover)

The sad fact is that anyone looking to buy this book is just being obliged to buy it by a school. Having peered into its murky pages, I have to report that it an appalling collection of padding designed to destroy the subject rather than to inform anyone about anything. Here is one small example...on page 92, there is a picture of a mother and baby. The caption reads 'As close as Tracy and Ian are in this photograph, none of their atoms meet. The closeness between us is in our hearts.' This psycho-babble is about 1/6th of the way through the book. And then on page 598, in the obligatory global warming section, there is a graph which shows CO2 increases lagging temperature changes, yet the text discusses the fact that human produced CO2 is the cause of temperature increases.

Oh well - the last thing anyone buying this book will find in it is information about chemistry.

But, buying this book isn't the fault of the students that need to suffer its absurdities - but it is the fault of the schools and school boards that are too vapid to know that this is simply a heavy dollop of expensive waffle. The school boards, schools, teachers, authors, and publisher should be ashamed of themselves.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars conceptual chemistry text, January 31, 2009

By 

fee fee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conceptual Chemistry: Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules (Hardcover)

I got the book in time for my class,access kit and lab manual was included, couldn't get a better deal.