Chemistry explained

These books are just too good to pass up, writes Sara Saleh.

Who's the professor?

Dr Fawwaz Jumean, Professor of Physical Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Biology and Chemistry at the American University of Sharjah, received his BS and MS from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He then went on to obtain his PhD from City University of New York, USA.

Dr Jumean has also recently published several articles in various scientific journals.
- Info: www.aus.edu

Galileo's Finger
By Peter Atkins
Presents the 10 greatest ideas of science in great clarity and shows how each one marks a turning point in scientific knowledge.

The Second Law: Energy, Chaos and Form
By Peter Atkins
The book methodically and in an engaging style introduces the ideas of randomness in nature, the role of chaos, the quality of energy and how all these affect everyday life on the planet.

Chemistry in the Marketplace
By Ben Selinger
It deals with the chemistry of everyday products, discussing the role that chemicals play in health and risk, laundry, kitchen, dining room, home, garden, swimming pool and the medicine cabinet.

Chemistry Imagined
By Roald Hoffman and Vivian Torrence
Roald Hoffman is a Nobel Laureate in chemistry and a poet and playwright. This book is a collection of essays, poems and artistic sketches that celebrate the wonder of natural phenomena. This is an excellent book for introducing the wonders of chemistry and for motivating students to learn and explore.

Science and Serendipity
By Ernest Eliel
The experiments Eliel presents show that scientific progress sometimes occurs not through targeted research but by having a prepared mind to observe unexpected occurrences.

EDITOR'S PICK

Science and Serendipity
By Ernest Eliel
By award-winning chemistry professor Ernest Eliel, this is a popular booklet accessible to chemistry majors as well as those fascinated by some of the most important discoveries of our time. Eliel depicts the way in which a concept as abstract and intangible as serendipity will once again have played a significant role in the world of science, technology and discovery.

AUTHOR OF THE WEEK
Ernest Eliel

A native of Cologne, Germany, Dr Eliel moved to Scotland, Canada and then Cuba, where he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Havana. He received his doctorate from the University of Illinois, taught at the University of Notre Dame and joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC- CH) faculty in 1972.

Eliel has won three major teaching awards - the Chemical Manufacturers Association College Chemistry Teacher Award, the Amoco Teaching Award and the George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education. Other honours include election to the National Academy of Sciences and the Laurent Lavoisier Medal from the French Chemical Society.

In 1992, Eliel served as president of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. He received the group's highest honour, the Priestley Medal. Dr Eliel was also honoured by the National Academy of Sciences with its 1997 Award for Chemistry in Service to Society.

Dr Eliel is still Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at UNC- CH.

- The writer is an International Student Correspondent for NOTES, studying at the University of Sydney, Australia.