Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Chemistry Book summary
Derek B Lowe
From Gunpowder to Graphene, 250 Milestones in the History of Chemistry
36 mins
Brief summary
The Chemistry Book by Derek B Lowe is a comprehensive guide to chemical elements and their history, properties, and applications. It takes readers from ancient alchemy to modern chemical research and explores the fascinating world of chemistry.
Topics
Table of Contents
The Chemistry Book
Summary of 13 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 13
Human achievements in chemistry started in the Bronze Age.
Our planet has always been home to amazing chemical processes. Take the two-story-tall crystals that pack caves in Mexico – the Cueva de Los Cristales. These gigantic pillars are a mind-boggling example of what happens when the common mineral gypsum is submerged in water that’s being heated up by magma, and then spends centuries cooling down during an ice age. The caves look like something out of a bizarre sci-fi movie. But they’re real, stunning, larger-than-life examples of chemical reactions that needed no human involvement.
It’s hard to say what the first human chemical discovery was. Was it the first man-made fire? Or the first time someone used a plant to help heal a wound?
The key message here is: Human achievements in chemistry started in the Bronze Age.
While copper was already being used for some basic tools, around 3300 BCE, we found a better, stronger, and more durable material in bronze.
Essentially, bronze is what happens when tin is added to copper. And what made this combination possible was travel and trade. Around 2000 BCE, tin from Cornwall, in southwestern England, began to show up in the Mediterranean. Eventually, some of the more daring metal workers in Mesopotamia began to experiment with the materials they had, including lead, nickel, silver – and copper. Eventually, bronze was born.
Over time, the Greeks would add more lead to the mixture to make bronze easier to work with, and then zinc would be added to make brass. Despite the changes throughout history, bronze has always been the metal of choice for bells, and it can still be found in the cymbals on your standard drum kit.
Around 1300 BCE, the Bronze Age transitioned into the Iron Age. But this wasn’t because iron was seen as a superior metal. Bronze is, in fact, harder and far less prone to corrosion. Really, what iron had going for it was availability.
Early iron technology involved heating charcoal and iron ore, producing a lump of crude smelted iron in the bottom of the furnace. Impurities were then, quite literally, hammered out. This has always been a labor-intensive process and one that requires a lot of forced air to keep furnaces burning at high temperatures. To get such conditions, it’s believed that some smelting operations were seasonal, in order to take advantage of recurring monsoon-like conditions.
But despite all this, iron smelting capabilities quickly spread, though it’s possible that locations as far removed as India and sub-Saharan Africa developed the technology independently from each other.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Chemistry Book?
Key ideas in The Chemistry Book
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Chemistry Book about?
The Chemistry Book (2016) takes us on a tour through the history of chemistry from the first Bronze Age advancements to a possible future where clean, renewable energy is an everyday reality. Learn about the events and discoveries that have changed the world.
The Chemistry Book Review
The Chemistry Book (2016) is a fascinating exploration of the fundamental concepts and discoveries that have shaped the world of chemistry. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Packed with intriguing stories about famous chemists and their groundbreaking experiments, it brings the history of chemistry to life.
- Covering a wide range of topics, from the periodic table to the development of modern drugs, it offers a comprehensive overview of the field.
- With its accessible language and clear explanations, this book makes even complex concepts understandable and engaging for readers.
Best quote from The Chemistry Book
We dont know much about these early chemists and metallurgists, but its clear that they experimented with whatever they had on hand.
—Derek B Lowe
Who should read The Chemistry Book?
- Anyone curious about how the world works
- Students of chemistry and biology
- People who enjoy stories about inventions and discoveries
Categories with The Chemistry Book
Book summaries like The Chemistry Book
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
The Chemistry Book FAQs
What is the main message of The Chemistry Book?
Discover the key concepts, breakthroughs, and fascinating stories behind the world of chemistry.
How long does it take to read The Chemistry Book?
The reading time for The Chemistry Book varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Chemistry Book a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Chemistry Book is a captivating read for anyone curious about the wonders of chemistry. It offers a delightful blend of knowledge and storytelling.
Who is the author of The Chemistry Book?
The author of The Chemistry Book is Derek B Lowe.
What to read after The Chemistry Book?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Chemistry Book, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Man Who Fed the World by Leon Hesser
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- The Shape of Things Unseen by Adam Zeman
- The Upright Thinkers by Leonard Mlodinow
- The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs
- Invention and Innovation by Vaclav Smil
- A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
- Phaedo by Plato