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"Peter is well-known for the clarity of his writing, and for his ability to communicate ideas concisely, compellingly, and with elegance. His talents are here deployed in a book intended for delight - delight in the way in which the world around us is put together, in how structure is reflected in properties, and in the extra level of beauty revealed to the informed eye and brain." Education in Chemistry "This is undoubtedly the most beautiful chemistry book ever written ...whether you spend only five minutes, or indulge an evening reading it all, you will be amply rewarded." New Scientist
289 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
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About the author
Peter Atkins
209 books205 followersPeter William Atkins is an English chemist and a Fellow of Lincoln College at the University of Oxford. He retired in 2007. He is a prolific writer of popular chemistry textbooks, including Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Molecular Quantum Mechanics. Atkins is also the author of a number of popular science books, including Atkins' Molecules, Galileo's Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science and On Being.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 3, 2012
Molecules by P.W.Atkins is a surprisingly detailed yet accessible overview of the molecules which are important in our lives. Atkins lays out 160 molecules in these pages, divided into various categories from simple substances such as water to the complicated molecules in lipids, senses and other drugs and hormones. Each molecule is accompanied with an expanded sphere image, as well as a skeletal model for more complex organic molecules. Some education in chemical principles will help in understanding this book, but it is very good at conveying the author's passion for the subject and is a good introductory read to anyone interested in how chemistry underlies our lives. I would not recommend trying to study from the text, however - this is more light science reading. 5/5 for clear presentation and language.
May 4, 2014
An excellent book for understanding the most important molecules that surround us. Recommended to everyone, even if not interested in the field. One starts to perceive chemistry in a different way.
July 11, 2019
Explores the molecule nature of life
This is a popular book on organic chemistry, a celebrated one at that, this being the second edition, substantially revised. The first was published in 1987. It is one of those almost legendary books of the publishing history, a technical book on a highly technical subject that somehow managed to reach something close to a large readership.
Ironically, the reason is not so much in the drawings of the molecules, but in the text. Peter Atkins covers a wide range of interesting molecules and shows how they are related, and he makes their properties semi-accessible to the general reader. I say, "semi" because, frankly for this chemistry-challenged person, seeing two-dimensional shapes of the molecules helps me to understand them only slightly. I suspect for those more conversant with chemistry, the drawings (new for this edition) will be valuable. To me, the mystery of why a certain shape and elemental composition should result in a nutritious substance whereas something else with only the slightest change should be poisonous is not dispelled.
He begins with "Simple substances," oxygen molecules, nitrogen, our air and its pollutants. He ends with the very complex DNA and RNA. Along the way he enlightens us about so many of the chemicals and foods and consumer products we use in our daily lives from soaps and gasoline to fats and oils, to painkillers and street drugs. His style is very readable and he has the welcome knack of being informative about interesting things. Here are some examples:
Baking power releases carbon dioxide to leaven baked goods in two separate bursts. "The first burst occurs at room temperature as a result of the action of the moistened tartaric acid...The second...is due to the action of the aluminum salt, and it occurs at high temperature." (p. 24)
One of the differences between synthetic and natural vanilla (vanillin) is that the natural is "weakly radioactive," the former having been made from coal tar, "from which the radioactivity has long decayed," while the latter picks up some radioactive carbon-14 atoms captured from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. (p. 154) (Of course natural vanilla is also more expensive.)
Lemons originally came from northern India and were introduced into the Mediterranean region about a thousand years ago. (p. 155)
"Initially, a young white wine may have a greenish hue from the chlorophyll...molecules that survive fermentation." (p. 176)
Window glass allows UV-A rays to pass through but blocks UV-B rays. (p. 180) I had always wondered about this because I had gotten conflicting information from different sources.
There's a Glossary and many full color illustrations and photos on glossy paper in addition to the color-coded drawings of the molecules, some of which are very beautiful. There's an Introduction in which Atkins explains the difference between elements and molecules, between atoms and compounds, and differentiates between the bonds between atoms and the forces that hold molecules together.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
This is a popular book on organic chemistry, a celebrated one at that, this being the second edition, substantially revised. The first was published in 1987. It is one of those almost legendary books of the publishing history, a technical book on a highly technical subject that somehow managed to reach something close to a large readership.
Ironically, the reason is not so much in the drawings of the molecules, but in the text. Peter Atkins covers a wide range of interesting molecules and shows how they are related, and he makes their properties semi-accessible to the general reader. I say, "semi" because, frankly for this chemistry-challenged person, seeing two-dimensional shapes of the molecules helps me to understand them only slightly. I suspect for those more conversant with chemistry, the drawings (new for this edition) will be valuable. To me, the mystery of why a certain shape and elemental composition should result in a nutritious substance whereas something else with only the slightest change should be poisonous is not dispelled.
He begins with "Simple substances," oxygen molecules, nitrogen, our air and its pollutants. He ends with the very complex DNA and RNA. Along the way he enlightens us about so many of the chemicals and foods and consumer products we use in our daily lives from soaps and gasoline to fats and oils, to painkillers and street drugs. His style is very readable and he has the welcome knack of being informative about interesting things. Here are some examples:
Baking power releases carbon dioxide to leaven baked goods in two separate bursts. "The first burst occurs at room temperature as a result of the action of the moistened tartaric acid...The second...is due to the action of the aluminum salt, and it occurs at high temperature." (p. 24)
One of the differences between synthetic and natural vanilla (vanillin) is that the natural is "weakly radioactive," the former having been made from coal tar, "from which the radioactivity has long decayed," while the latter picks up some radioactive carbon-14 atoms captured from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. (p. 154) (Of course natural vanilla is also more expensive.)
Lemons originally came from northern India and were introduced into the Mediterranean region about a thousand years ago. (p. 155)
"Initially, a young white wine may have a greenish hue from the chlorophyll...molecules that survive fermentation." (p. 176)
Window glass allows UV-A rays to pass through but blocks UV-B rays. (p. 180) I had always wondered about this because I had gotten conflicting information from different sources.
There's a Glossary and many full color illustrations and photos on glossy paper in addition to the color-coded drawings of the molecules, some of which are very beautiful. There's an Introduction in which Atkins explains the difference between elements and molecules, between atoms and compounds, and differentiates between the bonds between atoms and the forces that hold molecules together.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
August 7, 2020
Atkins is an effortlessly engaging author, and I'm sure that any chemistry enthusiast will find ample evidence of this in his book Molecules, which presents a catalogue of chemical species to be explored and enjoyed. I always have held up the idea of the chemist as an encyclopedia of trivia, and this book is one of those on my bookshelf geared toward this objective.
October 29, 2017
lyric. beautiful. funny.
May 18, 2022
É um bom livro. A idéia do Atkins, o mesmo que escreveu os livros de química geral, é colocar as moléculas em exposição para um público mais geral. A ideia até que funciona bem. As fotografias e artes escolhidas são bem bonitas. Desse modo as moléculas se tornam uma entidade estética para serem apreciadas, não meros objetos técnicos e isto é bacana. Porém na minha opinião faltou algumas moléculas mais divertidas e malignas, algo mais punk mesmo. Em suma é uma boa leitura mas provavelmente vai ser entediante e arrastado se você já conhece o assunto. Caso vc seja um leigo é provavel que a leitura seja bem bacana.
August 24, 2021
Outdated data and information. A great read for the illustrations and a window back into chemistry in the 80s.
July 12, 2022
my bible.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews