Caveman Chemistry

the long version

Idiosyncratic and irreverent, <i>Caveman Chemistry</i> is like no other chemistry textbook. It is authored not only by Kevin Dunn but also four figments of his imagination who have leapt from mind to mind down through history and do their best to make the leap out of the book and into yours. You learn the history of chemical technology through a series of hands-on projects that demand that you get your hands dirty making things from scratch: fire, paper, glass, soap, batteries, photographs, polyester, and others. The book does not shy away from potentially dangerous projects like making gunpowder, alcohol, and chlorine gas, trusting that readers are capable of all due caution.