Reviewed by David Brock
AP Biology Teacher
The latest in the Stop Faking It! series extends Robertson's light-hearted but thorough explanations of basic chemistry. The topics this time include the gas laws and basic thermodynamics, the nature of electron orbitals and bonding, pH, redox reactions, electroplating, fluorescence, nuclear chemistry, and a brief introduction to organic isomers. There is an introductory chapter reviewing atomic structure and the periodicity of the elements (topics covered in Robertson’s first book), and there is an extensive glossary.
As with previous books in the series, each chapter contains activities to do to aid in conceptualizing and understanding what is highly abstract material. Each chapter concludes with a set of applications of the ideas to help the interested reader go further into a specific topic.
This book does a fine job of helping someone who does not have a formal background in chemistry understand the basics. Its intended audience of elementary and middle school teachers will find it a useful tool. This is the 12th book in NSTA's series of content updates for teachers.
(Editor’s Note: A correction has been made to the first printing of this book. To read the errata, please click here: More Chemistry Basics correction.)
Review posted on 4/26/2010
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