Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules that Changed History [Paperback]

In Napoleon's Button's, LeCouteur and Burreson take that premise to a much higher level. They not only tell you how the molecules work, they explain the impact these molecules have had on human history, economics, and geopolitics. They consider what might have happened if the molecules in question had been discovered, understood, or used by someone else.

For example, the effects of ascorbic acid deficiency, and its treatment, were known in China as early as the fifth century. Norse explorers drank a brew made of "scurvy grass" during their voyages across the North Atlantic. However, scurvy killed more European sailors between 1470 and 1770 than all other causes, despite reports on prevention and cure as early as the mid-1500's. Magellan lost over 90% of his crew during the circumnavigation of the globe in 1519-1522. Only 18 sailors returned to Spain with the spices that had prompted the journey. Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines during a stop necessitated by the weakened condition of his remaining crew.

The authors ask the reader to imagine the present geopolitics if the Age of Discovery had included adequate stores of lemon juice. "If the Portuguese, the first European explorers to travel these long distances had understood the secret of ascorbic acid, they might have explored the Pacific Ocean centuries before James Cook." The Dutch, also, might have held claims to large portions of the South Pacific. They conclude, "The British . . . would have been left with a much smaller empire and much less influence in the world, even to this day."

Even 20th century adventurers have fallen to the effects of ascorbic acid deficiency. The Amundsen/Scott race to the South Pole was decided by the Brits' lack of vitamin C. "Only eleven miles from a food and fuel depot they found themselves too exhausted to continue."

Sixteen other molecules, or classes of molecules, including cellulose, morphine, isoprene, and salt, are given similar turns under the magnifying glass. The authors walk the line between chemistry and anecdote. For the former chem. majors there are formulae and descriptions--cis and trans, alpha and beta. For history buffs, the human stories stand without in-depth study of the chemical structures.

The prose is lively and often amusing. The chapters are divided in such a way the book can be put down and picked up easily, if the reader can resist the temptation of "just one more molecule." Now I'm trying to decide if I should first hand off my copy to my dad or my high school-age daughter. Or--maybe my daughter's teacher . . . .

As much as we humans might like to think our intellect raises us above the natural world, this book reminds us, we are our biology--and our chemistry.

"Napoleon's Buttons" takes the reader on a world-wind tour de force about what Columbus could not have foreseen from the results of his search for piperine, Magellan was unaware of the long-term effects of his quest for isoeugenol, and Schonbein would have been astonished that the nitrocellulose he made from his wife's apron was the start of of great industries as diverse as explosives and textiles. Numerous chemical discoveries were, by far, some of the best serendipity and luck has often been cited as crucial to many important findings, but the ability of the discoverers to realize that something unusual has happened... and to question why it occured and how it could be useful... is of greater importance.

Perkin could not have anticipated that his experiment would eventually lead to not only to a hugh synthetic dye industry, but also to the development of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals. "Napoleon's Buttons" takes a look at Marker, Nobel, Chardonnet, Carothers, Lister, Baekeland, Goodyear, Hoffmann, Leblanc, the Solvay brothers, Harrison, Midgley, and others who have stories about their discoveries in the chemical industry making for some very interesting anecdotal stories.

"Napoleon's Buttons" has 17 chapters, making for some interesting reading, especially if you have a science background, you'll find this book enlightening, if for nothing else but the history of chemistry or better yet the chemistry in world history. This is an easy book to read and it has plenty of basic chemical structures that the authors use to explaine their points. Kind of like Organic Chemistry 101 but much simpler and well illustrated. "Napoleon's Buttons" shows us how unsuspected molecules have changed our world, for better or worse and how this affect hisory as we know it.

"Napoleon's Buttons" is a delightful read and is wonderfully readable book interwoven with events of history and how they have changed the course of human history to tranform society. This is a book that makes learning basic chemistry fascinating.

I gave this book a solid five stars for the reasons stated above and you'll enjoy reading about the way human society both paid the price and reeped the benefits. You'll find this book easy to rad and the authors do explain things enough so evan the layperson can follow along and get the jest of the story. I would recommend reading this book if you are taking any chemistry course.

A good diagram is much more interesting and effective than 5+ pages of "prose". Yuck. The authors have it right and the reviewer is just wrong.