Synopsis
HERE'S A BREAKTHOUGH FORMULA FOR UNDERSTANDING CHEMISTRY
Forget dry presentations, abstract theory, and grueling homework assignments — here's an entertaining and effective way for those without formal training or unlimited time to get up-to-speed on chemistry and the foundational components of matter.
With Chemistry Demystified, you master the subject one simple step at a time — at your own speed. Unlike most books on chemistry, general principles are presented first, and the details follow. In order to make the learning process as clear and simple as possible, heavy-duty math, formulas, and equations are kept to a minimum. This unique self-teaching guide offers questions at the end of each chapter and section to pinpoint weaknesses, and a 150-question final exam to reinforce the entire book. You'll also find a host of "extras" such as Chembites, tips, scientific news, and cutting-edge industry applications not usually found in standard textbooks.
Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Chemistry Demystified is the painless alternative to learning or brushing up on chemistry.
Here's everything you need to:
* Understand the components of matter
* Grasp symbols and naming standards used in chemistry
* Learn elements, electrons, and the Periodic Table
* Discover the composition of atoms
* Comprehend subatomic particles
* Execute formulaic calculations
* Understand properties and reactions
* Comprehend solubility, boiling, and freezing points
* Discern surface tension
Linda Williams is a nonfiction writer with a specialty in science and medicine. A resident of Houston, Texas, Linda's work has ranged from biochemistry and microbiology to genetics and human enzyme research. She has worked as a technical writer and lead scientist for NASA and McDonnell Douglas, and has served as science speaker for the Medical Sciences Division at NASA-Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Library Journal
The new "Self-Teaching Guide" series from McGraw-Hill targets home-schooled students and career changers needing to brush up on science. Following earlier entries on physics, astronomy, and various mathematical topics, these latest are relatively readable but leave much to desired. Layman (biology, Joliet Junior Coll.) skimps on evolution, botany, and heredity and leans heavily toward etymology; one could score well on his tests by studying Latin and Greek instead of reading the text. Williams, a former technical writer, does not spend enough time on physical chemistry and electrochemistry. She exhibits a marked fondness for chemical history and foreign-language chemical terms-topics not generally given much weight in introductory chemistry courses. A glossary and additional practice problems would have been useful additions here. Both books offer idiosyncratic tests for self-assessment; both also lack thorough proofreading. Biology, for example, states that "modern land plants are the ancestors of primitive green algae," while Chemistry promises but omits an inside cover periodic table and describes bleach as a sodium hydroxide solution when it is a sodium hypochlorite solution. Biology's index is atrocious-incorrect page references and poor cross references abound-and Chemistry's needs improvement, too. Public and school libraries should instead consider other readable guides such as Donna Rae Siegfried's Biology for DummiesR or Ian Guch's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry, but they should also be checked for errors and gaps in coverage. Note also that John T. Moore's Chemistry for DummiesR lacks practice problems, and none of these titles includes tests. Academic libraries should purchase the companion study guides published for many introductory textbooks. Not recommended.-Nancy R. Curtis, Univ. of Maine Lib., Orono Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.