Scan barcode
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book about the beginnings of modern industrial chemistry thru the creation of synthetic dyes from coal tar starting with the color mauve as created by William Perkin. Yes it was an interesting story that I was not familiar with, but it should have been a better book. It was a bit slow and boring and contained weird modern bits that were basically included because they used the word mauve in a sentence. Somewhat worth reading, but a disappointment.
odschuler's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic scientific and social history. Clearly shows how England lost the upper hand in modern chemistry to Germany and the US.
profejennifer's review against another edition
3.0
This one didn't feel as cohesive as some of Garfield's other books that I've read.
cassandrat's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story of Britain's chemical industry, loss of research prowess, and rivalry with Germany. The author provides a lot of modern and historical context which I found to be novel and very interesting. Nevertheless, the organization could be improved. The narrative jumped around chronologically and I was never really sure what impact Perkin had on chemistry besides making it more lucrative and championing the creation of new synthetic dyes. Chemists would probably get a lot out of the work since he shares the recipes. :)
schomj's review against another edition
3.0
I think the primary thing I learned from this is that Britain had the potential to completely dominate the world in terms of industrial science but the lack of government support for research funds and patent laws (especially compared to Germany) made them an also-ran.
I read that and look at the political climate in the US for the past, what, 30 years?, and... well, the conclusion I reached should be pretty obvious to anyone who's paying attention.
I read that and look at the political climate in the US for the past, what, 30 years?, and... well, the conclusion I reached should be pretty obvious to anyone who's paying attention.
professor_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy reading about inventions, how things become popular, inventions. This is a story about the color mauve. It's accesible even though it is about science. You won't look at colors the same way again.
djrmelvin's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting multipurpose nonfiction, written for the reader who wants a lot of practicality and history with their science lesson. The book is very disjointed in its lay out, with the author jamming the contemporary ramifications of Parson's work in to the middle of chapters where they don't really belong. As stated in another review, it's as if Garfield wrote the book in the order of his note-taking, rather than rearranging them into a logical or at least sensible narrative. Still, his research not only into the why and the how of the creation of mauve, but also the where is a quick and nearly painless look at one of those things we take for granted but really did change the world when it was invented.
wealhtheow's review against another edition
3.0
A slim but broad-reaching tale of the beginning of artifiical dyes. At the time Perkin made his discovery that coal-tar could be transformed into mauve dye, chemistry was thought of like philosophy--a gentleman's pursuit with no worldly or industrial value. Perkin's discovery and subsequent ability to make money off of it changed that perception forever. By the time he died, chemistry was a roaring industry.
The history of artificial dyes is a fascinating one. Before Perkin discovered mauve, all dyes came from natural sources like plants or sea creatures. The array of colors was small, particularly for the poor. But chemical processes created not only a wide variety of colors, but made them available to everyone. Soon, bright, vibrant colors were a sign of being low-class instead of rich. Trying to cut corners in the chemical process led to colors that bled (even upon people's skin as they wore their clothes), or colors that were actually poisonous. Bright green was particularly likely to be rife with arsenic (could this be part of why the poison cake in Peter Pan is colored bright green?). Meanwhile, analine dyes were being used to discover the microbial world and eventually, even treat diseases. The tale of how mauve came to be is a fascinating one, and fairly well encapsulated herein.
The history of artificial dyes is a fascinating one. Before Perkin discovered mauve, all dyes came from natural sources like plants or sea creatures. The array of colors was small, particularly for the poor. But chemical processes created not only a wide variety of colors, but made them available to everyone. Soon, bright, vibrant colors were a sign of being low-class instead of rich. Trying to cut corners in the chemical process led to colors that bled (even upon people's skin as they wore their clothes), or colors that were actually poisonous. Bright green was particularly likely to be rife with arsenic (could this be part of why the poison cake in Peter Pan is colored bright green?). Meanwhile, analine dyes were being used to discover the microbial world and eventually, even treat diseases. The tale of how mauve came to be is a fascinating one, and fairly well encapsulated herein.