Chemistry explores the way atoms interact, the constitution of the stars, and the human genome. Knowledge of chemistry makes it possible for us to manufacture dyes and antibiotics, metallic alloys, and other materials that contribute to the necessities and luxuries of human life. In Transforming Matter, noted historian Trevor H. Levere emphasizes that understanding the history of these developments helps us to appreciate the achievements of generations of chemists. Levere examines the dynamic rise of chemistry from the study of alchemy in the seventeenth century to the development of organic and inorganic chemistry in the age of government-funded research and corporate giants. In the past two centuries, he points out, the number of known elements has quadrupled. And because of synthesis, chemistry has increasingly become a science that creates much of what it studies. Throughout the book, Levere follows a number of recurring themes: theories about the elements, the need for classification, the status of chemical science, and the relationship between practice and theory. He illustrates these themes by concentrating on some of chemistry's most influential and innovative practitioners. Transforming Matter provides an accessible and clearly written introduction to the history of chemistry, telling the story of how the discipline has developed over the years. In 1980, writes historian Trevor Levere, University of California physicists turned an "unimaginably small sample of bismuth into gold," turning one element into another through the medium of a particle accelerator. We call such things experimental science; a medieval scholar would have called it alchemy, a lay observer magic--all of which, by Levere's account, describe modern chemistry. The history of chemistry is being rewritten every day, notes Levere. In the last three decades alone, more than 7.5 million chemical compounds have been discovered, while great advances have been made in our understanding of the chemical composition of the heavens and our own planet. Locating its origins in ancient and medieval alchemy, the quest to divine the nature of the universe, Levere traces the development of chemistry over a series of conceptual forward steps: from Francis Bacon's development of experimental method to Lavoisier's elucidation of the part of oxygen in combustion and respiration, from Mendeleyev's invention of the periodic table of the elements to the manufacture of modern microcircuitry (which, Levere observes, "involves nearly one hundred different chemical processes"). Much as science has progressed, the author notes, the alchemical aspects of chemistry have not disappeared, as that California experiment shows. What lies ahead is anyone's guess, but, Levere concludes, the history of chemical science is one of ever-changing boundaries, and "there is no reason to assume that this fluidity will come to a sudden stop." --Gregory McNamee Levere (history of science, Univ. of Toronto) draws upon his classroom experience to write an accessible overview of the chemical sciences. Though many other histories of chemistry are in print, the low cost and comprehensive nature of this text make it attractive to libraries. As an "introductory study," it eschews chemical formulae and focuses on the big picture, considering what philosophies guided the work of chemists and to what uses chemistry was put throughout its development. Like many modern histories, it seeks to understand now-outmoded concepts in the context of their original development. For example, rather than label alchemical quests and phlogiston theory as dead ends, Levere shows how they developed from the scientific thinking of the time, reminding us that science is not about right and wrong but rather about the methods that we use to discover the truth underlying physical reality. Recommended for science collections in undergraduate and public libraries. Wade Lee, Univ. of Toledo Libs Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Levere's book is commendably clear, with good explanations of numerous concepts . . . It is an excellent textbook for practicing chemists and chemistry students. ―Peter Morris, New Scientist Excellent . . . In Trevor H. Levere's book Transforming Matter , this topic [when did chemistry become a science] is explained with precision and clarity, alongside other aspects of the history of chemistry . . . Most suitable for readers studying the history of chemistry as part of their education . . . [though] the general reader with more than a passing interest in the development of modern science would find much of interest. ―Anthony R. Butler, American Scientist What makes this book enjoyable is its personal tone. The reader feels as if he or she was listening to a course of lectures each of which has its own little dramaturgy and message . . . Transforming Matter is a book science students will enjoy. It gives a good sense of the intellectual fascination involved