Visualizations in popular books about chemistry

Abstract

Three issues have gained a higher saliency in discussion about chemical education in recent years. First, the recognition of the importance of chemistry in all aspects of life – personal, social, economic. This has carried implications for the range of themes on which provision of chemical education is desirable. Second, not only has formal chemical education been recognized as being less successful than would be hoped, but also the inadequate provision of informal chemical education for adults has become apparent. Third, there has been a growing awareness that individuals of all ages learn more, and more willingly, from carefully constructed materials in the form of a narrative that is meaningfully augmented by visualisations. This chapter focuses on popular books about chemistry and the role of visualisation in their use in formal chemical education.