As the central science that bridges biology and physics, chemistry explains the diversity of all things tangible at a molecular level. Chemistry is the science of matter--its composition, structure, properties, and how it changes. Understand chemistry, and you'll know why some things oxidize and others explode; why food is good to eat and coal is not. Understand chemistry and know what reasonable expectations you can have of a product, and how to separate fact from fiction. Chemistry is the heart of cooking, it can keep you safe, and it explains why things work. This book brings the subject out of the lab and boils it down to its essential elements--in just 30 seconds.