The Same and Not the Same

I am a recent college grad with ca hemistry minor, and I decided to read this after one of my chemistry professors recommended it. However, I found that even with my limited background in chemistry, a lot of it was like reading an extremely concise overview of the topics I covered in my classes. On the other hand, I found myself thinking much of the time that a lot of the material in the book might be difficult to grasp in full depth for someone who hasn't had at least 1 or 2 college-level chemistry classes. I feel it's not really a book you'd read to learn about, or advance your knowledge of chemistry. It was nice to be reminded, in a non-technical matter, of many of the topics I learned about in chemistry throughout college however. It's probably a good book to read if you're a high school senior or college freshman who is on the fence about majoring in chemistry.

(8 out of 10)Roald Hoffman has several objectives in this book: to lift chemistry from zealous physical reductionism, to show the artistic side of chemistry, to show the humanity of chemistry, and -of course, throughout- to present chemistry.Regarding reductionism, Hoffman argues essentially this: Quantum physics does not reduce chemistry to a rich Lego Set where chemists just permute new combinations of atoms. What mother worries about solving a wave equation when enjoying the experience of her newborn? Physics may describe all phenomena, but its descriptions are unsatisfactory with increasing layers of abstraction; chemistry is one of these abstractions.Hoffman lifts chemistry from reductionism by simply presenting what chemists deal with everyday. Many of these questions have an epistemological flavor to them. For instance, what molecules make up this substance? How do I know for sure that this molecule that I have synthesized is exactly the one found in nature? In what manner does a chemical reaction proceed, e.g., what are the reactionary intermediate molecules on the way to the final product? What is the best way to represent this molecule on paper? This more philosophical presentation of chemistry, preserves the book from being `stale' as more test tube chem books may suffer from. It is also easy to see that these questions do not involve a bit of quantum physics at all.Perhaps unique among the sciences, chemistry creates itself with every new reaction mechanism >imagined<, and every new molecule synthesized. Because of that, Hoffman argues, chemistry is much closer to the Arts than any other science. He then explores this in depth, showing us the steps to synthesizing cubane, a beautifully simple carbon molecule that looks like a cube. And he shows us what makes a synthesis beautiful in the eyes of a chemist. It can be a visual aesthetic, a devilishly ingenious synthesis mechanism, a new way to create greater yields, and so on.<p>Presenting the humanity of chemistry is just as important to Hoffman as chemistry's Art, and it's rescue from reductionism. So not only does Hoffman show us how chemistry is much like the Arts, he also presents some of the moral dilemma's that many chemists face. A chemical can bestow great benefit and at the same time cause a lot of harm. A few examples that he gives revolve about synthetic growth hormones and insecticide. Particularly nice is how he personally reacts as a chemist and lay person. Perhaps the best example is his chapter on the great chemist Haber who represents the paradoxes of chemistry. So peppered throughout, Hoffman gives his personal view that chemistry and it's surrounding community must face, which makes his second objective (humanity) that much better, and in addition gives the book a very warm style.<p>But now, let's move on to the negatives, and I hope you don't skip them, because I believe it will enhance your reading of this book. Superficially, Hoffman paints a

This collection of essays about the nature and practice of chemistry is as rich and diverse as the subject itself. It describes what it is like to be a chemist and the undercurrent of ideas that define chemistry as a unique and worthy endeavor. This book should be must reading for every student of science. With its clear and lucid style, it reminded me in some ways of my other favorite author, Stephen Jay Gould. I couldn't put it down. One last comment: The heavy coated paper adds clarity and crispness to the words and illustrations, well worth the extra cost. Very nice. Thanks Columbia University Press.