Introduction. Medical Marvels. Modern Miracles of Foods and Ancient Grains. Beverages. Euphorics. Exotic Potions, Lotions and Oils. Colorful Chemistry: A Natural Palette of Plant Dyes and Pigments.
Raymond Cooper is a visiting professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He earned his PhD in organic chemistry from the Weizmann Institute in Israel. His dissertation researched the ancient wild wheats of the Middle East, examining their germinating properties and chemical profiles. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University, New York, he spent 15 years in drug discovery research of plant and microbial natural products in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He then moved to the nutraceutical and dietary supplements industry to develop botanicals from traditional Chinese medicine including ginkgo, cordyceps, red yeast rice, green tea and many other botanical medicines. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom, an honorary visiting professor at the College of Pharmacy, University of London, and a member of the American Pharmacognosy Society. He has published over 120 research papers, edited five books and coauthored the book Natural Products Chemistry: Sources, Separations and Structures. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and received the American Society of Pharmacognosy 2014 Varro Tyler Award for Contributions to Botanical Research.
Jeffrey Deakin earned a first class honors degree in chemistry from the University of London followed by a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Cambridge. He has headed the chemistry and physics departments in grammar and comprehensive schools in the United Kingdom. He was a founding member and non-executive director of a multi-academy educational trust, formally approved by the Department for Education in the UK, which aims to secure and sustain school improvement by providing leadership and support, by working with governing bodies to strengthen their leadership and strategic delivery and through contracted work with school leaders and their teams. At the same time he was also the chairman of the governing body of one of the largest academies in the secondary sector of education within the United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom and is also a member of the Curriculum and Assessment Working Group at the Royal Society of Chemistry which is reviewing the national curriculum in chemistry in each of the four home nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The text is written in an engaging style and is remarkably
comprehensive in its coverage. It focuses on interesting and
curious examples, such as Chinese Cordyceps which is obtained from
moth caterpillars that have been infected with the fungus[...] As
an accessible summary of natural product chemistry, it is
exemplary.— John Edmondson, Chromatographia, Volume 82, Issue
2'Botanical Miracles: Chemistry of Plants That Changed the
World…beautifully makes the case for how natural products have
impacted on our lives, culture and development. Drs. Cooper and
Deakin have put together a fine and highly readable text, and it is
with great confidence that this lovely book can be recommended to
those who wish to further appreciate the magnificent contributions
of plants and natural products to our world, health, security and
comfort.'
— Prof. Simon Gibbons, from the Foreword.'I have been fascinated by
the concept and the eventual publication of Botanical Miracles:
Chemistry of Plants that Changed the World. I feel that this is
without question a brilliant book which brings together organic
chemistry, real life contexts and has information that will inspire
the best organic chemists as well as non-scientific people with an
interest in plant biochemistry. The book will engage many people
far and wide well beyond its primary audience of young students.It
is beautifully organized and accessible and each chapter has its
own story that entices the reader to continue. It is so refreshing
to see organic chemistry presented in real contexts and to be able
to learn about progress in terms of pharmaceutical developments and
associated issues. The book is all encompassing as it contains
academic knowledge about the topic plants, has challenging
questions, a glossary and a fantastic index.A thoroughly-good
reference book that will stimulate the interest and enthusiasm of
all readers!'
— Dr. Gaynor Sharp, Regional Co-ordinator, Association for Science
Education (ASE).'Botanical miracles is a well written book that
presents in a clear and easy to read format a wealth of information
on a wide ranging number of plants and molecules, the names of
which will be familiar to readers of all ages. As well as
describing the structure and chemistry of the molecule or plant
under discussion, of particular interest is the insight the authors
give the reader into the history of a molecule’s use and/or
discovery. Relevant chemistry from the targeted ‘A-level’ or
pre-university level of study is then discussed before readers are
presented with a number of well thought out questions written to
stimulate further thought and discussion. The social implications
discussed provide excellent material for general studies lessons
and cross-curricula links.Botanical miracles is a first class
reference book that students of biology or chemistry should be
encouraged to dip in to throughout their studies. The material
covered will not only enhance their learning beyond the limits of
the curriculum but will also encourage them, at the start of their
careers, to consider the wider role that science plays in
society.'
— Dr. Catherine Smith, Head of Science at John Cleveland College,
Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK. 'The content of this book is well
suited to A-level chemistry and introductory university courses,
and would be a valuable resource to both teachers and students
wanting to go beyond the specification. It fills a niche in the
market….'
— Simon Cotton, for Education in Chemistry, September 2016. ‘...
the fundamental chemistry of natural products that have had a
significant social, economic, or medical impact on the world is
covered well overall. I especially appreciate the historical
anecdotes that provide the "story behind the molecule" in some
cases. Botanical Miracles is a good read, and I recommend it for
undergraduate and graduate organic and/or natural products
chemistry students and educators.’
— Nancy L. Booth, PhD., for HerbalGram, vol. 113.‘This is an
interesting and unique book. The authors have chosen a number of
plants that are widely grown throughout the world and whose
constituents have had a significant influence on the world, either
for their food value, medical importance, decorative value, or
social impact. … This book will be a valuable adjunct to a course
in chemistry (at any level) and also to a course in biology. It can
also be easily read and understood by a reader at any level, with
or without a science background.Summing Up: Recommended. All
readers.’
— A. Fry, Wesleyan University, for CHOICE, June 2017 Vol. 54 No.
10. 'The book, reporting the daily use of the plant products from
every corner of the globe, represents a valuable source of
innovative knowledge for all scientists, marketing managers and
university students of both the medical and chemical community who
wish to learn and appreciate in simple and practical ways the magic
biology and chemistry of plants with extraordinary diversity of use
and range of properties their active ingredient have.’
— P. Morganti, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Applied CosmetologyI
would highly recommend this book for a variety of audiences. It is
most ideal for beginning students, as its storytelling format is
extremely engaging. I also found myself drawn in to chapters on
plants I have not studied much about, simply due to the accessible
format and skillful highlighting of interesting facts and stories.
Overall, this is a great basic text to serve as a launching pad for
further questions and investigations of plants integral to human
civilization.—Amy C. Keller, PhD, Journal of Natural Products If
you like chemistry, you’ll probably like Botanical Miracles –
because it’s about the natural chemistry of plants, a subject that
doesn’t get mentioned that much ordinarily, but which is about as
interesting as anything in the living world. If you don’t like
chemistry, you can still enjoy this book – because it’s about
plants and their relationships with humans, a topic that’s
endlessly fascinating in its own right. Even if some of the subject
matter may appear a little daunting to those unfamiliar with
chemistry, the style of writing and range of topics will make it
equally accessible to those outside of the classroom or lecture
theatre.Botanical Miracles has a clear educational intention and
usefully shows how each topic links to the chemistry syllabus by
indicating the curriculum content and chemistry considered. Its
pedagogic credentials are strengthened by a list of questions that
examine the reader’s knowledge of the chemistry involved for that
topic, along with References and suggestions of Further
Reading.—Nigel Chaffrey, Annals of Botany, www.botany.one
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