Komisch, alles chemisch!

The SPIEGEL bestseller now in paperback! Chemistry is everything - what we do, what surrounds us, what we feel, everything has to do with chemistry. Don't you think so? Dr Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim provides cheerful proof in this exciting pop-science book and breaks down everyday phenomena into their chemical elements. In a witty and original way, she explains the chemical reactions that secretly take place in and around us and, above all, whets the appetite for chemistry. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim uses the daily routine as a thread that leads us through the whole world of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry:The day begins with the chemistry of waking up, with melatonin and cortisol levels. We find out when it's the right time to have our first coffee, why fluoride should be included in toothpaste and why the chaos that awaits us on our desks in the study is intended by the universe. We learn new things about the composition of gorilla glass and how mobile phone batteries work, how they last longer and why they sometimes explode. We suddenly understand why only aluminium salts help against sweat stains, why sweat stinks in the first place and what you can really do about it. While shopping in the supermarket, Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim clarifies whether oxygen-enriched "sports mineral water" is really worth it. In the evening, she reveals the secret of a perfect chocolate tart - and of course, late in the evening, we also find out what actually happens on a molecular level when the chemistry between two people is right.