Short Synopsis
A fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have influenced the course of history, Napoleon's Buttons offers a new understanding of the shaping of civilization and the workings of the contemporary world.

Full Synopsis
Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance—which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.

With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world.

"Well-conceived, well-done popular science." ---Booklist

"The authors unearth a wealth of anecdotes from all parts of the world and use them effectively to illustrate the technological underpinnings of modern society. Thoughtful, often surprising, smoothly written." ---Kirkus

"Entertaining accounts of how various objects' chemical properties might have changed history." ---Library Journal

Library Journal Bestseller