Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

by:Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson   


  
Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History
By Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson  
  
Publisher: Jeremy P Tarcher
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2004-05-24
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1585423319
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781585423316   

Product Description:   
Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.   
With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world.  
  

Summary: The intersection of history and chemistry.
Rating: 5  
This is by far the most interesting book I've read this year (and is a definite contender for the "all-time" best, as well!)   
The premise of the book is "17 molecules that changed history." From cotton to caffeine, scopolamine to saponin, this book colorfully lays out both the chemical nature of these significant molecules, explaining how they function and WHY they work the way they do; it also illustrates the historical impact, going into great detail about how the course of history was heavily affected by the molecular properties of the topical substance.   
I find that when I'm learning something, the more connections I can form with an idea, the stronger my memory -- this book is a powerhouse in that regard; the knowledge of the structural nature of these compounds (at least the relevant functional groups, anyways) coupled with the historical relevance, creates memorable, almost mnemonic, impressions in my mind.   
For anyone that's a trivia buff, a science (particularly chemistry) or history afficionado, or just someone that loves to learn, I highly recommend this book.  
  
Summary: Good despite an unfortunate mistake in the title essay
Rating: 3  
Like many books on science and engineering, Napoleon's Buttons tries to explain some of the more arcane details of modern life from a scientific point of view. I enjoyed most of the articles, and especially the one on scurvy.   
Nevertheless, the title article contains a major and grievous error which has been compounded by the writers' lack of reliance on reliable sources. The basis of the article is that Napoleon was defeated in his invasion of Russia partly because his soldiers' clothes were held together with tin buttons that disintegrated at 56 degrees below zero. This is utter nonsense for four reasons.   
First of all, Napoleon's buttons were not tin but pewter, a tin-containing compound that does not disintegrate in the cold. Second, it was an especially cold winter *for the French* but not for the Russians; it likely never even got close to 56 below, which would have been a record cold. Third, the remains of Napoleon's soldiers are still being dug up, and most still have their buttons attached to their clothes. Lastly, there is a much simpler and more likely reason for the disappearance of buttons from corpses in an area of immense, immense poverty and deprivation: they were stolen by local peasants. Every military historian knows that anything left on the dead can and will be stolen by poor peasants. If they can't steal the clothing because it's frozen to the bodies, they'll steal the buttons.   
Had the writers spoken to a sociologist, a military historian, or a costumer, they would have realized what they had got wrong. If anything, this shows that the hard sciences sometimes need to rely on the soft sciences.  
  
Summary: History through the eyes of an organic chemist
Rating: 5  
This book details how history has been affected by certain chemicals, ranging from salt and sugar to antibiotics and the birth control pills and many more. The authors explain how each of the molecules were either discovered or created and their subsequent effects on society. Many of the discoveries at the time did not seem substantial, but life as we know it today would be much different had some of these molecules not been discovered or traded amongst early civilizations. My personal favorite chapter was about nitro compounds, which are used in explosives as well as many other applications. The authors tell the story of how 'guncotton' was discovered by a scientist doing experiments in his kitchen and the subsequent ignition of his wifes apron! The authors cram a lot of interesting and eye-opening material into the 350 pages and will leave you satisfied by the end of the book.
Highly recommend for anyone wanting a look at history through the eyes of a chemist!  
  
Summary: Good short read
Rating: 4  
It is an interesting book. It puts science discoveries in a social historical perspective.
Chapters are brief, but written in a endearing way; the chemical structure explanations are good as well.   
  

Summary: Makes You Want to Hug Your Chemist
Rating: 5  
I had known about this book for some time but simply did not believe that a couple of organic chemists could possibly write a captivating history. I am now printing out that sentence so I can eat it. This was one of the most original spins on world history that I have ever read.   
Drs. Le Couteur and Burreson do indeed fill a hefty number of pages with diagrams of chemical structures and formulae but none of them are essential to the understanding of this book. It is absolutely a book on history, not chemistry and all their geeky stuff simply breaks down the thesis that a tiny difference in the bond between two molecules could have massive impact on the entire planet. Had tin, which made up the buttons of Napoleon's fearsome army, not crumbled to dust at low temperatures, soldiers may not have frozen to death during the Russian winter and France may have come to dominate the universe instead of England. I know I'm praying to the gods of tin right this very now.                    
      
      
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