The Chemical Tree: A History of Chemistry

by William H. Brock

From alchemy to industry, a synthetic history of chemistry through the ages. In this authoritative volume, a New York Times Notable Book of 1993, scientific researcher and historian William Brock recounts the astonishing rise of a sophisticated science. Tracing the roots of chemistry back to the alchemists' futile attempts to turn lead into gold, he follows the emergence of the modern study of chemistry through the works of Boyle, Lavoisier, and Dalton, and the twentieth-century breakthroughs of Linus Pauling and others. This timely, comprehensive history examines the shifting conceptions of chemistry over the past centuries--from its development as a scientific philosophy to, more recently, its practical applications in the commercial, industrial arena. Originally published under the title The Norton History of Chemistry . Illustrated

Genres: Chemistry, Science, History

784 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2000

About the author

William Hodson Brock was a British chemist and science historian.

Reviews

[Steven Shuken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible work, but definitely incomprehensible to a layperson and not even very well or clearly explained to me as a trained chemist. However it’s an incredibly informative and educational history, amazing what the author accomplished in less than 700 pages.