Braving The Elements

An ideal primer for those who wish to improve their scientific literacy, this book is beautifully written and especially recommended for high school and undergraduate nonmajor science courses. Amply illustrated chapters on chemical bonding, biochemistry, cancer, and the atmosphere are interspersed with such chapters as "The Alchemist's Dream", "Newsworthy Molecules", and "WallStreet Chemistry". To facilitate this book's use in the classroom, a complete set of problems and sample exams are available from the publisher.

Table of Contents:
1. The Periodic Table 2. The Alchemist's Dream 3. Chemical Bonding 4. Newsworthy Molecules 5. Chemical Reactivity 6. Wall Street Chemistry 7. Synthetic Materials 8. Biochemistry 9. Photochemistry 10. Atmospheric Chemistry 11. Cancer Glossary Appendix Index

About the Author :
Harry B. Gray (Author) Harry Barkus Gray is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry and the Founding Director of the Beckman Institute at the California Institute of Technology. His main research interests center on inorganic spectroscopy, photochemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry, with emphasis on understanding electron transfer in proteins. For his contributions to chemistry, which include over 700 papers and 17 books, he has received the National Medal of Science from President Ronald Reagan (1986); the Linderstrøm-Lang Prize (1991); the Basolo Medal (1994); the Gibbs Medal (1994); the Chandler Medal (1999); the Harvey Prize (2000); the Nichols Medal (2003); the National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences (2003); the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry (2004); the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2004); the City of Florence Prize in Molecular Sciences (2006); six national awards from the American Chemical Society, including the Priestley Medal (1991); and 16 honorary doctorates. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the American Philosophical Society; an honorary member of the Italian Chemical Society; a foreign member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters; the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; and the Royal Society of Great Britain. He was California Scientist of the Year in 1988.John D. Simon (Author) John D. Simon became the first George B. Geller Professor of Chemistry at Duke University in 1998. He is currently Chair Chemistry Department at Duke and a faculty member of the Biochemistry, and Ophthalmology Departments of the Duke Medical Center. John graduated from Williams College in 1979 with a B.A. in Chemistry and received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1983. After a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Mostafa El-Sayed at UCLA, John joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at UCSD in 1985.

Review :
"A nonmathematical description of the excitement as well as the utility of chemistry." --Journal of Chemical Education "A wonderful tool to teach people who are timid of chemistry!" --Terry T. Young, Lead Biologist with GET SMART "An interesting read, without the disguise, for those of us who know chemistry is fascinating." --New Scientist "Briskly and entertainingly written, sprinkled with historical sketches of great moments in modern chemistry…Chemistry is alive and well, and to prove it they have written what might almost qualify as a page turner." --Engineering & Science