The processes in a single living cell are akin to that of a city teeming with molecular inhabitants that move, communicate, cooperate, and compete. In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multi-celled Mozart, what makes spider's silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular dynamism is being captured in the laboratory, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the century.

Table of Contents

1. Engineers of the Invisible: Making molecules; 2. Vital Signs: The molecules of life; 3. Take the Strain: Materials from molecules; 4. The Burning Issue: Molecules and energy; 5. Good Little Movers: Molecular motors; 6. Delivering the Message: Molecular communication; 7. The Chemical Computer: Molecular informatoin; Notes and Further Reading

Reviews

Review from previous edition: "If the intimate workings of molecules seem invisible, through Philip Ball's lively pros we see them--coming to life, helping us live. A special delight of this excellent book is the tie that emerges between the wondrous molecules of nature and those chemists make in the laboratory."--Ronald Hoffmann, Chemistry Nobel Laureate 1981
"Almost no aspect of the exciting advances in molecular research studies at the beginning of the 21st Century has been left untouched and in so doing, Ball has presented an imaginative, personal overview, which is as instructive as it is enjoyable to read."--Harry Kroto, Chemistry Nobel Laureate 1996
"This is a very readable and non-technical survey."--THES (UK)