Penny Le Couteur

The subtitle, 17 molecules that changed history is a bit misleading in Napoleon’s buttons, a book by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson. There are 17 chapters, each covering a molecule or a group of molecules with chemical and historical information. For example chapter 1 deals with peppers, nutmeg and cloves; several molecules are responsible for taste in this group. The chemistry of spices as well as the history of the spice trade is covered. This chapter explains why we speak English in show more the United States instead of Dutch.

The introduction sets the stage for the book and also deals with basic chemistry. The authors explain what is necessary to know in easy to read language and the diagrams reinforce the concepts. However, those sections dealing with the chemistry of the compounds (an alternate term for molecules which contain at least two different elements) in each chapter can be easily skipped without losing the narrative of the stories.

From scurvy to synthetic fabrics to explosives, the authors take a new look at major events in the history of the world. And no, Napoleon’s buttons do not get a special chapter but are mentioned in the introduction. They may have changed history but I’ll let you read the book and decide. show less

For those with relatively little background in chemistry, Napoleon's Buttons seems like a good bet. Each chapter covers a specific molecule or group of molecules that follow a set theme (e.g. a chapter on morphine also discusses caffeine, as both of these molecules are "addictive"), and the authors do a good job of presenting the chemical structures, showing exactly how the components are oriented and the subtle differences that can cause drastic changes to its toxicity or addictiveness. It show more is a medium-weight read: not incredibly *hard* science, but not for the complete beginner.

While the chemistry knowledge appears to be sound, I confess to feeling doubtful about some facts presented in other areas, primarily because of a statement on page 79 of my edition that begins "Rabbits and some other rodents…"

Rabbits are NOT rodents. Rodents are part of the order Rodentia. Rabbits are part of a completely different order, Lagomorpha. This error might have jumped out at me more readily than it would to someone else (as you might expect from my username, I love rabbits), but it seems like something that should have been easy to check and correct.

If this error had not been present, I would have rated the book at least a 4. I was considering going down to 3 stars, but a last-minute burst of interesting facts in the final chapter granted it an extra half-star. show less

Did tin buttons that crumbled in the cold stop Napoleon's army? Or was it scurvy from lack of vitamin-C? Or lack of antibiotics for the wounded? Throughout history, there have been substances that have changed the world. The authors have chosen 17 types of molecules that have altered the course of nations, societies and cultures. Each chapter centers on one of the molecules, and it's very interesting that many of the molecules are interconnected.

The authors take us on a fascinating journey show more through history and chemistry - starting with piperine, the stuff that puts the 'hot' in peppers and ending with the molecules that have conquered malaria. Both natural and synthetic substances are studied. The impact of natural substances like salt, caffeine, and olive oil reaches far past daily life and into the fate of nations. The search for synthetic substitutes has led to diverse products such as nylon, artificial sweeteners, the Pill, and Styrofoam. The impacts of several live-saving substances like vitamin-C and antibiotics are explored. Some compounds, such as DDT and Freon, that were originally seen as near-miracles have proven to be rather disastrous to the environment. Napoleon's Buttons explores the consequences for better and for worse, sometimes all in the same substance.

The book starts with a very friendly overview of chemistry diagrams and terms. The authors provide a multitude of diagrams that show how various substances are similar and different. It's truly amazing how a tiny change in structure can completely alter the properties of a molecule. I think the diagrams are fascinating, but if you're not that interested in the actual chemistry, you can easily ignore them and concentrate on the stories that illustrate the effect of each substance. Le Couteur and Burreson entertain as well as educate with their well-chosen selection of anecdotes. Their writing is very understandable for the casual reader, but includes enough detail to satisfy someone with a stronger background in science.

I don't usually comment on the look of the text, but I thought it was just outstanding in this book. Both the text and the diagrams are exceptionally clean and easy to read. The information is very well organized - it's easy to read each chapter as a self contained unit, but there's enough of a framework tying it all together to make it a coherent whole.

5 Stars show less

Molecules change history? Yes, definitely. While the title refers to the fact that the Napoleon’s retreat in Russia might have been influenced by the failure of the tin buttons on his men’s uniforms (thus making the army more vulnerable to the cold weather), that’s actually a minor effect of chemistry on history compared to most of the other ones in the book.

The book starts with piperine, eugenol and isoeugenol, the molecules that give black pepper, cloves and nutmeg their flavor and show more kick. The quest for these molecules fueled world exploration and the discovery of the new world by Europeans. Ascorbic acid? That one made long ocean voyages feasible. Glucose and the lust for sweet things led to the enslavery of millions of Africans for sugar cane plantations. Cellulose not only helped fuel the slave trade (cotton plantations) but led to the discovery of nitrate explosives- TNT and dynamite. Phenol, as carbolic acid, acted as a germ killer than made surgery much safer.

This is a fascinating blend of history and chemistry. The discovery of each molecule is given in detail, as well as how this discovery changed life. The illustrations and explanations of the molecules show how one little change can lead to a whole different action. If chemistry had been taught this way when I was in school, I might have passed chemistry! show less