It's Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry in Everything

This is a fantastically great book. I have read it twice and may read it a third time. I prefer nonfiction books by people who write about what they ACTUALLY DO. Prof Biberdorf, drawing opn her extensive classroom experience, takes this to a new level. In the first part of the book, in plain, clear English, she lays out everything about basic chemistry that didn't dent my skull back in my student days. THEN, she switches over to a second part addressing how she lives her life every day and tells me, again in plain, clear English, how it involves the chemistry so clearly set out by her in the first part of this fabulous book. It's just wonderful and soooooooooooooo rewarding!!!

I absolutely loved this book. Incredibly interesting and easy to read with great everyday examples.

I’ve seen her on several shows. Always entertaining and informative. If you can, watch her stint on Colbert. It’s on YouTube.

Arrived on time and item as described...

I understand this is for beginners, and I'm one of them, but I think science can be explained better than that. It all started with comparing atoms electrons outer shells with persons clothing... Next, atom bonds with attraction of people in a cafe. Then I stopped reading.

This book goes through the basics of chemistry in a very understandable way, using modern references for comparison. It then dives deeper into fun facts and the application of chemical processes in every day life. I would definitely recommend!

Kate explains why things are the way they are from breakfast to midnight and along the way she offers lots of tips on what to do for better results or not to do to avoid problems. First half of the book is chemistry review and the second half is a review of daily things.

If you are an adult who never took chemistry (or took it and forgot most of it) then listening to this audiobook is a great way to get a taste of what you've been missing. Dr. Biberdorf teaches chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin and is a former aerobics instructor (or maybe it was yoga). Although that background might seem somewhat contradictory, the juxtaposition works perfectly for her. She has a great passion for chemistry, which she conveys with energy and humor. The book maps a person's day from sunrise and breakfast through late-night cocktails and intimacy and explains the role chemistry plays in each part of the day. The author explains the chemistry behind such topics as laundry detergent, kitchen and bathroom cleaners (don't mix them together), sunscreen lotion (spf 30 is all you need), bathing suits, portable beach coolers, wine and beer making, aphrodisiacs (wine: yes, oysters: no), hangovers, and a ton of other areas that most people (myself included) deal with every day without much thought. Spoiler alert: everything we see and do has a chemistry angle to it. I found it all to be quite fascinating, and it has made me think about the world around me in a different way. I'm thankful for that. Some readers had negative comments about the dense nature of the subject matter. That much is true, although greatly ameliorated, I suspect, by listening rather than reading. It would have been difficult to write a book about chemistry without background on electrons, neutrons, protons, and isotopes, and there are a few (perhaps a few too many) chemical formulae in the book, but anyone who uses the phrases covalent bonds and "knockin' boots" in the same work is okay with me. Science is sexy. Who knew? I loved it!

This book has good explanations of basic chemistry topics but has several errors, especially when talking about biology, that make it frustrating to read.The author makes several factually incorrect statements about biological roles that even a highschool biology student should know not to make.The author is clearly a competent chemist and chemistry teacher but seems to have a below highschool level of biological knowledge which makes this book tough to recommend.