Reviews for In the shadow of Lavoisier

The average rating for In the shadow of Lavoisier based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-05-19 00:00:00 Kelly Joyce Excellent overview of the major developments in chemistry from its beginnings in alchemy, to its modern role in science and the world. This is not a survey of major chemical ideas and discoveries as its title seems to imply, though many of these ideas and discoveries are covered. Instead, it attempts to break chemistry up into different eras which were guided by different ideas about what chemistry was about (alchemy, deduction, experimentation, etc.). This way of conveying the history is effective and gives shape to what would otherwise be a mass of facts and personalities. This book is most profitably read if you have some experience with chemistry (I'm not sure why you'd read the book otherwise!) but does not require much technical knowledge. I work as an electrical engineering and my exposure to chemistry is only through osmosis, but I was able to follow almost everything in the book.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-07-25 00:00:00 Isaias Perez This book is more of a technical book than a mystery to curl up by the fire with. However, it is a good read for those wishing to trace the evolution of man's understanding of the world in which we live over time. It takes us on a journey from the mixing of the earliest paints by cavemen, through the age of alchemy and into the age of modern chemistry. It is a worthwhile read for those interested in the history of chemistry as well as science in general.