Description

‘Nowhere have I seen chemistry described so lucidly, comprehensively and made so fun.’ Jim Al-Khalili, author of The World According to Physics

‘This book will change how you see the world.’ The Hon. Julia Gillard AC, 27th Prime Minister of Australia

‘A captivating journey through the world of chemistry.’ John-Arne Rottingen, CEO, Wellcome Trust

‘I never thought that chemistry could be so fascinating and such fun.’ Baroness Mannigham-Buller

All around us are ever-evolving strings of chain reactions, of bonds forged and broken, of connections made and unmade in less than the blink of an eye.

In Chain Reaction, Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu dives into the chemistry that underpins our everyday existence. With warmth and personal anecdotes about the chemistry that has shaped her life, Uchegbu takes us on a journey exploring how our bodies are held together by weak chemical bonds, how our constituent molecules start to break up once our heart stops beating, how our food is stitched together by a careful exploitation of chemical bonds at the interface between water and oil, and exactly what the fibres in our clothes are made of. To be human is to be a walking chemical reaction, as our individual cells are all powered by careful co-ordination of chemistry.

From hairdressing disasters and laundry mishaps to life-saving medicines and kitchen experiments, this eye-opening book reveals that chemical processes are all around us, defining our interactions with the world we live in. This is a story that’s both universal and personal, grand and intimate, and it will change the way you see everything.

Publisher Review

Since everything is made of atoms and chemistry is about how atoms fit together to make the world, what field of human knowledge could be more important and all-encompassing than chemistry. Nowhere have I seen chemistry described so lucidly, comprehensively and fun. Uchegbu’s passion and joy shines from every page. * Jim Al-Khalili, author of The World According to Physics * This book will change how you see the world. An absorbing read which makes chemistry fascinating and fun, as well sparking hope through learning about the author’s moving life story. * The Hon. Julia Gillard AC, 27th Prime Minister of Australia, Chair, Wellcome Board * An exuberant account of the role of chemistry in everyday life, with a wealth of down-to-earth examples * Kirkus * Ijeoma Uchegbu takes us on a captivating journey through the world of chemistry, revealing how chemical bonds shape not only the life around us but also the very fabric of our daily lives. Her fascination with molecules is infectious, and her joy in chemistry shines through every page. This book is an inspiration to following your passion and forming your own bonds with the world of science. * John-Arne Rottingen, CEO Wellcome Trust * I never thought that chemistry could be so fascinating and such fun. A brilliant book. * Baroness Manningham-Buller, Former Head of MI5 and former Chair of Wellcome * When you read Chain Reaction by Ijeoma Uchegbu you feel as if you’ve been introduced to an old friend who turns out, unexpectedly, to have a chemistry Nobel prize. Uchegbu – Dame, inventor, nanoscientist and one of the most original minds in her field – has spent a career harnessing the invisible architecture of molecules to transform medicine. Here she turns that same precise, warm intelligence to the chemistry that makes us who we are and shapes how we live. This is chemistry as memoir, metaphor, primer and love letter. It leaves you awestruck at how deftly we’ve bent chemistry to our will – and mindful of how urgently we must now use it to repair what we’ve broken. * Roger Highfield, Science Director, Science Museum Group * Life through the prism of chemistry, illustrated by Ijeoma’s life, is gripping and fascinating – from Egyptians to modern day, from Nigeria to Britain, and the chemistry of food and death. A great read! * Professor Dame Sally Davies Master, Trinity College, University of Cambridge Former Chief Medical Officer, United Kingdom *