I got this book as a child in the late 60's and have not been able to bring myself to part with it. The age of the book shows in many of its examples and pictures: Atlas rockets and Mercury astronauts, and computer "memory planes", not much bigger than straight pins, that can hold 240 bits of information. Wow! And who could forget the skinny-tie sporting demonstrator from Linde who treats us to the famous carnation-dipped-in-liquid-nitrogen trick.

Nonetheless the basic science as discovered and elaborated by such stalwarts as Dalton, Boyle, and Lavoisier and their successors is well presented.

Four stars for clarity of text and sentimental value.