Chemistry: Decade by Decade

This series uses an unusual organization that places selected scientific accomplishments within a decade of the twentieth century in each volume. Each chapter includes an overview of the decade, milestones, several specific breakthroughs, the scientist of the decade, and further reading. An introductory chapter presents foundations that preceded the twentieth century, and a concluding chapter projects what is anticipated in the twenty-first century. Science discoveries are depicted in the context of world events and impact of the discovery upon society rather than science as an isolated discipline. Biology includes mention of mandatory sterilization as an outcome of eugenics during the 1920s, and Chemistry discusses the Manhattan Project of the 1940s. The selections include not only the high-profile discoveries like DNA, antibiotics, or plastics but also the necessary underpinnings that might not be familiar to students, such as quantum theory and crystallography. Students will be able to gain an insight into the nature of science, the lives of scientists, and impacts upon society without previous familiarity, but they will need some knowledge of the topics to follow the technical details of the text. These books will be more valuable for advanced high school students than for younger readers. An additional series title offers a decade-by-decade discussion of physics.