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by: William H. Brock  Price: $33.82 Prices subject to change.Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Dewey Decimal Number: 540.9 EAN: 9780393310436 ISBN: 0393310434 Label: W. W. Norton & Company Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 744 Publication Date: 1993-12 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Studio: W. W. Norton & Company Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: Recounts the rise of a sophisticated science, from the alchemists' futile attempts to turn lead into gold, to the breakthroughs of the 20th century. Average Rating:
 Rating: - Should be called "History of Chemical Theory"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 ... Read More Rating: - Well researched, broad coverage of practice and theoryI'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 ... Read More Rating: - A captivating bookI was captivated by this book. The book was thoroughly researched and documented, and provided useful insight to the motives behind historical developments. To enjoy the book, you really need to have a background in chemistry as well as a general knowledge of major historical developments. At times, the book had a disjointed approach, referencing historical individuals long before introducing them. Additionally, I would have preferred a greater focus on the impact of the historical ... Read More Rating:  - Thorough, Comprehensible History of ChemistryThis 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. ... Read More 
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