Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

ISBN-13:	9781585423316
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/24/2004
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	91,007
Product dimensions:	5.96(w) x 9.07(h) x 0.99(d)
Lexile:	1340L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 - 14 Years

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 and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world.