Napoleon's Buttons
by Penny LeCouteur, Jay Burreson · first published 2003
67% recommend33% neutral
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 a
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Napoleon's Buttons is good - the way the book is divided up keeps it interesting too.
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗…Gould "Life on a Young Planet" By Andrew H. Knoll "Galápagos" By Kurt Vonnegut (Fiction, but related) (I loved this book, but it's not for everyone I suppose. A couple of my friends didn't like it.) "Napoleon's Buttons" By Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson "The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher" By Lewis Thomas --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) If she's…
on “Ask HN: What are some good general technical books for teenagers?” ↗…Guy Spier Autobiography of a guy who won an auction to have lunch with Warren Buffett for $600k and ended up becoming a successful, contrarian value investor. Fun read for contrarians out there. 2) Napoleon's Buttons by Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson A look at world culture and historical events through the lens of chemistry. 3) Becoming Leonardo: An Exploded View of the Life of Leonardo da Vinci by Mike Lankford…
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