Wonders of Chemistry

Archie Collins introduces chemistry, first by examining the marvels of air and water, and then revealing the many exciting processes and products discovered by humankind.

Written with genuine affection for the subject, the scope of this book gradually expands to encompass the major industries and roles that chemistry and chemical processes carry. We learn the basic chemistry of combustion, acids, metals and plant life. Gradually, a picture is assembled, demonstrating how chemicals and chemistry are crucial to our everyday living and human civilization – simply put, from the earliest makings of fire to the most advanced chemical reactions of modern times, human progress has been wedded to advances and discoveries in chemical science.

The crops we grow and foods we eat, the clothes we wear and dye, the energy powering our society – all are born of chemical reactions and knowledge. Perhaps uniquely for an educational textbook, Archie Collins demonstrates the importance and scope of chemistry by framing it in a story of human endeavor. Accidental discoveries and pioneering ingenuity are related in an engaging way, and each chapter blossoms to reveal successive chemical attainments in its topic.

Plain-spoken, lively and engaging, this edition of Archie Collins classic work includes his illustrations and photographs of factories and chemical processes.