{"product_id":"chain-reaction-how-chemistry-shapes-us-and-our-world","title":"Chain Reaction: How Chemistry Shapes Us and Our World","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Intriguing.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It's rare to see 'joyful' and 'funny' used to describe books about chemistry, but this engaging offering on the history of chemicals and their ubiquitous presence comes from particle nanoscientist, inventor, and Dame Commander of the British Empire Uchegbu, a thought-provoking teacher and marvelous storyteller. Uchegbu combines expertise with accessible, relatable, and endlessly entertaining anecdotes drawn from her own experiences.... [She] serves up memorable revelations.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A research chemist based in London, [Uchegbu] presents the basic concepts of her discipline without referring to the diagrams and formulas many of us encountered in our high school chemistry classes. Instead, Uchegbu uses analogies such as a group of children on a playground--and a mischievous playmate with a tube of super glue--to illustrate different chemical bonds.... Snippets of autobiography add much to the accessibility of the book. And in addition to illustrating the ubiquity of chemical reactions in the world, they frequently comment on the way we relate to one another in society. Anyone interested in basic science but reluctant to wade into a maze of technical terminology will find this a congenial approach to a fascinating subject. An exuberant account of the role of chemistry in everyday life, with a wealth of down-to-earth examples.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Vivacious... Uchegbu's style is so approachable and her enthusiasm so contagious that even the most chemistry-averse reader will find their ears pricked up. \u003ci\u003eChain Reaction\u003c\/i\u003e reveals that we are chemistry and chemistry is us.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookpage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Ijeoma Uchegbu takes us on a captivating journey through the world of chemistry, revealing how chemical bonds shape not only the life around us but also the very fabric of our daily lives. Her fascination with molecules is infectious, and her joy in chemistry shines through every page. This book is an inspiration to following your passion and forming your own bonds with the world of science.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn-Arne Rottingen, CEO Wellcome Trust\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Since everything is made of atoms and chemistry is about how atoms fit together to make the world, what field of human knowledge could be more important and all-encompassing than chemistry. Nowhere have I seen chemistry described so lucidly, comprehensively and fun. Uchegbu's passion and joy shines from every page.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJim Al-Khalili, author of The World According to Physics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I never thought that chemistry could be so fascinating and such fun. A brilliant book.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBaroness Manningham-Buller, Former Head of MI5 and former Chair of Wellcome\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This book will change how you see the world. An absorbing read which makes chemistry fascinating and fun, as well sparking hope through learning about the author's moving life story.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJulia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia, Chair of Wellcome Board\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Life through the prism of chemistry, illustrated by Ijeoma's life, is gripping and fascinating -- from Egyptians to modern day, from Nigeria to Britain, and the chemistry of food and death. A great read!\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eProfessor Dame Sally Davies, Master of Trinity College, University of Cambridge, Former Chief Medical Officer, United Kingdom\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Uchegbu -- Dame, inventor, nanoscientist and one of the most original minds in her field -- has spent a career harnessing the invisible architecture of molecules to transform medicine. In \u003ci\u003eChain Reaction\u003c\/i\u003e, she turns that same precise, warm intelligence to the chemistry that makes us who we are and shapes how we live. This is chemistry as memoir, metaphor, primer and love letter. It leaves you awestruck at how deftly we've bent chemistry to our will -- and mindful of how urgently we must now use it to repair what we've broken.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRoger Highfield, Science Director of the Science Museum\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Where would we be without chemistry quietly holding our chaotic world together? Every aspect of life is chemically mediated: from our DNA, resting tightly within our cells, to how we treat illnesses and physically build our world, to the chemical makeup of PFAs - the \"forever chemicals\" that are so terrifyingly good at sticking around. In her book, \u003ci\u003eChain Reaction\u003c\/i\u003e, Ijeoma Uchegbu, professor of pharmaceutical nanoscience at University College London, reminds us of this science we take for granted and tells us about the chemistry which has shaped her own life.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew Scientist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBy one of the world's leading chemists, an entertaining and revealing tour of the chemical bonds that shape our everyday lives and provide the infrastructure for our chaotic world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe all have a relationship with chemistry. Bonds between molecules, forged and broken in the blink of an eye, underpin everything from the food we eat and the clothes we wear to the ways we treat illnesses and construct our homes. It's a relationship we nurture, whether we know it or not, and for leading chemist Ijeoma Uchegbu, it was serious from the beginning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eChain Reaction\u003c\/i\u003e, Uchegbu shows us the world through a chemist's eyes, revealing the intricate science we take for granted: how our body's most fundamental chemical structure, our DNA, is estimated to be two meters long, resting tightly within each of our cells; how egg yolks are held together by weak chemical bonds that make them primed for emulsifying our salad dressings; and how the chemical makeup of PFAs, or \"forever chemicals,\" makes them so good at sticking around.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, we travel from Uchegbu's home in London to Nigeria, where cooking experiments go awry in her family kitchen, and to Italy, where the chemically inert compounds that make up stained glass keep medieval windows shining. The careful interplay of bonds and molecules brings a sense of order and wonder to the chaos of our lives, she shows, and we don't have to wear a lab coat or study solutions in beakers to appreciate it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor readers of \u003ci\u003eAstrophysics for People in a Hurry\u003c\/i\u003e and anyone who wanted to be like Elizabeth Zott in \u003ci\u003eLessons in Chemistry\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChain Reaction\u003c\/i\u003e is a lively and intimate portrait of the wondrous and under-explored field that shapes our everyday lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/01\/2026 (EAN 9780063394629, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/09\/2026 (EAN 9780063394629, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/15\/2026 (EAN 9780063394629, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eUchegbu, Ijeoma\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Ijeoma Uchegbu\u003c\/b\u003e is a global leader in pharmaceutical science and academia. She serves as president of Wolfson College, Cambridge; professor of pharmaceutical nanoscience and Provost's Envoy for Race Equality at University College London; and governor of Wellcome, one of the largest biomedical research charities in the world. She is also founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the pharmaceutical company Nanomerics, Ltd. Among many other honors, Uchegbu was made Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2025. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496155513110,"sku":"9780063394629","price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780063394629.jpg?v=1783054293","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/chain-reaction-how-chemistry-shapes-us-and-our-world","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}