Description
Book SynopsisIn this brief, Mary Virginia Orna details the history of color from the chemical point of view. Beginning with the first recorded uses of color and ending in the development of our modern chemical industry, this rich, yet concise exposition shows us how color pervades every aspect of our lives. Our consciousness, our perceptions, our useful appliances and tools, our playthings, our entertainment, our health, and our diagnostic apparatus – all involve color and are based in no small part on chemistry.
Trade ReviewFrom the reviews:
“This work, part of the ‘SpringerBriefs’ series, emphasizes color chemistry and its history. … The short book includes chemical structures, reaction schemes, brief biographies of key individuals, and illustrations from the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Of interest to students and teachers of chemistry, as well as those in history, physics, psychology, and art. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; informed general readers.” (R. E. Buntrock, Choice, Vol. 50 (9), May, 2013)
“This new book with such a unique take on the historical development of our understanding of the phenomenon that is color. … It is a delightful combination of historical accounts and anecdotes surrounding the subject of color, while at the same time dealing properly with the science. … I would recommend it as essential reading for anyone with an interest in color. … I have reviewed many books on color over the years … but I can honestly give this one my most enthusiastic recommendation.” (Robert Christie, Bulletin for the History of Chemistry, Vol. 38 (1), 2013)
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Colors, Natural and Synthetic, in the Ancient World.- Discovery of the Physics of Color.- The Chemical Causes of Color.- Colorant Usage from Antiquity to the Perkin Era.- Beyond Perkin.- Major Analytical Techniques Based on Color: Volumetric Analysis; Chromatography; Spectroscopy; Color Measurement.- Color on the Biological and Biochemical Front.- Finale: Color in Foods, Photochemistry, Photoluminescence, Pharmaceuticals, Fireworks, Fun and the Future.
