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by Frederick Abbott Norwood
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by Gerry Frank
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by Harry Julius Johnson
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by Cherie & Shirley Parenteau
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by Victor Canning
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by Edgar Rice Burroughs
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Vanity, Vitality, and Virility: The Science behind the Products You Love to Buy
by John Emsley
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (2004-07-01)
ISBN: 0192805096
EAN: 9780192805096
Dewy Decimal #: 543
Hardcover: 272 pages
SKU: mon0000047391
Condition: Very Good
Comments: Ex-library Book. DJ has covering and library stickers or this book is NEW!
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
What is the secret of shower cleaners? How does the dangerous explosive nitroglycerin ward off heart attacks? And what medicines, usually prescribed for other purposes, are said to produce the ultimate orgasm?
In Vanity, Vitality, and Virility, award-winning science writer John Emsley offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of 30 chemicals that we use everyday to make ourselves more beautiful, to improve our diet and sexual pleasure, to kill germs, and to ward off depression and other mental illnesses. Emsley looks at common compounds such as alpha-hydroxy acids, vitamin C, chlorine bleach, and Prozac, telling us if they work, how they work, and how they were discovered. Indeed, the book is packed with useful information and easy-to-digest science, and Emsley relates it all with a light touch that delights in the odd fact or amusing anecdote. Thus we learn of the "vitamin C tights" sold in Japan to make your legs more beautiful (they don't work) and of the whimsical Hungarian scientist who first isolated vitamin C and wanted to name it "godnose"--because he had no idea what the compound was. We discover that Cleopatra was right to bath in milk, which is filled with alpha-hydroxy acids. And we read about the unforgettable British researcher who demonstrated a powerful new drug for male erections at a Las Vegas convention--injecting himself with the compound and then "displaying the results" to a stunned lecture hall.
As with the much-loved Nature's Building Blocks, in John Emsley's hands, chemistry comes alive. Anyone curious about the ingredients in the products we use, and everyone fascinated with science, will be enthralled by this book.
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Customer Reviews
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Small audience possible - Not scientific enough, and yet too much...
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-01-06
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
As an undergraduate chemist, I found that this book was far less technical than I'd hoped. It seems, however, that I am not above the level for which this text was intended. For example, any non-chemist will not care for the IUPAC names included, and may not have the scientific background that is assumed for some of the explanations. However, someone with a few years of chemistry studies under their belt will find this to be a gloss-over, and entirely unsatisfying. I have returned the item. I believe the small audience which may appreciate this could be a high-school student or freshman undergraduate with one to two semesters of chemistry tops. I believe, however, that someone without any background in chemistry or biochemistry will make little sense of this book at all. I cannot recommend this one.
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Great Reading
Rating  (4)
Date: 2006-08-31
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is the third book that I've read by John Emsley. The author keeps the story moving by supporting statements within the text rather than distracting footnotes. Anyone interested in his daily exposure to the world of chemistry will enjoy this book. The book is not technical, but it is an excellent source of references should one want to dig deeper into any of the title topics.
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Some neat facts about consumer products, could have been more scientific
Rating  (3)
Date: 2005-08-31
7 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is divided into several sections, focussing on related series of compounds. The first three sections give the book its title - vanity (cosmetics, skin products), vitality (food-related topics), and virility (the biochemical functioning of the male reproductive system, as well as some information on Viagra). The rest of the chapters focus on how to kill germs, brain chemistry, and polymers of various uses.
The book goes into more detail than many other "popular chemistry" books that I've read. Unfortunately, it doesn't go into more technical detail - the author seems to want to avoid getting too technical, referring the reader instead to a glossary of technical terms. This is a good idea but poorly carried out. For example, he discusses oils, fats, and waxes, but no where does he define the difference between them. Mostly this does not detract from the enjoyment of the book, because chemists are likely to already know the answer and most lay people will not care for a technical explanation anyway.
The topics are interesting and varied. The commentary is mostly neutral: when chemicals are dangerous he points them out, but mostly he emphasises times when "chemicals" are unfairly maligned. For example, toxicity tests are usually performed with concentrations far in excess of what a person would encounter in everyday life. Statistically insignificant correlations are released to the media without qualification. If nothing else, this book will alert you to keep an eye out for the purpose behind research.
Unfortunately, the book just doesn't read as well as other "Chemistry for the Public" books. There are some weird lapses in the narrative where the author is apparently trying to make a joke, but that is just awkward or mildly offensive. The Joe Schwarcz books are more interesting and better written, if much less detailed.
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Chemicals for Beauty, Health, and Procreation.
Rating (3)
Date: 2005-03-21
5 out of 13 customers found this reveiw helpful
Written by a British chemist who also wrote A HISTORY OF POISON, THE SORDID TALE OF MURDER..., and NATURE'S BUILDING BLOCKS among others. This book was actually written by a lot of people; each chapter had varied and sundry consultants.
The cover shows a lovely new tube of lipstick, possibly Revlon or Max Factor. Lipsticks are used as allures; beware the ingredients. He tells everything you ever wanted to know about lipstick and maybe some you don't. He gets pretty technical.
VANITY: Anti-wrinkle patches don't work; they can damage your eyes and will not lessen the wrinkles. Lipsticks and sunscreens have been around in America since the 1920s, no doubt popularized by the movie stars of that era. He left out perfumes. Price, he says, is no guide to performance.
Tans cause long-range damage to the skin resulting in cancer by damaging DNA and the immune system' ultra-violet rays damage the eyes. UV-A are the aging rays; UV-B are the burning rays. Wear sunglasses to delay the start of cataracts.
VITALITY: our bodies need carbohydrates, fat, protein plus sodium, potassium calcium, and iron, zinc, magnesium, and especially vitamins and trace elements. Also fiber and water.
VIRILITY: Viagra for men, the least said the better. He goes into great detail. Read the book to learn what really happens.
He devotes a section to germs outside the body and in; one hint is to use vodka or gin as antiseptic. I learned that brandy is made out of grape pulp after the wine is distilled.
Find out the truth about alcohol, peroxide, cleansers and all the chemicals involved to get rid of germs.
A chemist, Linus Pauling, won the Nobel Prize in 1954 and again in 1962 (Peace Prize). He blasts the United States for their flagrant acts against him in 1960.
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Wonderful Overview of Chemistry in Our Daily Lives
Rating  (5)
Date: 2004-12-28
4 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
In Vanity, Vitality, Virility, Emsley describes the chemistry behind certain products that we depend on in our daily lives. These products range from lipstick to Viagra to Prozac. Each snapshot of a certain chemical offers a quick summary of how the product works, its benefits and its harms. Emsley is excellent at piecing together a coherent train of thought on certain chemicals and their history. The book reads well and is written for the popular audience as Emsley makes sure that the vocabulary and theory is brought down to a level in which general chemistry students can understand. However, he does not water it down so much as to discourage chemistry professionals from reading his book. He makes a point not to substitute certain chemical formula for its more common name, in the hope that his readers may not be intimidated by the language chemistry uses. To conclude his book, Emsley describes the current plight of scientific education and makes an attempt at diagnosing its problems. He also seeks out possible solutions and pleads for students to study chemistry. Overall, the book is highly interesting as it aids us in the understanding of chemical applications, which is often neglected in chemistry classes. I believe that the book clears up certain image problems with the chemistry profession in general and increases general interest in chemistry study.
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