Chemistry

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this book. I must not have read the descriptions because I got it for my 4 year old daughter and when it arrived I almost immediately sent it back. My first impression was that there was a lot of information in this book and almost all of the topics seemed to me to be over her head. Boy was I wrong, once my daughter saw the book she was HOOKED. This has become her favorite bedtime story. There are so many bright beautiful pictures and the descriptions/writing is very clear and effective. Each page is packed with information and covers the subtopic very thoroughly. Unlike most of the books we own, we can't read this all in one sitting so we pick a few pages at a time. My daughter is constantly asking questions about all the amazing photo's. And I find myself learning things and really feeling engaged in reading (unlike all our princess books we have read eight million times). I believe my daughter enjoys this book so much partially because it comes across as grown up material and isn't 'kiddified' but the pictures do allow her to see and understand the material in her own terms/style. I am egger to buy more books from this line to see if they all are able to create such a love of learning.

This book gives a good overview of chemistry for someone with no or limited knowledge of chemistry. I recommend it, tho I've not compared it to other similar books. A high school student may need something more advanced, but it is also suitable for that age group, tho perhaps only 4 stars for a 17 year old.

Through the Eyewitness books, you can discover facts about chemistry, the traditions of ancient alchemy and the technology of today. Dr. Ann Newmark takes the reader on a journey through time and explores chemistry in the ancient world. This is so much more than a book with chemistry lessons from a class, it is an exploration of history and explanation of chemical substances. Chemistry in the Kitchen will make cooking more fun as you learn about yeast mixtures or find out what makes oranges orange. Fun Facts: A Spider's silk is stronger than a thread of similar thickness made of steel. Glass may have been made in Egypt around 3000 BC by fusing sand, soda and lime. Sage and Rosemary help to preserve foods Bicarbonate of Soda can relieve the pain from a bee sting, but you would need vinegar for a wasp sting (interesting reasons explained). Subjects: The first chemists, elements, atoms and molecules, compounds, the periodic table, metals, nonmetals, air, burning reactions, noble gases, chemical reactions, oxidation and reduction, acids and bases, forming salts, electricity and chemistry, chemistry of carbon, organic synthesis, synthetic materials, chemical analysis and the chemical industry. A timeline is helpful for understanding the context and a glossary gives more detailed information about ideas presented in this book. ~The Rebecca Review