Principles of Chemistry

by Michael Munowitz and Michael Munourtz

Book Overview

Read a few pages, and you'll see what all the excitement is about. Intended primarily for college freshmen, this exceptionally lucid, carefully paced, elegantly designed, well-illustrated volume will appeal to curious readers of any age who want to know more about the innermost workings of the "central science." In the words of another advance reviewer, the Munowitz book "reveals the beauty of chemistry in an unusual, graceful, narrative style. Compared...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393972887
• ISBN13: 9780393972887
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 1616 Pages
• Weight: 5.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.4" x 7.8" x 10.5"

Customer Reviews

Very good and methodical approach

The best part of the book is its illustrations and diagrams explaining the concepts The author has taken care to explain the basics and principles in very clear manner for all branches of chemistry in a unified manner. The chapters of molecular orbital theory, formation of sigma and pi bond, principles of organic reactions are all beautifully explained, again with superb illustrations. My advice is just go to library, I am sure they will have in the reference section, look at it and you will certainly impressed with the content. This book's primary aim is to explain the principles and you may not find extensive number of problems solved, although it has quite a good number of problems for each chapter. Again each problem is explained how it is solved, not just with numbers and equations but with discussions. Well, to me this approach is empowering rather than spoon feeding. Yes it is costly , but it not more than two video games!! It is worth having in your personal library. Read and enjoy the world of Chemistry.

great for mature learners

This book beautifully expalins the basic principles of chemistry. It is meant to be used by mature learners who understand what learning a subject is really about. Unfortuntely, most college students nowadays think learning is spitting out what they just swallowed without going through their mind. Our secondary education just does not prepare them well enough to use texts like this. They should start with a more traditional textbook and later on use this book to enhance their conceptual understaning of chemical principles.

brilliant!

This book should be read by everyone who has an interest in science. Munowitz makes the concepts interesting and exciting. I think some of the reviewers are used to spoonfeeding and therefore prefer more mechanical "cookbooks". Read and enjoy!

An amazing, extraordinary text

This is the most extraordinary general chemistry text I have ever encountered in 25 years of teaching. It is completely unlike all other texts that I know of. It is clear from the first page of the preface and reinforced on page after page thereafter that the author has a deep understanding of the way the physical world works *and* an exceptional gift for communicating that understadning in an engaging, precise way. The book is a joy to read. We owe the author an enormous debt for such a grand gift to science exposition.

Excellent book!

This book is very well written. There are only a handful of science books which match the clarity and engaging writing style of Munowitz (Introduction to Electrodynamics by Griffiths, comes to mind). Every Science student should read this wonderful Chemistry text.