Comments on: Napoleon’s Buttons

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:26:18 +0000

I didn’t call DDT a CFC; I called it a chlorocarbon, which I believe it is.

You’re technically correct about olive oil—it’s a mixture—though I was—incorrectly—using ‘compound’ in a colloquial sense.

And yes, the tin buttons story is likely not true.

All that being said, I’m somewhat mystified as to why you think that my calling olive oil a compound makes me somehow chemically illiterate.

By: Vicente

Vicente — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:16:03 +0000

Emm… sorry to tell ya, but Olive Oil is not A compound… DDT is not exactly a CFC… yeah, and even the tin buttons story is false (as already commented by another reader of this blog), so I would modestly recommend you to better check your own chemistry knowledge before you say the “chemistry in the book” is good or bad or whatever.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:00:26 +0000

True.

By: Stefan Patejak

Stefan Patejak — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:22:19 +0000

Actually the tin buttons story isn’t true. Napoleon lost as many men on the advance to Moscow as he did on the retreat. Also it takes far more time than the two months that the retreat lasted for tin to disintegrate.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:06:12 +0000

Yep, it’s one of my favorite non-fiction books to date. And I agree that Bryson kind of spoils you with that kind of thing. I haven’t found anybody that makes the history of science both so educational, interesting, and readable at the same time.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:40:36 +0000

Have you read the Bill Bryson book that I mention?

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:38:12 +0000

I am intrigued. I love books that combine science and history, so I’ve added this one to my to-read list.