The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen


Cook's Illustrated - 2012
    Unlike other food science books, we make a direct and practical connection between the science and the cooking. We divide the book into 50 core principles, support them through detailed yet friendly explanations, bring them alive with color illustrations and inventive experiments, and reinforce them through recipes that put the principle to work. At Cook's Illustrated, we've been asking why in the kitchen for over 20 years and often find our answers in science. We believe good science makes great food and that understanding basic science will make you a great cook.

Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements


John Emsley - 2001
    Penned by award-winning science writer John Emsley, Nature's Building Blocks explains the what, why and wherefore of the chemical elements. Arranged alphabetically, from Actinium to Zirconium, it is a complete guide to all 115 of those that are currently known, with more extensive coverage of those elements we encounter in our everyday life. The entry on each element reveals where it came from, what role it may have in the human body, and the foods that contain it. There are also sections on its discovery, its part in human health or illness, the uses and misuses to which it is put, and its environmental role. Readers discover that the Earth consists of around 90 elements, some of which are abundant, such as the silicon and oxygen of rocks and soils, while some are so rare that they make gold seem cheap. Our own bodies contain about 30 elements, some in abundance, some in trace amounts; some vital to our health, and some that are positively harmful. A list of the main scientific data, and outline properties, are given for every element and each section ends with an Element of Surprise, which highlights some unexpected way in which each element influences our everyday life. Both a reliable reference source and a high browsable account of the elements, Nature's Building Blocks offers a pleasurable tour of the very essence of our material world.

Chemistry: Concepts and Problems: A Self-Teaching Guide


Clifford C. Houk - 1979
    Whether you are studying chemistry forthe first time on your own, want to refresh your memory for a test, or need a little help for a course, this concise, interactive guidegives you a fresh approach to this fascinating subject. This fullyup-to-date edition of Chemistry: Concepts and Problems: * Has been tested, rewritten, and retested to ensure that you canteach yourself all about chemistry * Requires no prerequisites * Lets you work at your own pace with a helpful question-and-answerformat * Lists objectives for each chapter--you can skip ahead or findextra help if you need it * Reinforces what you learn with chapter self-tests