Chemical reactions shape the world we live in. Some reactions are simple, and some are complex, which is at the very core of this informative text. This title explores the simplicity of basic chemical reactions and then builds to the more complex, giving readers a history of the years and the many scientific minds that contributed to the research that led to chemistry as we know it today. Biographical sidebars provide unique information about scientists who are valued in the field but are often not widely known, and the book concludes with a detailed biography of the German physical chemist Fritz Haber.