Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History：17 Molecules that Changed History

ThoughmanyfactorshavebeenproposedtoexplainthefailureofNapoleon's1812Russiancampaign，ithasalsobeenlinkedtosomethingassmallasabutton-atinbutton，thekindthatfastenedeverythingfromthegreatcoatsofNapoleon'sofficerstothetrousersofhisfootsoldiers.Whentemperaturesdropbelow56°F，tincrumblesintopowder.WerethesoldiersoftheGrandeArméefatallyweakenedbycoldbecausethebuttonsoftheiruniformsfellapart?HowdifferentourworldmightbeiftindidnotdisintegrateatlowtemperaturesandtheFrenchhadcontinuedtheireastwardexpansion!Thisfascinatingbooktellsthestoriesofseventeenmoleculesthat，likethetinofthosebuttons，greatlyinfluencedthecourseofhistory.Thesemoleculesprovidedtheimpetusforearlyexplorationandmadepossibletheensuingvoyagesofdiscovery.Theyresultedingrandfeatsofengineeringandspurredadvancesinmedicine;liebehindchangesingenderroles，inlaw，andintheenvironment;andhavedeterminedwhatwetodayeat，drink，andwear.Showinghowachangeassmallasthepositionofanatomcanleadtoenormousdifferencesinthepropertiesofasubstance，theauthorsrevealtheastonishingchemicalconnectionsamongseeminglyunrelatedevents.Napoleon'sButtonsoffersanovelwaytounderstandhowourcontemporaryworldworksandhowourcivilizationhasbeenshapedovertime.，Describesseventeenchemicalcompoundsinspices，textilefibers，dyes，explosives，medicines，andothersubstances--includingthedrugsthataccountforwitchesflyingonbroomsticks--andhowtheyaffectcivilization.