August Reads - Napoleon's Buttons

[Georgia]

"Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.

With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world."



Has anyone else started reading this yet? I'm beginning to feel like I'm reading a school project, the whole premise of the book is starting to seem a bit contrived. The small bit of chemistry is interesting, but I'm starting to get bored of the "possibly' "probably" "could have" endings of all the chapters.

They start off with a bit of history about humanity's utilisation of the material being discussed, then the chemistry of the material is explained, then the chapter is wrapped up by saying this is why chemistry changed the course of history, probably.

There's no doubt that the hunt for and trade in materials did change world history, but I'm not sure how well the book flows by tying in the chemistry of the materials in question. Maybe there isn't enough about the interesting chemistry, but also maybe there couldn't be for a popular science book. I am finding both the history and the chemistry interesting, I'm just not sure the connection between the two is being expressed to its full potential by the author, nor am I sure it can be.