Books and Catalogs
CHF publishes a variety of books and other materials focused on the history of chemistry and related sciences.
Stay tuned as we continue to update our inventory. For a full list of books you can buy today, visit Diane Publishing Co., CHF’s official online vendor.
Arnold O. Beckman was a legend in his time: the blacksmith’s son who grew up to play a pivotal role in the instrumentation revolution that dramatically changed science, technology, and society. Beckman’s story is inseparable from that of the 20th century—a very inspiring read.
Asprin, a seemingly, ordinary pill is one of the most amazing creations in medical history. The history of Asprin’s creation spanning over centuries and across continents is brought alive in this book.
Donald and Mildred Othmer were at the center of the international chemical community for over 40 years. This compilation of essays, articles, and remembrances pays tribute to the Othmers, who left an indelible impression on those who knew them, and a magnificent charitable legacy.
Joseph Priestley, Radical Thinker is the catalogue for the exhibit that was at the Chemical Heritage Foundation from August 2004 through July 2005. The exhibit commemorated the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Priestley. The catalogue includes insightful essays by Marjorie Gapp, curator of art and images at CHF, and historian Robert Anderson.
In Medicine, Science, and Merck, the authors trace the career of a son of Greek immigrants Roy Vagelos, as he mastered three professions and ultimately became the CEO of America’s most admired corporation, the multinational pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc.
Molecules That Matter explores ten organic molecules—Aspirin, Isooctane, Penicillin G, Polyethylene, Nylon 6,6, DNA, Progestin, DDT, Prozac, and Buckyball and Carbon Nanotubes—that have shaped the course of humanity throughout the 20th century.
Why has an industry that provides so many of the essentials of modern life been so severely challenged? In The Chemical Industry at the Millennium, Peter Spitz and a team of industry experts look at this complex and fascinating industry.
Products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are ubiquitous in modern life, and many are vital to nutrition and health. Yet the FDA is frequently mired in controversies concerning innovation and product safety. Based on talks presented at a conference marking the FDA’s centennial, Perspectives on Risk and Regulation offers a unique set of viewpoints and predictions by FDA and industry leaders for the future of food, drug, medical device, and nutritional supplement regulation.
See images from the ongoing exhibit, The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art. Alchemy is extremely well represented in the Neville Collection. Included is imagery of many of the famous emblem-books, numerous works on chrysopoeia (metallic transmutation), and scores of titles from little-known authors.
Transmutations offers a thoughtful look at the role of the alchemist in the 17th and 18th centuries, as depicted in a selection of paintings from the Eddleman and Fisher Collections housed at CHF. This beautiful full-color book reveals much about the beginnings of chemistry as a profession.
Over the past four decades, Moore’s law has served as a remarkable guide to the dynamics of the silicon revolution. This new offering from CHF places the silicon revolution in a broad context and charts Gordon Moore’s development of his eponymous law across its forty-year life.