Vanity, Vitality, and Virility: The Science behind the Products You Love to Buy (Hardcover)

by John Emsley (Author) "FEW OF US have the kind of perfect body that we see in advertisements, magazines, and films, and although we know that such perfection is..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, United Kingdom, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
You are standing in the supermarket holding two bottles of sunscreen. One claims to have titanium dioxide, the other something called OMC. What are these mysterious chemicals and which works better? Enter Emsley, Cambridge University science writer in residence, who demystifies the benefits of chemistry from a catalogue of over 30 chemicals that we encounter every day. His subjects jump from lipstick and sunscreen to trans-fats and vitamin C, bleach, Prozac, baby diapers and Viagra (hence the third V of the title). Emsley includes the sources and uses of all the chemicals, which can read like encyclopedia entries, as well as histories of each chemical's discovery and occasional misuses. To this he adds a few morality tales of chemical witch-hunts in the media, such as the unsubstantiated accusation that aluminum causes Alzheimer's. The book can be read cover to cover or used as a reference, but either way, even chemists will find out some surprising facts, such as that scurvy was for a time treated with sulfuric acid. The more complicated chemistry is relegated to a glossary, but unexplained scientific terms pop up with regularity in the text. Emsley gets on his soapbox in the postscript, asking for a little gratitude for the much maligned chemical industry, whose benefits he has already demonstrated. Given the occasional detours into technical language, however, his audience may be predominantly the chemically inclined.
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Review

"Emsley knows his everyday chemicals like a farmer knows his sheep.... From depression to cleaning your bathroom, Alzheimer's disease to chewing gum, he discusses the common compounds used in everyday products and remedies and assesses how, why and whether they work."--Financial Times
"Emsley clearly loves his subject, and writes in a lively style that enhances the fascinating tales he tells, like how castor oil--the object of great disdain in another form--became an essential ingredient in lipstick, or how Viagra's future may include being sold in the form of chewing gum."--Gregory Mott, Washington Post
"His subjects jump from lipstick and sunscreen to trans-fats and vitamin C, bleach, Prozac, baby diapers and Viagra (hence the third V of the title).... The book can be read cover to cover or used as a reference, but either way, even chemists will find out some surprising facts."--Publishers Weekly
"Emsley is a champion of the many ways chemicals ease our lives, and in the book's final pages he says he hopes to dispel the 'chemiphobia' of those who think that anything chemical must be bad."--Science News
"In this engaging work, Emsley succeeds on two major points: he provides the chemistry background that most consumers lack to analyze the advertising and media claims behind everyday products, foods, and medical treatments; and he makes a sound case against the rampant 'chemiphobia' that equates the word chemical with artificial, or worse, toxic."--Library Journal
"Emsley explores the science that goes into meeting our needs and satisfying our desires. From lipstick to love potions, vitamins to Viagra, he explains facts and explodes myths. Clever chemistry is everywhere: fighting germs in kitchens and bathrooms, sucking up what babies deposit in their diapers, perking people up when they feel down and even giving teenagers something to chew on. Like it or not, we all use the fruits of the chemical industry and, with Emsley's help, we can be better informed about them and know how to respond to the more outlandish scare stories about 'chemicals'."--Peter Budd, New Scientist


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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192805096
• ISBN-13: 978-0192805096
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #869,369 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some neat facts about consumer products, could have been more scientific, August 31, 2005

By	Craig MACKINNON (Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This book is divided into several sections, focussing on related series of compounds. The first three sections give the book its title - vanity (cosmetics, skin products), vitality (food-related topics), and virility (the biochemical functioning of the male reproductive system, as well as some information on Viagra). The rest of the chapters focus on how to kill germs, brain chemistry, and polymers of various uses.

The book goes into more detail than many other "popular chemistry" books that I've read. Unfortunately, it doesn't go into more technical detail - the author seems to want to avoid getting too technical, referring the reader instead to a glossary of technical terms. This is a good idea but poorly carried out. For example, he discusses oils, fats, and waxes, but no where does he define the difference between them. Mostly this does not detract from the enjoyment of the book, because chemists are likely to already know the answer and most lay people will not care for a technical explanation anyway.

The topics are interesting and varied. The commentary is mostly neutral: when chemicals are dangerous he points them out, but mostly he emphasises times when "chemicals" are unfairly maligned. For example, toxicity tests are usually performed with concentrations far in excess of what a person would encounter in everyday life. Statistically insignificant correlations are released to the media without qualification. If nothing else, this book will alert you to keep an eye out for the purpose behind research.

Unfortunately, the book just doesn't read as well as other "Chemistry for the Public" books. There are some weird lapses in the narrative where the author is apparently trying to make a joke, but that is just awkward or mildly offensive. The Joe Schwarcz books are more interesting and better written, if much less detailed.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and highly readable, August 27, 2004

By	Bette (East Coast USA) - See all my reviews

Emsley is a chemist with writing abilities. He presents what could be dry, scientific material as interesting and fun to read. It's a quick read, yet full of information. I suspect he could have written a book of 500+ pages on the chemicals behind household (bleach), beauty (lipstick, wrinkle creams), health (Viagra, Prozac) and everyday items (chewing gum) we take for granted. I would have loved even more!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading, August 31, 2006

By	Philip K. Hazen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the third book that I've read by John Emsley. The author keeps the story moving by supporting statements within the text rather than distracting footnotes. Anyone interested in his daily exposure to the world of chemistry will enjoy this book. The book is not technical, but it is an excellent source of references should one want to dig deeper into any of the title topics.