Good Chemistry Books

[jowrose]

Ok, I am frustratingly un-knowledgeable (is that a word?) when it comes to chemistry, but it all just fascinates me. So I decided to pick up a good book and hopefully learn some stuff (my high school class is dumb, we spent the whole 1st semester learning how to do calorimetry, rxn equations, simple stuff like that). I went to Barnes and Noble, and looked around their extensive sciences division (there were probably, oh, 5 different books) and picked up Linus Pauling's "General Chemistry." 300 or so pages into it, I have decided that it is an excellent text for anyone just getting into chemistry. Some of the stuff is WAY over my head (some of the equations are really out there), but for the most part the information is displayed in a logical and easy-to-understand manner.

 

So my question is this: Does anyone else have any great chem books that they would recommend for students? Whether it be general chemistry, or in-depth analysis (I'm trying to find a good one on quantum theory), what are some of the best?

[woelen]

If you want knowledge about practical chemistry (properties of compounds, the elements and so on), pick up an old book. Especially the pre-war books (1900 - 1940) are really great. At an antiquariate you might find some of these for just a small amount of money.

 

Furthermore, some links on my site to good books:

http://woelen.scheikunde.net/science/chem/elem/refs.html

 

If you want to delve into quantum theory and you want to really understand it, first try to learn yourself the needed mathematics. I'm afraid that will be a really big burden for most people. The following concepts of mathemetics should be understood, before you even start thinking of delving in quantum mechanics:

- partial differential equations

- linear algebra: basics

- linear algebra: vector spaces

- linear algebra: operators, eigenvalues

 

In quantum mechanics, most things are described by complicated partial differential equations. By assuming a certain form of the solution of these equations, they can be converted to a problem of finding eigenvalues of certain linear operators (often infinite dimensional).

[silkworm]

I have 2 recommendations for a beginners. "The Search for the Elements" by Isaac Asimov, which you should be able to find pretty much anywhere, and Descriptive Inorganic, Coordination, and Solid-State Chemistry, by Glen E. Rodgers, which is a text book but a very good one.

 

I agree with woelen's recommendation. You have to make sure you have math handled before understanding quantum theory, but none of it is anything to be scared of.