Chemistry by Basher and Dan Green

July 2010, Kingfisher

128 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Non-fiction, 

Things go boom! Metals, elements, atoms - if it involves chemistry, it'll be in here. 

Summary from Pan MacMillan

Discover the secrets of chemistry, and learn about the properties of matter and the ways in which they interact, combine and change. CHEMISTRY is a compelling guide to a community of characters who make up everything around us.

Nayuleska's thoughts

Unlike Maths, which I just never liked, Chemistry terrified me. I remember visiting my secondary school before I went, entering the science room, see the bunsen burners light up and I was scared. I was terrified of fire back then. I don't like it now, but at least I can light a match and be in the same room as a flame and not want to blow it out. We used bunsen burners a lot in chemistry - for most of the experiments. I never used them - my friends would always turn them on and off for me. I didn't get marked down on this - my teachers knew I didn't like them. I was equally scared of all the different chemicals (I was convinced something bad would happen). I didn't understand all the different terms used. This book has really changed my mind. I have video games to thank for that. 

You may be thinking 'What is the link between video games and chemistry?' There's a lot. In video games and some of the anime I watch, it deals with elements of the world - earth, air, fire, water, metal. Characters have magical abilities relating to those and many more. Reading this book, I started to understand the science behind those particular anime characters. My Muse started getting ideas for one of my current wips. I found myself wanting to go back to school and do all the experiments myself. I want to use a filter and distillation equipment. I want to use the universal indicator and watch it change colour. This new found delight in a subject I hated is all thanks to this book. The poster at the back is funkier than the other posters, because instead of lining everything up in groups it has the equipment placed around a science lab. 

Final conclusion

I never thought I'd say this, but I like chemistry! 

Check out the other books in the series: Maths, Punctuation, Rocks and Minerals

The others (which currently aren't reviewed but I'll be buying them soon) Astronomy, Biology, Periodic Table, Physics, Planet Earth