Classic popular account of great chemists Trevisan, Paracelsus, Avogadro, Mendeleeff, Curie, Thomson,Lavoisier, up to A-bomb research and recent work with subatomic particles. The Chicago Daily Tribune declared, "The saga is exciting and Mr. Jaffe has told it with distinction." 20 illustrations.
Crucibles
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have read and reread this book several times and use it in teaching honors and AP Chemistry on the high school level, and have required my students to read it to bolster their knowledge of the history of chemistry. It is an excellent book, but the writing style is somewhat difficult for high school students, even the higher performing ones. Because of this, I have added some more recent books written in a more engaging style for my students to choose from. I would still recommend this book to those interested in the history of chemistry, but I would also recommend others as well, including PROMETHEANS IN THE LAB by McGrayne and UNCLE TUNGSTEN by Sacks.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Kaleberg
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not everyone likes to jump into a field with a basic textbook. Crucibles tells the story of modern chemistry and atomic theory in the form of a series of biographical vignettes with an emphasis on chemistry. It starts with the ancients and covers a lot of ground. I found it rather fascinating as a kid, but I still think it's pretty good as an introduction.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Lakeviewer
Format:Paperback
This is one of the finest books on the history of science I have ever read. Each scientist appears larger than life - even their warts and flaws are the size of mountains. This is the history of chemistry told on the large screen, technicolor, and surround sound, as heroic as any military or political history. I'll be re-reading this book 20 years from now.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Impressive history of chemistry
I recently gave this book as a gift. I have known it since its first publication, and have always felt it to be one of the best books I have ever read.
Published 1 day ago by john c.
3.0 out of 5 stars
hard to tell how much it's fictionalized
There's interesting material in this book, and the focus on personalities makes it a bit easier to remember who's who. Read more
Published 2 months ago by eve
3.0 out of 5 stars
It has some good moments
This book is full of biographical sketches of several people who made significant contributions to the development of chemistry. Read more
Published on May 30, 2008 by Scott Bergeson
