How 17 Molecules Changed History - Napoleon's Buttons

This is an interesting non-fiction read. I came across the chapter on ascorbic acid and how it helped Capt.James Cook make many amazing discoveries. This excerpt was in our literature anthology. The sophomores thought that it was pretty interesting, so I bought it for my son, a history buff. He gave it a thumbs up though some chapters are a little heavy on chemistry. Nevertheless, it has been my experience that boys like non-fiction much more than novels and romantic poetry. If you are looking to break your teen's video game habit, give Napoleon's Buttons a try.

I liked the book, it's fun and comprehesive. While the seventeen molecules reviewed are no doubt important, I'm sure there are many other interesting molecules to consider, particularly gasoline and alcohol, which are not mentioned. Would there be a part II? I wish.

The book was very informative and well written. Interestingly enough it contains a good number of historical facts. You do not need to be a material scientist to understand this but it does getting you thinking about what goes into the materials and substances that we take for granted today.

The book was very informative and well written. Interestingly enough it contains a good number of historical facts. You do not need to be a material scientist to understand this but it does getting you thinking about what goes into the materials and substances that we take for granted today.

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 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!

Non-fiction exploration of scientific elements which had an effect on life throughout the history of man.

Writers searching for conflict to use in their stories may well want to buy this volume for the multitude of possibilities.

My Take
This was excellent. Couteur/Burreson beautifully provided a look at how history was affected along with an examination of the actual molecules---and I do mean a microscopic look at the molecule! I'm a history geek so I adored that side and, it's saying something, when the authors can provide the science side well enough that I enjoyed it (since I really hate science!).

The first part of each chapter begins with a look at how the chemical affected or could have affected history while the second part analyzes the molecule making up the chemical. Of course, each chapter may veer off, depending upon the story behind the chemical's evolution.

Overall, the authors look at how the creation/discovery/need of each chemical affected the world: "...tell[ing] the stories of the fascinating connections between chemical structures and historical episodes."

The effect of tin on Roman expansion and the defeat of Napoleon's soldiers. Consider the reasons why Columbus sailed the ocean blue in search of a faster route for spices; and, the authors provide a variety of reasons why nutmeg and pepper was so highly valued. Breaking it down to the isoeugenol and its benefits.

Yes, the title mentions seventeen molecules, but each is simply a category heading for a great range of variations on that particular molecule. For example, Peppers, Nutmeg, and Cloves are classed under piperine and encompasses paprika, chili peppers, peppercorns, and ginger. Consider the rise of the Dutch and British East India Companies with their focus on spice and their forced colonization of so many nations. The truth of how Manhattan became an English colony. Malaria and how it forced a genetic evolution around the Mediterranean, Africa, and the Middle East which was a contributing factor that led to the slave trade. Consider the effect of gunpowder in both destruction and construction as well as how it affected travel! Then there's nitro compounds: explosives, sunscreen, Viagra and other medications, and Alfred Nobel and his Nobel Prize. The development of ammonia and its uses in man-made fertilizer...and the gases used in World War I.

Just reading about the effects of scurvy and how different seafarers/countries dealt with it. How it almost ended the Age of Discovery begun by the search for spices. Think of the movie Master and Commander and the repartee over "the lesser of the two weevils"! One of the reasons why Cook was so successful! And how different it could have been if the Dutch had discovered how to prevent scurvy before the British.

If you're fascinated with how things work or how they're discovered, you'll be thrilled with this book. Schönbein certainly got a bang out of it when he discovered guncotton. A chemical that led to photography and the movie industry, rayon, and cellophane as well as the Industrial Revolution and the American Civil War. Consider the effects of the Industrial Revolution on rural depopulation, the rise of the factory and inventions along with social change.

I also enjoyed how the authors slid from one chapter to the next. The subject of the previous chapter leading into the next. You'd never expect a connection between gunpowder and silk! Nor expect that silk was an important aspect of the Renaissance. I loved the molecular explanation of silk as it explained why silk is so highly valued.

Readers interested in medicine will adore the history and evolution of the medical field. Most people are aware of Louis Pasteur and his contribution, Jenner and his vaccine, but there is also Lister's carbolic acid and the benefits of coal tar and how it led to the antiseptic operating room. The molecular analysis for these phenols lead to vanillin, capsaicin, zingerone, explosives, chocolate, perfume, marijuana, Bakelite, and so much more! Elephants certainly have reason to be grateful!

LOL, I'm only halfway through my notes...! You'll just hafta read this one. It's worth it.

There's the rise of the German pharmaceutical empire, how synthesizing a dye led to the creation of synthetic organic chemistry---where would Bayer be without Perkin!

