Main description:

Here, the best-selling author and renowned researcher, K. C. Nicolaou, presents around 40 natural products that all have an enormous impact on our everyday life. Printed in full color throughout with a host of pictures, this book is written in the author's very enjoyable and distinct style, such that each chapter is full of interesting and entertaining information on the facts, stories and people behind the scenes. Molecules covered span the healthy and useful, as well as the much-needed and extremely toxic, including Aspirin, urea, camphor, morphine, strychnine, penicillin, vitamin B12, Taxol, Brevetoxin and quinine. A veritable pleasure to read.

Contents:

Atomic Theory and Total Synthesis Terpineol Aspirin Penicillin Taxol(TM) D-Glucose Urea Camphor Tropinone Haemin Morphine Strychnine Penecillin Longifolene Prostaglandins Vitamin B12 Erythronolide Monensin Avermectin Amphotericin Ginkgolide Cyclosporin, FK 506, and Rapamycin Calcheamicin Palytoxin Taxol Mevacor, Zaragozic Acid, and the CP Molecules Brevetoxin Ecteinascidin Epothilones Resiniferatoxin Vancomycin Quinine