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  • Untitled

"Napoleon's Buttons" by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson

1/31/2013

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Picture
Title: Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History
Author: Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson
Genre: General Non-Fiction
# of Pages: 384

Date Published: May 24, 2004
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars



Napoleon’s Buttons is a compilation of 17 short chapters about groups of molecules that changed the course of human history. The book is actually a really quick read despite the length, because the chapters are broken up with chemical diagrams and pictures that vividly illustrate the points the authors make. The authors’ connections between chemistry and history are actually really interesting; they come from the premise that instead of looking at things economically or socially, if you look at the chemistry and molecules that drove the African slave trade or the feminist movement, i.e., you will find an underlying chemical explanation. The book’s title comes from the anecdote that Napoleon’s Army wore buttons made from a tin compound, which is known to become brittle at low temperatures such as those found in frigid Russian winters. The authors cite the degradation of the Army’s buttons as one of the main contributing factors to the hypothermia that wiped out Napoleon’s Grand Army and stopped the expansion of the Napoleonic Empire. At points, the relatedness of science and happenstance appear to be a bit far-fetched, but nonetheless, each assertion is supported with sound historical evidence.

I think that this book is a must read for chemistry and biochemistry majors; it puts what you learn in General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry into an understandable and worldly context. The authors are constantly name-dropping some of the greatest chemists, showing that many of their discoveries were just accidents or byproducts of reactions and molecules they did not understand at the time. By putting chemistry in the context of history, not only does it become one hundred times more interesting, but it also seems more relevant to the future and to our lives.

Another aspect of the book that I think would interest a lot of people is the numerous ‘party facts’ that are listed throughout the book. For example, the residue and film that develops when you swirl a glass of wine is due to the presence of glycerol molecules in the wine itself. In the chapter on oleic acid and olive oil, the authors explain the differences between both saturated and un-, and mono- and poly-saturated fats. By explaining the health consequences of these chemical structures the authors show us the daily relevance of what we learn in chemistry classes. Because the book is so scientifically based, I think that people who have taken chemistry classes would get the most out of it. This does not mean, however, that less scientifically inclined pupils would deny the book’s entertainment value. In fact, they might find this is finally the right book to help them survive that dreaded science core requirement.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. The science behind history has always been an interesting subject, and there really aren’t many books that break it up and organize it as well as Napoleon’s Buttons does.



Review by Special Contributor, Chris McLaughlin, A&S '13

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"Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan" by Del Quentin Wilber

9/11/2012

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Picture
Title: Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan
Author
: Del Quentin Wilber
Genre
: Historical Non-Fiction
Number of pages
: 320
Year published
: 2010
Rating
: 5 stars (out of 5)

I discovered “Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan” by listening to an interview with the author on a Philadelphia radio station last summer. Del Quentin Wilber seemed so into history, especially of past assassinations, that I knew I had to read this book. The story behind the book’s writing is an interesting one. Originally trained in journalism, Wilber works as a reporter in Washington D.C. for the Washington Post. During a meeting with the Director of the FBI, he was asked to write the book by none other than the Director himself. The Director told Wilber the story of how close the former president had actually come to dying, asserting that the country needed to be told of the chaos that ensued. In the interview that I heard, Wilber seemed very passionate about his work and had interviewed almost every person involved in that day, including Nancy Reagan. Through interviews with the Secret Service, the first respondents on the medical staff, hotel staff, and family and friends of those hurt in the shootings, the author paints a picture of the Reagan assassination attempt that is both complete and unique.

I honestly think anyone would like this book. As a science major/pre-medical student, I particularly found the description of the care and surgeries that Ronald Reagan endured fascinating. The president was actually two centimeters and 30 minutes away from dying, and the author proves it. One of the most well-researched parts of the book was the actions of the government following the shooting. The descriptions of the generals, secretaries, and members of Congress who got together and made the necessary decisions during the president’s recovery was incredible. I never really had an interest in the vestige of authority in the case of a presidential absence, but after reading this book, I have a much better understanding of the president’s “safety system” as well as the presidential power and scope of profession. On a scarier note, the book does lend some merit to the theory that the government does not tell us all. Wilber definitely points out the fact that throughout the assassination ordeal, people in charge of news releases and media coverage made sure to portray the president as strong and resilient, despite the fact that his lungs collapsed twice and he was sedated with a breathing tube.

Finally, I understand that when it comes to the leaders of our country, there is always an element of politics involved. However, this book does a great job of presenting a steady, non-partisan view of the Reagan presidency and staying true to its description as an account of the assassination itself. Whether you are a fan of the Reagan era or not, this book represents a great historical view of one of the most important assassination attempts in American history.

Review by Chris McLaughlin, A&S '13


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