Book Description

Chemistry in the World helps students become familiar with the ways in which chemistry is relevant to society and everyday life on personal, local, and global levels. The book presents chemical concepts in the context of their social applications and focuses on those most relevant to our common daily experiences and global challenges. In doing so, it gives students an appreciation for the applicability, visibility, and universality of chemistry, and an understanding of the reciprocal relationship between the science of chemistry and the organism of society. Chemistry in the World addresses aspects of scientific thinking and risk-benefit analysis to introduce students to ways of thinking that are useful and applicable both inside and outside the scientific world. The book features up-to-date national and global government policies and is organized into four main units: "All Around Us and Inside Us," "Community Chemistry," "Personal Chemistry," and "Global Chemistry." Specific topics include the composition of the atmosphere, carbon-based life forms, chemistry of water, acids and bases, pharmaceuticals and poisons, and nuclear chemistry. The third edition includes relevant and updated policies, FDA regulations, dietary recommendations, and global climate treaties. Chemistry in the World is an excellent comprehensive introduction to the subject, but more importantly, the book teaches students that chemistry is more than the stuff of science; it is the stuff of life. Dr. Kirstin Hendrickson is a senior lecturer in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University. In addition to a Ph.D. in chemistry, she holds degrees in zoology and psychology. Her publications include articles in scholarly journals and writings on science, society, and evidence-based decision making for popular media sources. Among the courses she teaches are lectures and seminars primarily directed at non-science majors; these serve the dual purpose of introducing real-life applications of chemistry and addressing components of science communication. Dr. Hendrickson's principle passion as a science educator is helping students (particularly non-scientists) to see, appreciate, and become conversant in the chemical processes that surround us every day.