The Last Alchemist in Paris: And other curious tales from chemistry, by Lars Öhrström

Synopsis: This is a book about discovery and disaster, exploitation and invention, warfare and science – and the relationship between human beings and the chemical elements that make up our planet. Lars Ohrstrom introduces us to a variety of elements from S to Pb through tales of ordinary and extraordinary people from around the globe. We meet African dictators controlling vital supplies of uranium; eighteenth-century explorers searching out sources of precious metals; industrial spies stealing the secrets of steel-making. We find out why the Hindenburg airship was tragically filled with hydrogen, not helium; why nail-varnish remover played a key part in World War I; and the real story behind the legend of tin buttons and the downfall of Napoleon. In each chapter, we find out about the distinctive properties of each element and the concepts and principles that have enabled scientists to put it to practical use. These are the fascinating (and sometimes terrifying) stories of chemistry in action.

Published: January 2014 | ISBN: 978-0199661091

Mini-bio: Lars Öhrström is a Swedish chemist and chemical engineer who has also worked in France, Botswana, Switzerland, and the US. Educated at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm he is currently professor of inorganic chemistry at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and head of the Chemical Engineering programme. – Chemistry World
Author’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Larsohrstrom

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Paperback Edition: Curious Tales from Chemistry: The Last Alchemist in Paris and Other Episodes by Lars Ohrstrom (2016-01-26)
Kindle Edition: Curious Tales from Chemistry: The Last Alchemist in Paris and Other Episodes