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This book is a graphic introduction to how chemistry developed, from ancient times to now. Led by cartoon host, Ben Zene — with occasional interjections by eccentric Greek philosopher Democritus — readers learn about ancient Greek and Chinese elements, alchemists, and the development of chemistry as we know it today, from Robert Boyle and Antoine Lavoisier, from Elizabeth Fulhame and John Dalton, to Jöns Jakob Berzelius and Friedrich Wöhler, to Rosalind Franklin, Linus Pauling, and Mario Molina. The book delves into topics like nanochemistry, environmental chemistry, and how the structure of atoms and molecules was uncovered, all with good humor, bright colors, and lively drawings. There are occasional sidebars on chemical-related history and the arts, and factoids such as how President of the USA Herbert Hoover and President of Israel Chaim Weizmann influenced chemistry, how personal politics may have denied Gilbert Lewis the Nobel Prize, a Japanese tale of intrigue mingling with chemistry, and which chemist was the first living person to have an element named for him.
Readership: Chemistry students, teachers and general public.
"I recommend this book. Every secondary school library should have a copy and every chemistry teacher should consider purchasing one, particularly if their grasp of the historical context of their subject is a bit sketchy. Besides, it will provide a lot of anecdotes for lessons and the odd cartoon to brighten up a PowerPoint slide show. It should also be popular among students, particularly reluctant readers."
School Science Review
"This book is a graphic novel which tells you the story of chemistry, how it started and progressed, and of many major discoveries. It takes the reader on a journey from ancient science to the present day, using a character called Ben Zene to narrate it … This book deserves to be widely read and used if we are to increase the prominence of chemistry in both the public consciousness and on the popular science shelves in bookshops. Chemists who are historically inclined will delight in the detail and those involved in education should find plenty to inspire their students …"[Read Full Review]
The Royal Society of Chemistry
Dr Cohen has a PhD in Chemistry from Rice University, has traveled around the USA, Europe, and Middle East, and spent one year as a chemistry researcher in the UK. A free-lance writer and technical writer, he has published articles in both general-interest and peer-reviewed journals dealing with chemistry, chemical history, chemical literature in Yiddish, and genealogy. His other books include What's in a Name?: A Young Person's Jewish Genealogy Workbook, Introductory Electrochemistry, and America's Scientific Treasures: A Travel Companion, 2nd ed. Dr Cohen also is a member of the Board of the Royal Society of Chemistry — US Section. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, he drew a daily comic strip, "Buffer's Solutions," for the Daily Pennsylvanian, and was Art Editor for Punch Bowl, the student humor magazine. One of his editorial cartoons appeared in a Union of Concerned Scientists calendar, and his articles appeared in the Journal of Irreproducible Results. In his limited spare time, he researches his genealogy, does professional calligraphy, and has written many choral arrangements, two of which have been published.
