2022年12月7日 星期三

"It's Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry In Everything" by Kate Biberdorf (2021)


"Chemically speaking, a protein is a polypeptide -- a large molecule built from two or more amino acids.  There are over five hundred known amino acids, twenty of which are in our genetic code.  However, only nine of them are considered to be essential.  An essential amino acid cannot be synthesized by our bodies, therefore we must incorporate it into our diet."

Kate Biberdorf is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.  She has also appeared on several news and variety TV programs where she explains scientific concepts to the general public.

In It's Elemental she explores the role of chemical processes in our daily lives, progressing through topics such as fitness, clothing, the manufacture of spirits and sex.  While doing so she uses anecdotes from her own life and cross-references various aspects of pop culture.

Judging this book by its stated purpose it's a success.  It communicates the usual array of Chemistry topics in a breezy yet satisfying manner, never losing sight of the fact that its for a general audience largely unacquainted with Chemistry.  If I have a complaint it's that there are many similar books on bookshelves now, and what It's Elemental does isn't anything we haven't seen before.

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