Creations Of Fire: Chemistry's Lively History From Alchemy..
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Vinay
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Creations Of Fire: Chemistry's Lively History From Alchemy..
[This review was already published by me in my blog; I have posted the same to attain RT privilages]
I have made a habit of experiencing the history, when I feel a concept to be blurry or difficult. I always felt (arguably) lack of rigour in Chemistry, so I thought of looking back into its history. I started reading this book "Creations Of Fire: Chemistry's Lively History From Alchemy To The Atomic Age". I didn't get lot of insights while reading the book, though it is my fault for my brain didn't have lot in connection with it; but did give big view of the history from the past (really past), to the present. Even though I am writing this review, as even little insights from the book will help in the future journey.
I was sad at seeing the open say of the book being written from the secondary sources and not from the primary sources; I agree that reading Latin alien seeming characters to be a difficult job, but I didn't expect it to be completely derived from secondary sources, as the sources after 1600s are really wonderful and are up to the level to be understood by even today's generation. The book has three parts, one for past-past years, one for the middle years, one for the quantum age. The positive point about this book is that, it gives a great view on how society plays a major role, even in the moulding of the path taken by science. Entire book is crafted in a way to explain the relationship between chemistry and society.
Book starts with the chemistry of ca.100,000 BCE; idea of starting from the really past is okay, but I thought it would have been better to cut some of the parts. Though I saw the evil woman (WiTcH) only in cartoons, but the book gave me the origin of those ideas. First part involves more in explaining how black magic, alchemy (a quest to convert something into gold) were practised in the back before. Then it goes on with the brief biography of each chemist, starting from folks like Aristotle, Socrates, etc. I was shocked to see how the book placed, Jesus, the man then, and the god now, as the one who lived after some great philosophers (yeah, it is known to all, but it did look strange to me then). The book proceeds to the second part to give us a look on the entrance of the modern chemistry, explaining everything about the history of every concept of chemistry. Then ending with the third part of Quantum Chemistry, and the few looks on the present chemistry research.
The lines of the book which I like the most comes from the fifteenth chapter, where the author says the chemistry till before ~1900s was just an art; and I feel these 1900s environment (among few) even now!
Overall I didn't enjoy the book more, it was informative, really big book for me (until now), but I didn't find any insights. I came to know the working style of chemists, and ...came to know the story behind chemistry, and ...that is what I wanted, the book did help me.
I have made a habit of experiencing the history, when I feel a concept to be blurry or difficult. I always felt (arguably) lack of rigour in Chemistry, so I thought of looking back into its history. I started reading this book "Creations Of Fire: Chemistry's Lively History From Alchemy To The Atomic Age". I didn't get lot of insights while reading the book, though it is my fault for my brain didn't have lot in connection with it; but did give big view of the history from the past (really past), to the present. Even though I am writing this review, as even little insights from the book will help in the future journey.
I was sad at seeing the open say of the book being written from the secondary sources and not from the primary sources; I agree that reading Latin alien seeming characters to be a difficult job, but I didn't expect it to be completely derived from secondary sources, as the sources after 1600s are really wonderful and are up to the level to be understood by even today's generation. The book has three parts, one for past-past years, one for the middle years, one for the quantum age. The positive point about this book is that, it gives a great view on how society plays a major role, even in the moulding of the path taken by science. Entire book is crafted in a way to explain the relationship between chemistry and society.
Book starts with the chemistry of ca.100,000 BCE; idea of starting from the really past is okay, but I thought it would have been better to cut some of the parts. Though I saw the evil woman (WiTcH) only in cartoons, but the book gave me the origin of those ideas. First part involves more in explaining how black magic, alchemy (a quest to convert something into gold) were practised in the back before. Then it goes on with the brief biography of each chemist, starting from folks like Aristotle, Socrates, etc. I was shocked to see how the book placed, Jesus, the man then, and the god now, as the one who lived after some great philosophers (yeah, it is known to all, but it did look strange to me then). The book proceeds to the second part to give us a look on the entrance of the modern chemistry, explaining everything about the history of every concept of chemistry. Then ending with the third part of Quantum Chemistry, and the few looks on the present chemistry research.
The lines of the book which I like the most comes from the fifteenth chapter, where the author says the chemistry till before ~1900s was just an art; and I feel these 1900s environment (among few) even now!
Overall I didn't enjoy the book more, it was informative, really big book for me (until now), but I didn't find any insights. I came to know the working style of chemists, and ...came to know the story behind chemistry, and ...that is what I wanted, the book did help me.
