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Asimov on Chemistry
Asimov ventures into the realms of biochemistry, geochemistry, and inorganic, organic, and nuclear chemistry in articles considering the men, theories, and discoveries that fostered the development of chemical science
267 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1974
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About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,337 books27.6k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 7, 2015
What Asimov did best was to explain science to nonscientists--and he was breathtakingly good at it.
This is a series of articles he wrote from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, with some update postscripts from 1974, when they were bound in book form.
The article on global warming is the most lucid and quantitative explanation I've ever read--and he published it in January 1959.
This is a series of articles he wrote from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, with some update postscripts from 1974, when they were bound in book form.
The article on global warming is the most lucid and quantitative explanation I've ever read--and he published it in January 1959.
August 27, 2016
In schools, chemistry is taught very artificially. Consider a typical question students might ponder: what is paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde? The "correct" answer has to do with tertiary amine and partially oxidised carbon set to opposing sides of an aromatic ring. The correct answer, alas, is also hopelessly disconnected from anything tangible.
Asimov is (was :/ ) one of the greatest writers in science because, unlike most educators, he treats the subject matter as a true scientist: always seeking why are things the way they are and how they came to be. Thus, Asimov's explanation to paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde involves scented resin from the island of Java, camel dung burnt in Egyptian temples, the fact that women prefer their eyeshadow finely grounded etc. In short, you feel the connection with the world.
The chemistry essays, though written half a century ago, are still as fresh as ever. Asimov was already a distinguished author at the time, so the style is that of a whimsical teacher who has nothing left to prove. Gross generalisations (Ostwald was an Estonian Nobel Laureate, not German/Russian, damn it! :D ) alternate with long winding digresses; playful delusions of grandeur give way to witty self-deprecation. Required reading for anyone who wants to teach chemistry!
Asimov is (was :/ ) one of the greatest writers in science because, unlike most educators, he treats the subject matter as a true scientist: always seeking why are things the way they are and how they came to be. Thus, Asimov's explanation to paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde involves scented resin from the island of Java, camel dung burnt in Egyptian temples, the fact that women prefer their eyeshadow finely grounded etc. In short, you feel the connection with the world.
The chemistry essays, though written half a century ago, are still as fresh as ever. Asimov was already a distinguished author at the time, so the style is that of a whimsical teacher who has nothing left to prove. Gross generalisations (Ostwald was an Estonian Nobel Laureate, not German/Russian, damn it! :D ) alternate with long winding digresses; playful delusions of grandeur give way to witty self-deprecation. Required reading for anyone who wants to teach chemistry!
June 6, 2022
The first in the "Asimov on..." series of the reissues of the already-published essays - and very, very good.
March 14, 2017
The author explains in the forward that his first 5 collections of science articles from F&SF were being taken out of print in hardcover and, to replace those books, someone got the idea of sorting the essays in those 5 books by subject (e.g. which science they talked about). I don't have a problem with rereading or skipping essays that I've read, so I enjoyed this.
August 18, 2009
Between this book and several of Asimov's other books about Chemistry, the Good Doctor enabled me to pass eight credits' worth of college Chemistry without taking more than a single High School Chemistry course.
September 9, 2012
Great science read - a firm favourite
Read
January 12, 2013A very good read. This book should be included in the supplementary reading list of schools, if not a text book!
April 3, 2013
Definitely one of the best chemistry books I've read, really enjoyable.
November 2, 2020
After learning that Isaac Asimov had a chemistry background I couldn’t help but have to read this book. Having a chemistry background myself, I can say that Asimov gives the reader all the understanding of a general course on chemistry, if not more, without once resorting to math. Asimov grounds his lectures on the history of chemistry and is able to help the reader see the logical train of thought that lead to the most revealing chemical discoveries and our current understanding of the subject. In this way he is able to demystify the subject for the general reader while also giving wonderful context to those already familiar with it. In addition, he makes wonderful digressions that touch on everything from how chemistry develop is nomenclature to a very informed speculation on what “life-NOT-as-we-know-it” could look it.
June 13, 2022
Definitely worth rereading. Informative, engaging. This increased my admiration and appreciation of science / scientists. They actually discovered how the world works, which is incredibly difficult. The Ochem essays were probably my fav—in which I learned and promptly forgot the etymology of orgo nomenclature.
April 21, 2020
Another interesting book , Asimov was a Russian born author who wrote 500 books , fiction and non-fiction
June 17, 2015
With the best will in the world, I couldn't get into this. Asimov had a PhD in chemistry, as I recall, but chemistry has always been that branch of science that has left me absolutely cold, and even Asimov can't make it interesting - although things do improve once he starts relating it to biology.
As always, the most interesting parts of Asimov science books are the asides - the little pieces of strange history, the character sketches of scientists. I would have liked more, to leaven the deadly nature of the subject, but alas.
The included essays came from a popular science column Asimov did for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. This explains the bit of repetition, but as a science essayist/columnist, I think I'd still rather read Gould.
As always, the most interesting parts of Asimov science books are the asides - the little pieces of strange history, the character sketches of scientists. I would have liked more, to leaven the deadly nature of the subject, but alas.
The included essays came from a popular science column Asimov did for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. This explains the bit of repetition, but as a science essayist/columnist, I think I'd still rather read Gould.
August 12, 2016
Another excellent collection of science essays from Asimov's contributions to F&SF magazine. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews