Napoleon's Buttons : 17 Molecules Changed History

by Le Couteur, Penny; Burreson, Jay

• ISBN13: 9781585423316
• ISBN10: 1585423319
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-24
• Publisher: PENGIUN BOOKS

Summary

Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts. With lively prose and an eye for colourful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world.

Author Biography

Penny Le Couteur, Ph.D., has been a professor of chemistry at Capilano College in British Columbia for more than thirty years.

Jay Burreson, Ph.D., has worked as an industrial chemist and held a National Institutes of Health special fellowship.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Peppers, Nutmeg, and Cloves	p. 19
Ascorbic Acid	p. 36
Glucose	p. 54
Cellulose	p. 71
Nitro Compounds	p. 87
Silk and Nylon	p. 105
Phenol	p. 123
Isoprene	p. 141
Dyes	p. 162
Wonder Drugs	p. 181
The Pill	p. 201
Molecules of Witchcraft	p. 223
Morphine, Nicotine, and Caffeine	p. 246
Oleic Acid	p. 270
Salt	p. 291
Chlorocarbon Compounds	p. 309
Molecules Versus Malaria	p. 330
Epilogue	p. 351
Acknowledgments	p. 355
Selected Bibliography	p. 357
Index	p. 363
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.