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Napoleon's Buttons

17 Molecules That Changed History

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Napoleon's Buttons

Auteur(s): Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson
Narrateur(s): Laural Merlington
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À propos de cet audio

Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of 17 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.

©2003 Micron Geological Ltd and Jay Burreson (P)2011 Tantor Chimie Monde Physique Science Mathématiques Impérialisme Moyen Âge Afrique Amérique Latine

Ce que les critiques en disent

"Well-conceived, well-done popular science." ( Booklist)
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Les plus pertinents
This book was good… but never quite lived up to the tantalizing story of Napoleon’s button (the coolest story in the book). Nevertheless, a lot of interesting material was presented. I’d say the book leant more to those with a scientific leaning, and some parts were bit of a stretch for me to grasp, though the authors did try to simplify. Narration was ok, pretty fast (I had to dial down my usual 1.6 speed to 1.4 or 1.5).

The table of contents was detailed, but I found it a bit hard to absorb, as sometimes the common name came first, and sometimes they led with the scientific name. I’m not sure why they did it this way, but it caused me a bit of cognitive overload.

So… I came up with something that worked better for my brain… Have a look:


Napoleon’s Buttons: 17 Molecules That Changed History
Written by: Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson

First, here is the chapter naming by the authors

1. Introduction
2. Peppers, Nutmeg, and Cloves – Piperine, Myristicin, Eugenol
3. Ascorbic Acid – Vitamin C (Captain James Cook was the first explorer to eliminate scurvy deaths)
4. Glucose – “Sugar molecule”
5. Cellulose – Plant fiber carbohydrate
6. Nitro Compounds – Nitroglycerin, TNT
7. Silk and Nylon – Fibroin, Polyamides
8. Phenol – Basis for antiseptics and plastics
9. Isoprene – Rubber
10. Dyes – Indigo, Tyrian Purple, Aniline (fascinating stuff!)
11. Wonder Drugs – Sulfa drugs, Penicillin
12. The Pill – Steroid Hormones (progesterone, estrogen)
13. Molecules of Witchcraft – Alkaloids (atropine, scopolamine, etc.) (this was a cool chapter)
14. Morphine, Nicotine, and Caffeine – Alkaloids
15. Oleic Acid – Fats and Oils
16. Salt – Sodium Chloride
17. Chlorocarbon Compounds – CFCs, DDT
18. Molecules versus Malaria – Quinine, Chloroquine
19. Epilogue

While you’ll likely listen to this audiobook in the sequence the authors planned, if you want to dig further on any of the molecules, especially if you want the scientific names (spelled correctly!), if you’re like me, you’ll want them organized alphabetically.

I did two sorts, once by common name, and once by scientific name, both still cross-referenced to the audiobook chapters, in case you want to listen again. I hope you find them useful!


The 17 Molecules, organized by common names first

1. Carbolic Acid – Phenol (Chapter 8)
2. Dyes – Indigo, Tyrian Purple, Aniline (Chapter 10)
3. Drugs of Pleasure and Pain – Morphine, Nicotine, Caffeine (Chapter 14)
4. Explosives – Nitro Compounds (Chapter 6)
5. Fats and Oils – Oleic Acid (Chapter 15)
6. Malaria Medicines – Quinine, Chloroquine (Chapter 18)
7. Molecules of Witchcraft – Atropine, Scopolamine (Chapter 13)
8. Peppers, Nutmeg, and Cloves – Piperine, Myristicin, Eugenol (Chapter 2)
9. Plant Fiber – Cellulose (Chapter 5)
10. Rubber – Isoprene (Chapter 9)
11. Salt – Sodium Chloride (Chapter 16)
12. Silk and Nylon – Fibroin, Nylon (Chapter 7)
13. Sugar – Glucose (Chapter 4)
14. The Pill – Steroid Hormones (Chapter 12)
15. Vitamin C – Ascorbic Acid (Chapter 3)
16. Wonder Drugs – Sulfa drugs, Penicillin (Chapter 11)
17. Industrial Chemicals – Chlorocarbon Compounds (Chapter 17)


The 17 Molecules, organized by scientific names first

1. Ascorbic Acid – Vitamin C (Chapter 3)
2. Atropine, Scopolamine – Molecules of Witchcraft (Chapter 13)
3. Cellulose – Plant Fiber (Chapter 5)
4. Chlorocarbon Compounds – Industrial Chemicals (Chapter 17)
5. Fibroin, Nylon – Silk and Nylon (Chapter 7)
6. Glucose – Sugar (Chapter 4)
7. Indole derivatives (Indigo, Tyrian Purple, Aniline) – Dyes (Chapter 10)
8. Isoprene – Rubber (Chapter 9)
9. Morphine, Nicotine, Caffeine – Drugs of Pleasure and Pain (Chapter 14)
10. Nitro Compounds – Explosives (Chapter 6)
11. Oleic Acid – Fats and Oils (Chapter 15)
12. Penicillin, Sulfa drugs – Wonder Drugs (Chapter 11)
13. Phenol – Carbolic Acid (Chapter 8)
14. Piperine, Myristicin, Eugenol – Peppers, Nutmeg, and Cloves (Chapter 2)
15. Progesterone, Estrogen – The Pill (Chapter 12)
16. Quinine, Chloroquine – Malaria Medicines (Chapter 18)
17. Sodium Chloride – Salt (Chapter 16)


For reference, these are the audiobook details from my Audible library:

Napoleon’s Buttons: 17 Molecules That Changed History
Written by: Penny Le Couteur, Jay Burreson
Narrated by: Laural Merlington
RELEASE DATE 2011-10-10
FORMAT Unabridged Audiobook
LENGTH 11 hrs and 6 mins
PUBLISHER Tantor Audio

©2003 Micron Geological Ltd and Jay Burreson (P)2011 Tantor

I learned why there is no Vitamin F or G!

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My personal opinion here, I just think that you would get much more out of the book with the diagrams provided in the physical copy of the book rather than struggling to imagine the diagrams while the book is narrated. It was a quality book though!

Should be read on paper

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