The Art of Chemistry: Myths, Medicines, and Materials

摘要

Arthur Greenbereg is an avid collector of images related to chemistry. The Art of Chemistry, like his previous book, A Chemical History Tour, is a loosely woven narrative of western chemical history whose main driving force appears to be Greenbverg's own eclection book and image collection. Thus, unlike most histories of chemistry that use images to support their narrative, here the images lead the way. This some-what eccentric book is in its author's words, "…not an orderly history of chemistry but rather an idiosyncratic tour." This is good or bad, engaging or disorienting, depending on your perspective. When I first picked up th4 book I tried to discern the intended audience, and after some time have concluded that it would be suitable as a gift for either a chemist or a high school or college student with a quirky interest in the history of science, or as a reference book for a chemistry teacher. I can also imagine it being a useful visual compendium for teachers who want to place their lectures in a historical context. If you need a clearly delineated history of the development of (mostly) pre-20th century chemistry or a more analytical, academic approach to the subject-there are many books that do the job better. On the other hand, if yu are simply looking for a book of chemical curiosities, this may be the one for you.