Welcome to a tour of some of the recent advances in chemistry, taking in the cosmetic store, the pharmacy, the grooming salon, the diet clinic, the power plant, the domestic cleaning company, and the art gallery along the way. Award-winning popular science writer John Emsley is our guide as he addresses questions of grooming, health, food, and sex. The trip is for all those of us wanting to know more about the impact of chemical products on our everyday lives.

With his informal style, linking well-founded chemical knowledge to fun situations, the author presents the information in such a way that the layperson can easily understand the arguments, weighing up the risks and benefits for each product concerned.

Includes a glossary containing all the technical terms.