The Chemistry Book From Gunpowder to Graphene, 250 Milestones in the History of Chemistry

From atoms and fluorescent pigments to sulfa drug synthesis and buckyballs, this lush and authoritative chronology presents 250 milestones in the world of chemistry. As the "central science" that bridges biology and physics, chemistry plays an important role in countless medical and technological advances. Covering entertaining stories and unexpected applications, chemist and journalist Derek B. Lowe traces the most important—and surprising—chemical discoveries.

Chemist Derek B. Lowe, who has written daily for the popular “In the Pipeline” blog (pipeline.corante.com) for over 10 years, is a pioneer in the world of science blogging. After receiving his PhD in chemistry from Duke University, he was awarded a Humboldt fellowship to do postdoctoral research in Germany. Since 1989 he has worked for several major pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer and Schering-Plough, on drug discovery projects against schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other diseases. In the process of running countless chemical reactions, he has handled almost 50 elements of the Periodic table. His columns on organic and medicinal chemistry are featured in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Chemistry World, and he has served on the advisory board for Chemical & Engineering News. With an enormously popular blog and 6,000-plus Twitter followers, Derek has a very strong online platform and is well connected in the scientific community. He lives in MA.