If you're curious about life at all, you want to read Napoleon's Buttons. I highly recommend it! It's a buy for me if only for its possibilities for conflicts for a book series I'm working on!

The Cover
The cover is a blend of two areas of study: history with the cropped portrait of Napoleon in his 19th century study with the marble-like structure of atoms above representing the science.

The title is more of an enticement than truth as the authors use the raw materials in Napoleon's Buttons to speculate and lure the reader in.

If you want an enjoyable yet informative read on the basics of chemistry, you'll find it in this book. The author does a great job weaving the science behind molecules with the motivation behind its discovery and the historical impact of it. You'll never see chemistry in the same light. It's no longer just an isolated science class you take. By the end of this book, you will begin to have a different understanding behind wealth, power, food, medicine, clothing... even slavery. Open your cupboard, your closet, your refrigerator, and you'll understand what you have different. Maybe you will understand how lucky and historically dense your life is. Your life is not just your own.

This book details how history has been affected by certain chemicals, ranging from salt and sugar to antibiotics and the birth control pills and many more. The authors explain how each of the molecules were either discovered or created and their subsequent effects on society. Many of the discoveries at the time did not seem substantial, but life as we know it today would be much different had some of these molecules not been discovered or traded amongst early civilizations. My personal favorite chapter was about nitro compounds, which are used in explosives as well as many other applications. The authors tell the story of how 'guncotton' was discovered by a scientist doing experiments in his kitchen and the subsequent ignition of his wifes apron! The authors cram a lot of interesting and eye-opening material into the 350 pages and will leave you satisfied by the end of the book.
Highly recommend for anyone wanting a look at history through the eyes of a chemist!

Napoleon's Buttons looks at how several compounds have drastically affected human history, including spices, sugars, fabrics, metals, drugs, cleaners, and dyes. The book made me fondly reminiscent of the old 80's TV sitcom "Head of the Class", where the teacher would give lessons such as "how a baseball led to the Bay of Pigs".

Some might be turned off by the detail given and discussed regarding chemical structures and formulas, but it can be skipped - however I don't recommend it because the similarity in compounds they discuss is a key part to fully enjoying the book. I highly recommend this book for a teenager who has shown interest in Chemistry.

Someone once said, "Biology names things. Chemistry tells you how they work."
In Napoleon's Button's, LeCouteur and Burreson take that premise to a much higher level. They not only tell you how the molecules work, they explain the impact these molecules have had on human history, economics, and geopolitics. They consider what might have happened if the molecules in question had been discovered, understood, or used by someone else.
For example, the effects of ascorbic acid deficiency, and its treatment, were known in China as early as the fifth century. Norse explorers drank a brew made of "scurvy grass" during their voyages across the North Atlantic. However, scurvy killed more European sailors between 1470 and 1770 than all other causes, despite reports on prevention and cure as early as the mid-1500's. Magellan lost over 90% of his crew during the circumnavigation of the globe in 1519-1522. Only 18 sailors returned to Spain with the spices that had prompted the journey. Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines during a stop necessitated by the weakened condition of his remaining crew.
The authors ask the reader to imagine the present geopolitics if the Age of Discovery had included adequate stores of lemon juice. "If the Portuguese, the first European explorers to travel these long distances had understood the secret of ascorbic acid, they might have explored the Pacific Ocean centuries before James Cook." The Dutch, also, might have held claims to large portions of the South Pacific. They conclude, "The British . . . would have been left with a much smaller empire and much less influence in the world, even to this day."
Even 20th century adventurers have fallen to the effects of ascorbic acid deficiency. The Amundsen/Scott race to the South Pole was decided by the Brits' lack of vitamin C. "Only eleven miles from a food and fuel depot they found themselves too exhausted to continue."
Sixteen other molecules, or classes of molecules, including cellulose, morphine, isoprene, and salt, are given similar turns under the magnifying glass. The authors walk the line between chemistry and anecdote. For the former chem. majors there are formulae and descriptions--cis and trans, alpha and beta. For history buffs, the human stories stand without in-depth study of the chemical structures.
The prose is lively and often amusing. The chapters are divided in such a way the book can be put down and picked up easily, if the reader can resist the temptation of "just one more molecule." Now I'm trying to decide if I should first hand off my copy to my dad or my high school-age daughter. Or--maybe my daughter's teacher . . . .
As much as we humans might like to think our intellect raises us above the natural world, this book reminds us, we are our biology--and our chemistry.

