The title of the book for my assignment is Jay Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History by Jay Burreson and Penny Le Couteur. The first part of the title refers to the tin buttons used to fasten the coats and trousers of Napoleon’s soldiers in 1812 when he and his army invaded Russia. As they pushed further into Russia, the cold winter temperature caused their buttons to fall apart and their uniforms to fail to keep the soldiers warm and the soldiers took their hands off their weapons and closed their uniforms instead. If this theory is true, Napoleon’s eastward expansion was ultimately hindered because of the failure of tin buttons in cold weather. The second part of the title explains the content of the book which is the story…show more content… The first chapter talks about peppers, nutmegs, and cloves and how they increased the rate of expansion and exploration. The second chapter includes ascorbic acid and how scurvy was prevented by it during long exploration trips. The third chapter explains the importance of glucose in sugar and how this supported the slave trade. The fourth chapter introduced a main component of cotton which is cellulose and he discovery of guncotton. Chapter five shows how nitro compounds gave the world a higher chance to engage in war. Chapter six references the popularity of silk in 2600 B.C.E. because of its unique properties and the discovery of nylon to provide an artificial silk that was more available. Chapter seven explains how the discovery of phenol helped sterilize hospital equipment but most importantly it became the basis in the creation of plastic. Chapter eight explains the impact of a polymer of isoprene, rubber, and how essential it became for manufacturing and civilization. In chapter nine the dye industry is introduced and the motive to create artificial dyes is shown. Chapter ten explains the discovery of “wonder drugs” or antibiotics and how they provided a longer life expectancy than ever before. Chapter eleven introduces the creation of the pill for birth control and how it created the women’s liberation movement. Chapter twelve describes the use of alkaloid as a potion for witches in times when “witchcraft” was a widely known practice. Chapter thirteen describes the effects of morphine, nicotine, and caffeine on your body and their effect on the trade between many nations. Chapter fourteen talks about oleic acid which is the main ingredient in olive oil. It was significant in societies near the Mediterranean because it did not spoil quickly, it acted as a painkiller, and it supported the economy of the region. In chapter fifteen, the three
