The Handy Chemistry Answer Book

September 1, 2013
Stewart (chemist at ExxonMobil Chemical Company) and Lomont (National Science Fdn. Graduate Research Fellow, Univ. of California at Berkeley) provide here, in relatively simple, everyday terms, answers to almost 1,000 questions on everything from the color of polar bear cub fur to what makes a glow stick glow. Unlike other books about chemistry, this volume serves up many aha! moments, offering quick nuggets of interesting information and a dash of humor on a wide variety of topics, meaning that there is something for everyone. The book begins with a history of chemistry and moves to a discussion of atoms, molecules, and chemical reactions. It then covers various branches of the science, discusses chemistry in the kitchen and the world around us, and ends with experiments to do at home. VERDICT This book's question-and-answer format makes it easy to scan the contents for fascinating tidbits, and its highly readable subject matter makes chemistry fun and appealing to a wide audience. The title will be of use to educators in primary and early high school, who will find it enormously useful in classroom discussions; parents looking to answer the myriad questions children ask; and high school students with a chemistry class requirement.--Christine Sharbrough, Chelmsford P.L., MA

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