This fall will bring Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules, and Change in the Universe by Theodore Gray (Black Dog & Leventhal), the long-awaited third installment in Gray’s popular Elements trilogy. The first two titles, Elements and Molecules, have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. Reactions concludes Gray’s epic story of our chemical world. In Elements, Gray taught us about the 118 elements; Molecules showed us how they combine; and in Reactions, he demonstrates, through his arresting photography and witty text, how molecules interact in ways that are essential to our very existence. The book begins with a brief recap of elements and molecules and goes on to explain essential concepts important for chemical reactions, such as energy, entropy, and time. We then see reactions that include the chemistry of color and fire, as well as reactions that take place in the kitchen, in the lab, and the factory.
Today, 2:30–3:15 p.m. Theodore Gray joins Ella Morton (Atlas Obscura) and Doug Harris (My Name Is Stardust) on the Downtown Stage for the panel “Adult Education,” where they discuss the importance of making science and history accessible and interesting to people of all ages.
