The Norton History of Chemistry (Norton History of Science) [Paperback]

William H. Brock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1993 | ISBN-10: 0393310434 | ISBN-13: 978-0393310436

Recounts the rise of a sophisticated science, from the alchemists' futile attempts to turn lead into gold, to the breakthroughs of the 20th century.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Do words like chemical , synthetic , or additive conjure up visions of pollution, poisoning, or disasters? For many people they do. Yet the author believes that chemistry would be better appreciated if its history were understood. To assist both the general reader and the student of chemistry, Brock has written a lively and comprehensible survey of chemistry's rich heritage from its early beginnings in alchemy and iatrochemistry to its emergence in the 18th and 19th centuries as a more empirical and systematic science. A generous treatment of 20th-century chemistry explores the worlds of Linus Pauling, Robert Woodward, and others. Each chapter is devoted to a significant development in chemistry's history, including the atomic theory, organic analysis, classification, Mendeleev's principles, and the chemical bond. For public and academic libraries. This book and The Norton History of the Environmental Sciences , reviewed above, are the first two titles in a planned ten-volume series.--Ed.
- Nancy Chipman-Shlaes, Governors State Univ. Lib., University Park, Ill.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 744 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393310434
• ISBN-13: 978-0393310436
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Should be called "History of Chemical Theory", January 15, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: The Norton History of Chemistry (Norton History of Science) (Paperback)

I can envision three types of history when someone says "History of Chemistry" - 1. tales of the chemists themselves, including ancestory, childhood, education, etc. 2. tales of the experiments they perform and 3. a history of the theories to explain the experiments. This particular book is heavily weighted on the third of these options, and thus, I would have titled this book "History [or Development] of Chemical Theory".

Having narrowed down the scope of what is covered leaves more space to focus on the theory aspects, and it is done very well, especially in the post-Lavoisier era. As mentioned in another review, the Alchemical and Phlogiston theories are much less well developed, which is disappointing. I would also have liked to see more archeological information - a brief discussion of metallurgy in Rome or gunpowder in China would have been interesting, if not particularly scientific.

Finally, although the preface states that anyone with a high school knowledge of science should be able to follow the book, in practice I think that non-chemists (i.e. someone without 2 or 3 university courses) would find it to be heavy slogging.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Comprehensible History of Chemistry, December 27, 1999

By 

Stephanie (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Norton History of Chemistry (Norton History of Science) (Paperback)

This is an incredibly long and dense book, but well worth the time and effort to read it. It begins with alchemistry and early chemistry, and ends with modern chemistry circa the mid-twentieth century. The most recent discoveries and work are therefore not included in this work.

One of the most interesting things that I learned was that alchemists believed that minerals, like animals, had a "perfect form" to which they were aspiring to reach. They believed that this form was gold. Thus, for them alchemy was more than just an attempt to enrich themselves; it was a spiritual and religious undertaking as well.

The majority of the book deals with modern chemistry, and there are some interesting sections about the Ingold-Robinson feud, environmental chemistry, and the rise of the great chemical companies.

One of the biggest downsides of the book was that it was almost entirely a history of Western (with a special focus on European) chemistry, although there was also discussion of American and Australian chemistry. There is so much information here that it is impossible to read this book in large chunks if you want to be able to absorb any of it. Some parts may also be difficult to follow for people without some previous training in chemical theory. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone interested in chemistry, especially chemists who would like to know the ancient and venerable history of their own field.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, broad coverage of practice and theory, April 30, 2000

By 

Tim (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Norton History of Chemistry (Norton History of Science) (Paperback)

I've only giving this 4 stars because the early part of the book is a little disappointing. The coverage of alchemy is sketchy and the pneumatic chemists are given short shrift. You feel that Brock didn't really have his heart in the pre-Lavoisier history.

By contrast, the treatment of nineteenth century chemistry is suberb, giving broad and balanced coverage of laboratory practice, industry and theoretical developments. The text conveys a real sense of excitement as the discoveries unfold; Brock does an excellent job of organising a wealth of technical detail clearly.

There is also a good coverage of early twentieth century chemistry, about up to the point where quantum mechanics took hold.

Overall, highly recommended. But you definitely need a background in chemistry to get the most out of it.