Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry from Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission

This is one of the finest books on the history of science I have ever read. Each scientist appears larger than life - even their warts and flaws are the size of mountains. This is the history of chemistry told on the large screen, technicolor, and surround sound, as heroic as any military or political history. I'll be re-reading this book 20 years from now.

Not everyone likes to jump into a field with a basic textbook. Crucibles tells the story of modern chemistry and atomic theory in the form of a series of biographical vignettes with an emphasis on chemistry. It starts with the ancients and covers a lot of ground. I found it rather fascinating as a kid, but I still think it's pretty good as an introduction.

I have read and reread this book several times and use it in teaching honors and AP Chemistry on the high school level, and have required my students to read it to bolster their knowledge of the history of chemistry. It is an excellent book, but the writing style is somewhat difficult for high school students, even the higher performing ones. Because of this, I have added some more recent books written in a more engaging style for my students to choose from. I would still recommend this book to those interested in the history of chemistry, but I would also recommend others as well, including PROMETHEANS IN THE LAB by McGrayne and UNCLE TUNGSTEN by Sacks.