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Reading Chemistry Outside of the Textbook
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by Keith McCleary
Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan
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I often (as I am sure many other chemistry teachers do) refer to chemistry as "The Central Science." When I do so, I am generally implying that I feel it is important to have an understanding of chemistry as an underpinning to other scientific fields. Although I regularly find myself thinking that term is more widely applicable than the relationship to other sciences, it has a context that can extend into our everyday lives in vital, interesting, and intriguing ways.
My students (especially those who aren't scientifically inclined) initially disagree with me, many quite adamantly and vocally. They may humor me with an acknowledgement that chemistry is important in and to our lives, but they'll be damned if they'll grant that it might be interesting.
A lot of this resistance can be traced to the textbooks that are used in the chemistry classroom. There is so much content to cover that the amazing stories of context are often given short shrift, if even mentioned at all. I certainly do not mean to be critical of textbooks. I clearly understand that the content is primary and that many textbooks do it well. I just feel that if we do not provide the context of why the content is important and how it fits into our lives, then we lose an opportunity to show students why we love the subject so and to maybe ignite the same passion in our students. The students who do show those signs of intrigue can also benefit in seeing the richness of the discourse on the subject.
What I have been doing to combat this problem of somewhat dry content and lack of context (especially with my nonscience majors) is to use books written for a general audience to show the students that there is more to the science than the formulas and the periodic table. There are literally hundreds of excellent titles out there that tell the stories, the anecdotes, the discoveries, and the sometimes incredibly funny connections of chemistry as it relates to our lives.
I am a voracious reader and have been reading titles in this area for several years. The list I provide is simply a quick culling of some of my favorite recent titles and authors. These books can be used in many different ways in the classroom. One of them I assign as a substitute for a regular textbook in my nonmajors chemistry course. Several are collections of short essays that I take bits and pieces from and read to my students. A couple of them are more encyclopedic in nature and are useful references. I have in the past assigned a list of some of these books to my students and required them to select one and read it as an addition to the text. The students then journal their reading and do some guided writing based on the book they chose. Many I read simply to enhance my personal understanding of how chemistry fits into the greater picture.
I have provided author, publisher, and ISBN information for all of the books I recommend. At the time I am writing this, all of these books are still in print and available through your local or online bookstore. I hope you'll take a look at one (or more) of my recommendations and find them useful and enjoyable. If you know of a particularly good title that isn't on the list, please let me know. There is always room on my bookshelf for one more volume, or at least there is always room in my room for more bookshelves.
Ivan Amato
P. W. Atkins
Philip Ball
John Emsley
Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson
Royston Roberts
Joe Schwarcz
Ivan Amato
Stuff: The Materials the World Is Made Of (William Morrow, ISBN 0380731533)
Stuff is a great book that connects chemistry to the field of material science. The introduction and first chapter are especially good at connecting the chemistry we study to the stuff we use everyday.
P. W. Atkins
The Periodic Kingdom: A Journey into the Land of the Chemical Elements(Basic Books, ISBN 046507266)
This book is a classic in the field. Atkins uses the metaphor of the periodic table as an unexplored physical territory to relate chemistry concepts to the reader. This book is the closest to a regular chemistry textbook than any on this list, and I have heard of it being used as a text for some introductory courses. Naming, periodicity, bonding, and electron configurations are some of the terrain, regions, laws, and administration of Atkins's kingdom.
Philip Ball
Philip Ball is an exceptional writer with a special gift for being able to explain complex concepts in clean, clear, understandable English. A former editor for Nature, Ball writes on many scientific topics and has a particular gift for drawing connections from the science to the everyday.
Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules (Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192803174)
This book explores the connections between chemistry and living systems, especially the human body. Biochemistry, molecular biology, and even some mention of nanotechnology are included in this. This is one of Ball's more densely written works, and it assumes more science orientation than his others.
The Ingredients: A Guided Tour of the Elements (Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192841009)
This is Ball's introduction to the elements and the periodic table. One of his shortest books, Ingredients tells a fair amount of the earliest history of what we now know as atoms and molecules. This book connects the cultural context and the chemical information. A long chapter on gold is especially good.
Bright Earth (University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0226036286)
This book sits at the interface of chemistry and art. A special favorite of mine, Bright Earth tells about the discovery and creation of pigments and dyes and the influence that chemistry has on artistic endeavors.
Life's Matrix: A Biography of Water (University of California Press, ISBN 0520230086)
The subtitle here says it all. Ball takes the single, ubiquitous molecule of H2O and looks at it from the viewpoints of chemistry, biology, physics, geology, history, and even politics.
John Emsley
Molecules at an Exhibition: Portraits of Intriguing Materials in Everyday Life (Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192862065)
Emsley has compiled a book of short vignettes connecting various chemical
species and topics to everyday life. Very clearly written, each brief (two to five pages) section focuses on a single element or molecule. Some of the topics included range from chemicals in food, polymers, fuels, medicines, and drugs to metals and poisons.
Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements (Oxford University Press, ISBN 0198503415)
This book is an encyclopedia of information about each of the chemical elements. While there are many such books out there, this one is my favorite in that it includes information about the discovery of the element, where it is found in nature (if it is), biological and environmental connections, industrial uses, historical background, and interesting anecdotes. More like a biography of each element instead of a list of data.
The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus (John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 047144149X)
No, there is not a typographical error in the title. While phosphorus is indeed the fifteenth element on the periodic table, it was the thirteenth element discovered. While it is hard to imagine over 300 pages dedicated to a single chemical element, this book is fascinating in the tales that it tells. Chemistry, history, industry, and war are only some of the elements (pun intended) in this pretty fascinating book.
Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson
Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History (Tarcher/Putnam, ISBN 1585422207)
Described by the authors as not so much "the history of chemistry" as "the chemistry in history," this book details how 17 molecules or classes of molecules had pretty profound influences on the history of humanity. From the connection of the spice trade to territorial exploration all the way to silk and the development of synthetic polymers, this book mixes a good dose of scientific information with historical and cultural context. In my opinion, this book is worth buying for the extensive bibliography alone.
Royston Roberts
Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science (John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 0471602035)
I use this book as a supplemental text in my chemistry course for nonmajors. The central premise of this book is that often discoveries have some element of accident or serendipity to them. Ranging from Archimedes to Nobel to synthetic sweeteners, this book looks at the science and the sometimes unusual circumstances that surround the discovery. Very well written.
Joe Schwarcz
Dr. Joe Schwarcz is the director of the Office for Chemistry and Society at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is a master at explaining science to the public, and all three of these books show that. Schwarcz does a wonderful job of explaining the "fascinating chemistry of everyday life," as the three books note. I use these books regularly. Informative, fun, funny, interesting, and surprising, Schwarcz makes some of the most amazing connections between the science and things in the real world. For example, the title of the first book refers to polyethylene.
Radar, Hula Hoops, and Playful Pigs: 62 Digestible Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life (Henry Holt and Co., ISBN 0805074074)
The Genie in the Bottle: 67 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life (Owl Books, 0805071385)
That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life (ECW Press, ISBN 1550225200)
Keith McCleary is an associate professor of chemistry at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. He has been teaching Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry there for six years, and has served as an AP Reader for four years. Before switching to teaching, Keith worked as an industrial chemist for Phillips Petroleum, Hewlett-Packard, and DuPont. His current research interests include the terrestrial origins of the elements of the periodic table, and methods for improving learning through context in non-majors chemistry courses.
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