Books like Giant Molecules
Loved Giant Molecules by Walter Gratzer? Here are 8 books with the same pull, and why each one fits.
About Giant Molecules →8 books
- 1The Periodic Table
The Periodic Table
Primo LeviA set of linked essays, each named after an element, that uses chemistry to tell stories about work, history and life.
- 2The Disappearing Spoon
The Disappearing Spoon
Sam KeanA popular account of the periodic table that mixes chemical history with anecdotes about the scientists who worked on the elements.
- 3Uncle Tungsten
Uncle Tungsten
Oliver SacksA memoir of growing up among metals and chemistry, written with a clear eye for how scientific curiosity shapes a life.
- 4Napoleon's Buttons
Napoleon's Buttons
Jay BurresonA history of how a few common molecules shaped events, using chemistry to explain familiar objects and episodes from the past.
- 5Stuff Matters
Stuff Matters
Mark MiodownikA materials scientist's tour of everyday substances such as glass, paper and chocolate, explaining how their structure gives them their properties.
- 6Made to Measure
Made to Measure
Philip BallAn overview of engineered materials, including polymers and nanostructures, and how chemists design them for specific uses.
- 7The Ingredients
The Ingredients
Philip BallA readable guide to the chemical elements and the materials they make up, written for readers without a chemistry background.
- 8Periodic Tales
Periodic Tales
Hugh Aldersey-WilliamsA cultural history of the elements that follows how each one entered art, industry and language, for readers curious about the stories behind the science.
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