Drag a match along a rough surface, and something bright yellow appears: a flame. Where did that come from? Matter, it seems, can go through some bizarre transformations (but not too often, luckily: if the world were too unstable, we couldn't live here!). There must be some hidden ingredients in there. No wonder chemistry is so mysterious, and no wonder it took two centuries longer than physics to figure out.

This Cartoon Guide covers the basics and then some: the history of chemistry, atomic structure and the periodic table, chemical bonds, reactions, heat and energy, states of matter, solutions, reaction rates and equilibrium, acids and bases, organic chemistry, and even a taste of thermodynamics and electrochemistry. And it has a new design for the periodic table, too! Groovy, baby!

HarperCollins, 256 pages, paper.

See four SAMPLE PAGES