The topic of Napoleon's Buttons is the chemistry of 17 seemingly different, yet interrelated molecules that have, from the authors' angle, instigated change throughout the course of human history. The authors Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson wrote this book with anyone in mind, writing on the level of knowledge of the basic student of chemistry, who would also be fascinated with the history built from the molecules discussed in the chapters. Peppers, nutmeg, and cloves (in one whole chapter), ascorbic acid, glucose, cellulose, nitro compounds, silk and nylon, phenol, isoprene, dyes, wonder drugs, "the pill," "molecules of witchcraft," morphine, nicotine, and caffeine (in one whole chapter), oleic acid, salt, chlorocarbon compounds, and "molecules versus malaria" - these molecules are the 17 that the authors say have influenced history because of their chemistry, affecting our lives physically, mentally, economically, and socially in our modern-day interactions with each other.
The goal of this book is to show another angle to look at history: through chemistry. The authors do a great job at expressing this idea, and with their unique point of view, it breathes new life to the history of chemistry looking at chemistry in action influencing our history. The chapter layout makes sense: a little introduction concerning the molecule's relation to other molecules presented, whether chemically or historically; followed by a point in history when it became prevalent, whether through trade or; then the molecule's chemical structure and related molecules; ending with a conclusion that sums up the chapter with "what if" questions that makes the reader think about different outcomes of history if things played out differently. In my opinion, the authors have a point of view that goes against the norms of chemistry books: others may delve deep into the fundamentals of chemistry that evolved over time, filling their books with chemical formulas and how they work. Napoleon's Buttons on the other hand goes into the history of the molecule, analyzes its historical significance, and then touches on the actual chemistry of it. Some may classify this more as a historical reference book rather than a chemistry book, but to me, this book incorporated the best of the two worlds. Thankfully, the book was already in the school library, and I feel that it was a great addition.
My only letdown is that the first few chapters are chock-full of information and as it gets more interesting as the subject matter goes (such as morphine, nicotine, and caffeine), the chapters get shorter. To me, the authors think that by the time that the reader gets to the middle, he or she should understand what's going on and assumes that they are telling enough. Personally, I think that there is more information out there that can expand their content to make reading those chapters much more interesting, rather than just giving you some, letting you wait for more, and then the chapter ends.
Overall, this was a great book, because of the fact that its contents are not what you would expect from a chemistry book and the authors' hybrid history-chemistry approach is fascinating. I would recommend this to anyone interested in either chemistry or history, and after reading this book, they would learn interesting things and appreciate both, as the molecules discusses influence our daily lives.

I found Napoleon's Buttons the 17 molecules that Changed History a wonderful book. The review of these molecules from a historical view point just kept me wanting to know more. I will admit chemistry is not my thing by a long shot, but I learned so much it's hard not to even learn a bit of chemistry. I sometimes skimmed the actual diagrams of the molecules, but as I went further through the book I was even finding this part of the book interesting. I think this might be a great way to introduce someone to chemistry who really has no idea about it or thinks they want to. I would say that last part would have described me before reading this book, I'm surprised at what the authors were able to convey to a non-chemist and keep it totally fascinating. This is a book I plan to read again. This is a real description of things that have changed our world for the good and for the bad. That is one thing made clear, one can never tell the outcome over time. Something that can save so many lives is shown and can, back fire on the environment or our own bodies.
I highly recommend this book, you will enjoy it and learn in spite of what you might know or think you want to learn. Give this book to your friends.

