Tarcher Napoleon'S Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Fascinating story of how seemingly insignificant things have impacted world history. Things we take for granted today were the reason for much of the worlds power structure in days gone by. Well worth the time to read. The chemistry is explained in just enough detail to not be boring.

A truly fascinating history of modern chemistry that is easily consumable by a lay person. Who knew all the great stories about how what we today take for granted was actually invented.

Must read book!

Very interesting book. It was recommended by a friend of mine and it was well worth reading. The chemistry inside the book isn’t too complex and is very clearly explained in the first introductory chapter. If you aren’t at all a science person then you can ignore the chemistry part and not be at a disadvantage. The book itself is more about how chemistry shaped history rather than the history of chemistry and this makes it appeal to a broader audience. It was interesting to read about how spices influenced which countries were colonised, among other things. It is a brilliant book for anyone to read as long as they have at least a mild interest in history and don’t mind broadening their knowledge with some science. If you like science and history then this book is perfect as it quenches your thirst for both. Absolutely wonderful. 5 stars.

One of our favorite books used within our homeschool with Ambleside Online year 8.We enjoyed how chemistry and history were blended together. Highly recommend having an accompanying chemistry text to go along with, to help with more of the understanding of the various properties/compositions within chemistry. Though the text could be read and enjoyed on its own, our children found this book very much a “living book”, as Charlotte Mason would term, and a desire to dig deeper was greatly inspired.