The Genie in the Bottle - by Joe Schwarcz (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Looking for a headache cure? Try willow bark. Wondering how that ice cream got its color? Could be from bug juice. Giving us the lowdown on these and other chemical phenomena, The Genie in the Bottle reveals the fun and fascinating secrets collected by popular science writer Dr. Joe Schwarcz.

Blending quirky chemistry with engaging tales from the history of science, Schwarcz offers a different twist on licorice and straight talk on travel to the dark side of the sun, along with the skinny on chocolate research, ginkgo biloba, and blueberries. Find out how spies used secret inks and how acetone changed the course of history. Dr. Joe even solves the mystery of exploding shrimp and, of course, delves into the secret of the genie in the bottle.

Infused with Schwarcz's humor and his fondness for the wonders of magic and science, The Genie in the Bottle celebrates some of the the most amazing corners of our universe-and our cupboards.

Review Quotes

"Schwarcz takes a little history, adds a dash of chemistry and produces a gem." --Time

"Joe Schwarcz is to everyday chemistry what Stephen Jay Gould is to evolution." --Dr. James P. Snyder, director of Biostructural Research, Chemistry Department, Emory University

"Joe Schwarcz's magic is in convincing us that there is verve and value in real chemistry." --Roald Hoffmann, Nobel laureate

About the Author

Dr. Joe Schwarcz, author of The Genie in the Bottle, is a professor of chemistry and director of the Office for Chemistry and Society at McGill University. He has received many honors, including the prestigious American Chemical Society's Grady-Stack Award for interpreting chemistry for the public. He lives in Montreal.