My book, Napoleon's Buttons, covers the stories of various events in history that may have been influenced by molecules and chemical substances. The audience it is written for is mainly teens to adults, those studying chemistry, and others who enjoy the subject of history. The authors, Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson, attempt to put a spin on historical events by taking a new perspective, one through chemistry. Their purpose for the book was to blend an interest of science and the past into something completely new, providing the reader with a different perception of why things are the way the are.
Le Couteur and Burreson do an excellent job at fulfilling the book's purpose and their goals. I'll have to admit, I have never been an avid fan of science, but I have always been deeply fascinated by history. Napoleon's Buttons was able to satisfy my thirst to know more about the past while interesting me about the chemistry behind the events. I feel that for authors, one of their main goals is to draw in a reader into their book, regardless of their background or interest. While the author must make their book interesting to everyone, they also must not take out too much to dull those who are interested in the subject, in this case those who are involved with chemistry and history. Le Couteur and Burreson fantastically put together a work that can be interesting to readers of most demographics, save those younger than teens.
The book follows an organized structure for each chapter, and doesn't deviate from this course to keep the reader in focus. Each section focuses on a specific type or group of molecules, and starts with a historical anecdote. After finishing some background on the event, there is a follow up that includes the chemistry behind each significant substance. Each chapter goes into depth on the chemical structures of these molecules, and explains how they were discovered and their significance in the historical events. Napoleon's Buttons remained concise and coherent enough to satisfy those who were interested in science while not boring those who were unfamiliar with the science.
The authors mention the conventional perception of these events, but focus mostly on the scientific aspect. This approach is prudent, because the purpose of the book was connecting history with chemistry, and any other perspective would deviate from the original point Le Couteur and Burreson were aming at. As iterated before, the authors did a great job at combining the interesting facts of history and science into one text without losing interest among readers or sacrificing the details on chemistry. In addition, the introduction of the book gave background on how chemical structures worked, which provided insight for readers who did not study chemistry extensively. The book could have been improved by being less redundant. Though each chapter was diverse, I felt that they all ended with the same "What if?" question, which was "What would the world be like today without these molecules?"
I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults with interests in history and chemistry, though Napoleon's Buttons does a splendid job at appealing to people of all backgrounds. This is because the book is very thorough with the context of each molecule and event, providing an in depth look. Napoleon's Buttons should be kept on the list because of its great connections between history and chemistry. The authors manage to not sacrifice any detail on either side to compromise, but rather include enough to appeal to students. As a young person, I find it hard to concentrate on one subject the entire time. Because of the analysis of both history and chemistry, I read the book nonstop and found it satisfying. I deeply feel that Napoleon's Buttons fulfilled Mr. Halkyard's purpose for this assignment. First, I learned chemistry in a totally different way, and it interested me greatly. I found out what in each molecular formula causes the certain effects of each substance, such as why peppers are spicy. Last, I enjoyed the book so much. I felt that reading it was not a waste of time, but rather a small epiphany that enlightened me to view things in a different way.

The topic of Napoleon's Buttons was the concept of how chemistry affected major historical events like malaria, the black plague, the Russian Invasion by Napoleon, or even the drug industry. The intended audience of this book is the chemist or historian in all of us. The author does a superb job of not using too much advanced language, and therefore could be intended for all audiences.
As stated above, the author uses these different points to give people a chance to learn a side about history that is not taught in most books or in the classroom. This book teaches the reader how the smallest things in life--molecules--can make the biggest difference in history. The author shows this very well by using different points in history to describe this point, as well as using easy language and pictures that everyone can understand.
This book was very well written. The author managed to get across his point in very few words. The book was about 360 pages, and a portion of that were pictures. The pictures actually helped the clarity of the book by giving people multiple ways of absorbing the information. The author does not consider many other points of view. That said, the topic this book covers does not require other points, so overall it was fine.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the introduction. While it was just the basis of how the book would be written, it did give a very interesting story about the tin buttons on Napoleon's soldiers' jackets during the Russian Invasion. The reason this is my favorite section was because this was very relevant due to the fact that we just finished a unit on this invasion in history. The author was very concise and used images well where it was needed. While there was generally no complex language, there were points when I was lost. A notes section was my only issue with the book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning. There is much that anyone can learn from this book, and the language is not a hindrance. This was a very good read which held a lot of knowledge. It is due to that that I feel it is good for this assignment.

I picked this book up at a local bookstore merely because the cover looked interesting and I'm a fan of science history.

Overall, I think it's a great book that really changed my understanding of molecules, how they are constructed, and how similar molecules often have similar effects.

I give this book a 4-star rating if only because it holds such wondrous promise in the beginning, 10 to 15 pages devoted to one molecule each for the first half of the book. The second half seems like an entirely different book, or a dumping ground for all the molecules that didn't warrant a lengthy article. The final chapters end up covering 4 or 5 molecules in one chapter, when each could rightly deserve its own history.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the popular history of chemistry.

I disagree with the reviewer that states there are too many diagrams in this book. Anyone with the slightest science background will be fascinated and enlightened by the diagrams and pictures which go a long towards explaining the authors' points.
A good diagram is much more interesting and effective than 5+ pages of "prose". Yuck. The authors have it right and the reviewer is just wrong.

One of the most interesting books I've ever read. And about a harsh topic: most people I know doesn't like chemistry. But the way the authors wrote about that, through the years and along the human history, explained that one couldn't exist without the other. I barely finished the last page, I started again the book. This is one of the kind of book that I will read every other year for a lot of years...

As authors state, this book is about chemistry in history and not about history of chemistry. I have finished the book in less a day and despite of my deep interest in both chemistry and history, I learned a lot. I hope authors will write more books on chemicals that changed history.

Whether you are a rocket scientist or summa cum barely high school graduate, you'll find this book a facinating, fun read. I have read this one several times. I will often just read one chapter, as each is somewhat indepentant of the other. The author's did an excellent job on the illustrations of chemical structures. It is good science and good history at the same time. It has more than a few "ripping-good yarns" in it. This is a book that has come up in quite a few conversations, with one of us usually writing out the title so that it will not be forgotten.