Chemical Structure, Spatial Arrangement

Peter J. Ramberg, Truman State University, USA

Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2004 ' This book should be in all undergraduate library collections and in those at institutions where the history and ideas of science are taught.' Choice 'This book should interest not only historians of science but anyone concerned with stereochemistry and its early development.' Bull. Hist. Chem. '... the development of structural theory in three dimensions has been one of the great untold stories of the history of science. Now it is no longer untold. Peter Ramberg provides here a full and expert recounting of the origins and early development of stereochemistry... this is an extraordinary accomplishment on a technically demanding subject. Peter Ramberg has uncovered a broad and deep current of important chemical science and philosophy that deserves careful study, and future workers in this field will be heavily in his debt.' HYLE - International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry '... Ramberg's treatment is an extraordinary accomplishment on a technically demanding subject, based on a painstaking analysis of the scientific content of historical material, including sources from Germany, the United States, and Switzerland. If one regards the present as a function of the past, then for every chemist who is interested in the roots of his own work, Ramberg's book is a 'must have'. In his preface as Series Editor, Trevor H. Levere states: 'Here is rich material for the history, philosophy, and social study of chemistry.' There is nothing left to add.' Angewandte Chemie 'I highly recommend this book, and I agree with the series editor, Trevor H. Levere, who states in the preface: 'Here is rich material for the history, philosophy, and social study of chemistry.' Chemical Heritage '... groundbreaking...' Metascience 'Chemical Structure, Spatial Arrangement can be read both as a detailed study on the subject and as a quick overview of the history of stereochemistry, because most chapters are concluded with a synopsis, and the final chapter summarizes the contents of the book as a whole. However, it is highly recommendable to read the book full-length; not just because the book is loaded with interesting details, anecdotes, citations and references, but also because it is simple exciting to read... a superb reference work on the early history of stereochemistry, and it provides excellent starting points for further scholarly studies. The book is an absolute must for everyone with an interest in this subject: professional science historians as well as chemists with an interest in the history of their discipline should want this work to be on their bookshelf.' Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences 'This is a first-rate addition to the history of nineteenth-century organic chemistry and its fills a glaring gap in our current knowledge of a major branch of chemical theory.' BJHS 'Peter J. Ramberg's book joins the valuable series 'Science, Technology, and Culture, 1700-1945', edited by David Knight and Trevor Levere: the high quality of the series should assure the reader of the quality of this book... This is an excellent book.' Isis

• Contents: Series editor's preface; Introduction: 'Van’t Hoff’s gold mines'; The historical development of organic chemistry to 1874; The tetrahedral carbon atom, 1874-1877; Initial reception of the tetrahedron, 1874-1887; Johannes Wislicenus and molecular dynamics; Victor Meyer: the new science of stereochemistry; Arthur Hantzsch: the stereochemistry of nitrogen; Emil Fischer and carbohydrate chemistry, 1884-1891; Alfred Werner and coordination chemistry, 1893-1914; Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.