Science 101: Chemistry

by Denise Kiernan, Joseph D'Agnese

This new series is the ultimate illustrated science guide for non–scientists. With over 200 full color images, illustrations, charts, and other visual aids, Science 101 explains major areas of science in an interesting, visually compelling, and accessible manner. These books will fill the need for an authoritative, popular reference in science and technology for students and adults alike. Chemistry, often called the central science, is everywhere in our modern society––food, clothes, cosmetics, medical diagnostics, and microchips. In SCIENCE 101: CHEMISTRY fundamental facts and concepts are presented along with dynamic and informative imagery.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Science Nature

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist, producer, and host of “CRAFT: Authors in Conversation.” Her new young reader’s book, "We Gather Together: Stories of Thanksgiving from then to now," arrived September 2023, and is a companion title to the popular adult nonfiction book, "We Gather Together," and children’s picture book, Giving Thanks. Her titles "The Last Castle" and "The Girls of Atomic City" were both instant New York Times bestsellers in both hardcover and paperback. "The Last Castle" was also a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a finalist for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. "The Girls of Atomic City" was also a Los Angeles Times and NPR bestseller, was named one of Amazon's “Top 100 Best Books of 2013,” and is now available in multiple languages. It was also awarded the 2014 American Political Science Association's Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book published in the United States on government, politics, or international affairs.

Kiernan has also co-authored several popular history titles including "Signing Their Lives Away," "Signing Their Rights Away," and "Stuff Every American Should Know." She has been published in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, Time, Ms. Magazine, Reader's Digest, Discover and many more publications. She has also worked in television, serving as head writer for ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" during its Emmy award-winning first season and has produced for media outlets such as ESPN and MSNBC.Throughout her career, Kiernan has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR's "Weekend Edition," PBS NewsHour, MSNBC Morning Joe and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She lives in North Carolina.

Find out more about Denise's projects at:
http://denisekiernan.com
http://facebook.com/DeniseKiernanAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/DeniseKiernan
https://www.instagram.com/iamdeniseki...

Reviews

[Kathleen McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chemistry was hard for me in school. Math was not my strong suit, so despite a curiosity about the foundation of the natural world, I had a hard time connecting with the class.

This book has no math. In fact, the back-cover blurb of Science 101: Chemistry calls the book “the ultimate illustrated guide for nonscientists” and I have to agree. Don’t get me wrong: this book will not turn you into an expert overnight, but it provides a survey of major pertinent topics within the subject. It starts with a history of chemistry from ancient to modern. Then it goes on to describe the fundamentals, such atoms, the periodic table, reactions, and DNA etc. It uses a non-insulting “explain it to me like I’m five” approach by introducing each topic, lying out relevant vocabulary, giving a basic explanation of the processes involved, and relating it to reality in some way (how we see this at play in our own lives, for example, or potential future applications). Every topic is a handy two pages long. You can read only the topics that interest you – perhaps supplementing something you came across, like in the news – or the whole book straight through.

I’m still no chemistry expert, but the introductions in this book have given me a solid enough foundation, and more than once have sparked conversation and further research. I feel confident I could continue to understand the topics at hand should I choose to deepen my knowledge in any of those areas.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is interesting to re-read this book thirteen years after it was published and to note the budding technologies which are now commonplace.

I suspect that I didn't finish this promising-looking book the first time for the same reason I'm not recommending it now - it's slapdash.

Sometimes a sentence is not sufficiently unambiguous.
The Periodic Table is too small to read and is useless for reference.
Some of the illustrations are of things too obvious to need illustration.
Contradictory facts are given - Carbon is both the fourth most abundant element in the Universe and the sixth most abundant element in the Universe....


Perhaps part of the problem is that the two authors did not co-ordinate their texts. I also suspect that they were writing for different levels of comprehension.

[Bhakta Kishor · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a book with varied concepts of matters included in our surroundings. There are basic definitions like :

1. An element is a pure substance which is made up of only one kind of atoms.

2. An atom is the smallest particle of an element which may or may not have independent existence.

3. Molecule is the smallest paricle of a substance which is capable of independent existence under ordinary conditions and show all the properties of that substance.

4. The combining capacity of an element is known as its valency.

5. Ion is a charged particle having negative or positive charge.

6. The mass number is defined as the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom of the element.

7. Isotopes are the atoms of same element which have same atomic number but different mass number.

8. Isobars are the atoms of different elements having same mass number but different atomic number.

⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜

[Ben Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was good, basic information. The three stars is really only because it was a bit slow and dull (nature of this sort of book), but it fully accomplishes it's purpose.