The Development of Modern Chemistry

by Aaron J. Ihde

Over the past two centuries chemistry has developed from germinal speculations on the nature of gases and minerals to a highly complex discipline encompassing numerous areas of study. This authoritative and comprehensive volume traces the historical development of chemistry from its roots in ancient Greek theory to the revolutionary and explosive discoveries of the 20th century. The author, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and History of Science at the University of Wisconsin, places the role of alchemy as a "precursor" to chemistry and technological arts. This book also shows how discoveries concerning gases in the mid-18th century were pivotal in creating the foundations of chemistry as a modern science.Professor Ihde delves into many other fascinating aspects of chemistry's development as a science. Thus, this unique
• shows how the errors of alchemy were eventually divorced from chemistry• examines the numerous individuals who contributed to centuries of progress in the theory and application of chemistry• places important discoveries in the context of contemporaneous political, economic, and social development
• provides lucid explanations of important theoretical concepts
• demonstrates chemistry's central role among the modern sciencesMany historians of chemistry focus largely on the material philosophies of the ancient Greeks and the long period of alchemical activity. While including such essential aspects of ancient contributions, Dr. Ihde concentrates heavily on developments that occupied after Joseph Black laid the foundations of quantitative analysis in the mid-18th century. The discoveries of John Dalton, Justus von Liebig, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, and many others are examined in the context of their relationship to the development of organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and industrial chemistry.Its extraordinary thorough and lucid coverage of the myriad aspects of modern chemistry makes the moderately priced paperbound edition an ideal supplementary text for high-school and college-level courses, as well as a stimulating, highly readable book for the interested layman.

Genres: Science, Chemistry, History, Nonfiction, Textbooks

880 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1984

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chemistry has a long and illustrious history. Since the invention of fire, humans have used tools and collective knowledge to solve problems.

The Development of Modern Chemistry is a Dover reprint of a textbook written in 1964 by Professor Aaron J. Ihde. The book covers everything you would expect from the subject. It includes the ideas left to the wayside and chemical formulations in classic notation. The critical early hurdles of Chemistry as a field were the idea of phlogiston and air as an element.

Ihde slowly examines each essential discovery that broke the status quo and expanded our knowledge. Furthermore, the book contains pictures of the apparatus used to make these measurements and experiments. All the pages are in black and white, with the images being greyscale.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Jason Rosendale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is obviously a bit dry -- it's not arranged with a nail-biting narrative structure or anything. I found it mainly valuable in dispelling the illusion given by undergrad textbooks that chemistry moved forward by great people making breakthroughs ("people didn't understand x. But then Dalton discovered y, which unlocked the material in the next chapter.") This book makes it much clearer just how messy the process was and how much uncertainty these scientists had to work under, how long it took for true things to get accepted or false things to be definitively laid to rest.

As a bonus, you get to fill your vocabulary with fun old-timey names for chemical compounds like "firedamp" and "vegetable alkali", for when you're joshing with your chemistry buds.

[Scott Milam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book from which 20 other books were inspired. Lots of stuff in here, great read for chemistry teachers, but it was dense.

[M J]

Today I ordered The Development of Modern Chemistry from a used book site. When I was in high school, I heard a lecture by Dr. Ihde on the University radio station. It was one of his "History of Science" lectures for the Integrated Liberal Studies program that the University of Wisconsin still offers. His lecture was something magical. I was so impressed that when I entered UW in 1968 I became part of ILS. Dr. Ihde was one of my very favorite professors.

These were times of enormous campus unrest. There were National Guard troops on campus. There was a lot of pressure on students to abandon their classes and spend their time marching. One afternoon during Dr. Ihde's class in the chemistry building, several people entered and started chanting to disrupt the lecture. Dr. Ihde's students set up a counter-chant: "We Want Ihde! We Want Ihde!" The protestors left the auditorium and Dr. Ihde stood at the podium and cried.

I probably heard sections of this book years ago during his lectures as he was refining his ideas. It will be good to hear his voice again.

[Tinwerume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the first four chapters especially (which cover the early days of chemistry before the core theory was settled) are a really fascinating exploration of the process of building the science up from nothing. Our Chemistry 101 theory really isn't obvious, and chemistry isn't like physics where very simple mathematical laws govern most of the 101 phenomena. Just figuring out that substances combine in integer proportions is incredibly difficult: for starters you need to have already have built up the practical knowledge of how to isolate substances, and then you need a way to measure substances as "parts" rather than weights (since of course you don't know the atomic weights of any substance, or even that substances *have* atomic weights).

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I'm in that period between books where I can't decide what to read. As a result I am currently reading this book, another Dover press book of speeches and writings of William Morris, The Selected Writings of Sigmund Freud, Vagabonding: Feminist Thinking Cut Loose a seminal work by German feminist Christina Thurmer-Rohr, as well as 2 books by the same author about the history of the OED, oh and Capital V. 1. Capital and this chemistry book look to be the frontrunners.