Chain Reaction
On sale
9th April 2026
Price: £24.99
Genre
Chemistry / History Of Ideas / History Of Science / Popular Science
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.
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.
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Reviews
An exuberant account of the role of chemistry in everyday life, with a wealth of down-to-earth examples
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.
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.