Penguin Books Australia

We are all familiar with the idea that machines are powered by electricity, but perhaps not so aware that this is also true for humans. The Spark of Life is a spectacular account of the body electric, showing how electricity is essential to everything we think and do, from consciousness to fighting infection, from sexual attraction to the beating of our hearts.  

Fortunately, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry, Second Edition gives readers an easy-to-understand formula for success when it comes to passing their chemistry class with flying colours.

Say hello to your new lab partner!

Face it, you're not looking at this book because you enjoy chemistry.  You're either having trouble under-standing your instructor and his cryptic textbook or you're trying to get a jump start on an upcoming class.  Maybe you're trying to test out of chemistry once and for all.  Whatever your reason, this book is for you.

Everything is made of them, from the furthest reaches of the universe to this book that you hold in your hands, including you.

Like you, the elements have lives: personalities and attitudes, talents and shortcomings, stories rich with meaning. You may think of them as the inscrutable letters of the periodic table but you know them much better than you realise.