Chemistry: The Central Science

by Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay Jr., Bruce E. Bursten

Chemistry: The Central Science is the most trusted book on the market--its scientific accuracy, clarity, innovative pedagogy, functional problem-solving and visuals set this book apart. Brown, LeMay, and Bursten teach students the concepts and skills they need without overcomplicating the subject.

Genres: Chemistry, Science, Textbooks, Reference, Nonfiction, School, College

1114 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Brown, Theodore L. (Theodore Lawrence), 1928- (per Library of Congress)

Reviews

[M.G.]

Honestly, this is the worst book I have ever experienced in my entire existence. I never give books one star, unless they are this book, apparently. This book is unnecessarily difficult for high school and college students. There are large amounts of Greek symbols, long science-y words with absolutely no explanations or definitions, paper so thin you either rip it or get a paper cut every time you attempt to turn a page, and print so tiny you get neck cramps from bending over backwards trying to read it. I guess it’s a good thing that the print is so microscopic, though. If it were any larger, a hundred more trees would have been ruthlessly and unnecessarily murdered just so that a student could suffer from the Wrath Of Chemistry™. Another discouraging aspect of Chemistry: The Central Science is the sheer amount of information, weight, mass, depth, and length it holds—which is way too much. The amount of information in this volume is multiple times more than any human being, student or not, should be required to learn in an entire lifetime; it is not physically, mentally, or emotionally possible. I feel truly sorry for those professors who paid thousands of dollars for their university education, only to have both their extreme intelligence and toiled fruits of their labor wasted on this volume, which will likely continue to cause suffering and pain to high school and college students alike. Ultimately, Chemistry: The Central Science wasted weeks of my sophomore year of high school that I will never get back (as well as undoubtedly took years off of my life), degraded my confidence both in the hellhole that is chemistry and in life itself, and did not help me to learn one inkling of chemistry all year long.

ISSUED: with force
RETURNED: with pleasure
0/10 do not recommend

[Russell]

This is my favorite book in the series. All the other books didn't even have romance or suspense or drama or ANYTHING! My favorite part was when the professor related the quantum theory to letters and numbers and other black symbols signifying many more weeks of suffering through AP Chemistry. It blew my mind how close the exams were! A must-read! Five stars!
It actually was the most helpful thing in the world.

[Humayra Sullivan]

I think this book gets as bad a rep as it does from students because they don't actually read it at all. Take it from someone who's read the book through and through- it's very decent. The authors try very hard to write in simple language that anyone would understand and there were even some humorous bits where certain concepts were concerned. I could've done with more sample exercises but the ones they provided were appreciated. There's quite a lot crammed into this text so I think they did the best they could with what they had to cover. Relieved I'm done with it though!

[Melissa Vadakara]

Most of the chapters were easy to understand from reading it once over. My only criticism of the book is that it should have more practice problems after the chapter with answers in the back of the book, and that certain concepts could have been explained better, like when and what kind of setup problems required in chapter 17, (but then again ch 17 is toward the back of the book, or chem 2 for me). it was really helpful as I was mainly self teaching the material.

[Elisabeth]

QUÍMICA: LA CIENCIA CENTRAL
(Highschool Text Book)
Theodore L. Brown

[**** ] 3 & 1/2 Stars.

I'm kind of a science nerd when it comes to Biology and Chemistry. This book is huge but probably my favorite school book ever.

[anushka]

Didn’t like the plot tbh.

[Christine]

This is my favorite Chemistry textbook. Nice discussion. Details are okay.

[Stetson]

This is a classic general chemistry (gen-chem) textbook, which I recall fondly. It was a text that helped me win the CRC Press Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award or whatever my college's iteration of it was for the top chemistry student (I still have the giant CRC handbook to prove it).

There is great basic coverage of important concepts including classification of matter, uncertainty in measurement, dimensional analysis, atomic theory and structure, stoichiometry, bonding theory, kinetics, equilibria, thermodynamics, coordination, and materials.

Although I rarely have a need to use these concepts anymore, many of them have stuck with me now approaching a decade-and-a-half since I complete the course work derived from this text.

[Sheena]

4.5, rounded up. An absolute gem of a textbook, describing even the most complex concepts in a simple yet detailed manner that even *I* could understand. I would have liked it to have more practice questions, but otherwise it was excellent.

[Chelsea Southworth]

lmao no this is the only book I've read in its entirety since starting college, I mean it helped me pass tests but it also helped me fall asleep which is not an entirely bad thing but not what you really want in any book. #soblessed to be done reading it.

[Brain]

I thought this book did a great treatment of chemistry. I bought it, but then dropped out of the class. After four years I reenrolled and was surprised that my edition actually was still accurate and every bit a detailed as the current text.

[Hridoy Sarkar]

One of the best book to learn general Chemistry. This book opened my interest to chemistry. However, this book is packed with so much information for beginners like me. To read this book, a great amount of inertia is needed.

[Rex]

Decent textbook.

[James]

state of matter
matter
changes of matter
properties of matter
classification of matter

[Geovanni]

Yvbhbhb

[Joe]

The best book ever

[Kapu Someswararao]

excellent book

[Kloe Potter]

I’m still failing chemistry

[hiromi]

way too many tears..
(and i mean not a single one was happiness?!)

[Hayk]

take me back I miss chem

[Steven Peter Krauel]

I laughed, I cried, and yes. I am a Chemistry major.

[Jeff Cliff]

Solid intro to chemistry book. Would have been better if more of the homework had solutions in the back.

[Emma Harris]

Very good book. Introductory text requiring no prior knowledge. Explains concepts clearly.

[Dang Khoa]

ok

[Débora Batista]

Uau...❤️

[Emilia]

Gracias por tanto Brown Lemay jamás olvidaré querer tirarselo por la cabeza a un profesor y no poder levantarlo 😍

[Fjoralba Rroshi]

This is the best book for people studying introductory chemistry as un undergraduate.

[Q]

Tested chemical reactions, equations, and my patience

[Chris]

I like science, but sheesh. Chemistry is just awful. But this isn’t a review on the subject, so I’ll ignore that.

Concepts in this textbook weren't as clearly articulated as I have read/heard elsewhere. Concepts were not simplified, but rather they felt underexplained with way more words than necessary. Often too bogged down by complex terms that were just introduced sentences earlier. Good teachers know how to simplify concepts, this book did not simplify concepts - it just laid them out in a very technical way that was not conducive to learning for new students.

[David Glad]

Decent introductory textbook for what it is, although I suppose the major flaw seems to be at that point where you were struggling to grasp something and finally do, I found it frustrating that they then emphasize that this is just an introductory text.. which is funny all the same as they made notes at one point or another that some aspects of chemistry (despite the mention in said introductory text) are still being fleshed out.