Items related to Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History - Hardcover

 
9781585422203: Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
Though many factors have been proposed to explain the failure of Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign, it has also been linked to something as small as a button-a tin button, the kind that fastened everything from the greatcoats of Napoleon's officers to the trousers of his foot soldiers. When temperatures drop below 56°F, tin crumbles into powder. Were the soldiers of the Grande Arm&eacutee fatally weakened by cold because the buttons of their uniforms fell apart? How different our world might be if tin did not disintegrate at low temperatures and the French had continued their eastward expansion!

This fascinating book tells the stories of seventeen molecules that, like the tin of those buttons, greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration and made possible the ensuing voyages of discovery. They resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine; lie behind changes in gender roles, in law, and in the environment; and have determined what we today eat, drink, and wear.

Showing how a change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous differences in the properties of a substance, the authors reveal the astonishing chemical connections among seemingly unrelated events. Napoleon's Buttons offers a novel way to understand how our contemporary world works and how our civilization has been shaped over time.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:
Penny Le Couteur, Ph.D, has taught chemistry at Capilano College in British Columbia, Canada, for more than thirty years. She is also a past winner of the Polysar Award for outstanding chemistry teaching in Canadian colleges.

Jay Burreson, Ph.D., has worked as an industrial chemist and held a National Institutes of Health special fellowship for research on chemical compounds in marine life. He is also the general manager of a high-tech company.
From Booklist:
Women who use birth control pills probably care more about their effectiveness than about how they actually work, and although ignorance here may be bliss, it also cheats one of a good science story, involving a driven chemist making a serendipitous discovery about cortisone. Le Couteur and Burreson roll out 17 episodes selected for their salience in affecting health as well as history at large. This pair of chemists doesn't overinterpret a particular chemical as a historical influence but makes speculating on, say, piperene, a sporting diversion. Piperene is the molecule that causes taste buds to sting from pepper. Venice had a monopoly on the pepper trade, which rivals wished to break, motivating the voyages of discovery. Although connections frame the authors' tales (the title refers to tin buttons, which contributed to Napoleon's defeat in Russia), each story dwells on its molecular protagonist. The authors diagram the formula and shape of each, from the polymer behind the sheen in silk to the ionic bonds in the taste of salt. Well-conceived, well-done popular science. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherTarcher
  • Publication date2003
  • ISBN 10 1585422207
  • ISBN 13 9781585422203
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number2
  • Number of pages384
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781585423316: Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9781585423316
Publisher: Jeremy P Tarcher, 2004
Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny; Burreson, Jay
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 38.05
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny; Burreson, Jay
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 38.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 42.60
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
LibraryMercantile
(Humble, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # newMercantile_1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 43.68
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Grumpys Fine Books
(Tijeras, NM, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Prompt service guaranteed. Seller Inventory # Clean1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 42.56
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny; Burreson, Jay
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Books Unplugged
(Amherst, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk1585422207xvz189zvxnew

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 63.97
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny; Burreson, Jay
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book Deals
(Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-1585422207-new

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 63.97
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny, Burreson, Jay
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
The Book Spot
(Sioux Falls, SD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks421543

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 64.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenDragon
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Buy for Great customer experience. Seller Inventory # GoldenDragon1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 64.20
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

LeCouteur, Penny, Burreson, Jay
Published by Tarcher (2003)
ISBN 10: 1585422207 ISBN 13: 9781585422203
New Hardcover Quantity: 2
Seller:
Save With Sam
(North Miami, FL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Brand New!. Seller Inventory # VIB1585422207

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 89.73
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book