If you have ever suspected that "heavy water" is the title of a bootleg Pink Floyd album, believed that surface tension is an anxiety disorder, or imagined that a noble gas is the result of a heavy meal at Buckingham Palace, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry to set you on the road to chemical literacy.

You don't need to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry explains them all: the history and basics of chemistry, atomic theory, combustion, solubility, reaction stoichiometry, the mole, entropy, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Chemistry will never be the same!

A refreshingly humorous but thorough ancillary guide to general chemistry from the author of the bestselling The Cartoon Guide to Physics and The Cartoon Guide to Genetics. The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry, a collaboration between pre-eminent scientist Professor Craig Criddle of Stanford University and cartoonist Larry Gonick, is a complete and up-to-date course in college level chemistry.

In an engaging and humorous graphic style, the book covers both the history and the basics, including early ideas and techniques, electrochemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, physics as chemistry; and much more. Ideal for advanced high school students, university students and independent learners. Larry Gonick's bestselling Cartoon Guide series, comprised of eleven books, have sold more than a half a million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages. Teachers, researchers, and students around the world have embraced Larry Gonick's unique ability to make difficult subjects fun, interesting and easy-to-understand while still relaying the essential information in a clear, organized and accurate format.

In 2003 Larry Gonick won the Harvey Award for the year's best graphic album of original material for The Cartoon History of the Universe III. The prestigious award, named for Mad pioneer Harvey Kurtzman is considered to be the Oscar of the comic-book world.