Useful books for Chemistry Teachers

When I provide professional development on chemistry teaching, I invariably include recommendations of books.  Over the years I have grown and developed my own knowledge of my subject through reading, and although the internet is wonderful for looking things up and checking things, I usually find books better for the sort of immersion that deep, reflective learning entails.  This is isn't just about learning more chemistry 'facts' - it's also about thinking and re-thinking aspects of the subject, to consider the ways you understand it, how others (especially children/students) might understand it, and consequently how it can be taught.  Understanding a subject is also about how it relates to other subjects - whether these are other scientific disciplines, or fields such as the humanities, social sciences and the arts.  Reading is the key to this sort of understanding.  

The books here are in no particular order, and are a mixture in terms of their pitch and reach - many are relevant for teaching the subject post-16, but there are several which are of direct relevance for pre-16 teaching.  However, my aim isn't really about recommending books for different courses; it is about becoming a better chemistry teacher.  Some of the books are more general, and would also feature on my list for science teaching generally.

Principles of Organic Chemistry
Author	Peter R S Murray
Year (of my version)	1980
Publisher	Heinemann
ISBN	0 435 65643 0
Comment	Probably out of print now, but you will find few books which have the clarity and range of this in such a concise volume! Look for a second-hand copy.

Calculations for A-level Chemistry
Author	E N Ramsden
Year (of my version)	1992
Publisher	Stanley Thornes
ISBN	0 85950 755 6
Comment	Just a great book with lots of challenging calculations. If your students can cope with this, trust me, they’ll fly! (Just in case, the answers are at the back too).

The Essential Chemical Industry
Author	Clements, Dunn, Firth, Hubbard, Lazonby & Waddington
Year (of my version)	2010
Publisher	Chemical Industry Education Centre at the University of York
ISBN	978 1 85342 595 0
Comment	This is as good as it gets for a comprehensive overview of the chemical industry. Lots of figures, diagrams, pictures, processes and interesting facts. You are unlikely to need to look elsewhere, but you might also want to check out its website: www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/ NB. You can look at 70 pages of the book at issuu.com/ciec/docs/eci_extract

A Short History of Nearly Everything
Author	Bill Bryson
Year (of my version)	2003
Publisher	Doubleday
ISBN	0 552 99704 8
Comment	Written by a great author who is not a scientist, this is probably the best popular science book of all time! It provides a great broad-brush approach to most of the science that matters, giving great background for teachers.

Nature’s Building Blocks
Author	John Emsley
Year (of my version)	2001
Publisher	Oxford University Press
ISBN	0 19 850341 5
Comment	Fantastic A-Z guide to the elements; lots of relevant details to add to a teacher’s knowledge and an invaluable reference book.

Classic Chemistry Demonstrations
Author	Ted Lister
Year (of my version)	1995
Publisher	Royal Society of Chemistry
ISBN	1 870 343 38 7
Comment	There are others, but this is still the bible of school Chemistry demonstrations – now available online too, at edu.rsc.org/resources/collections/classic-chemistry-demonstrations

Cutting Edge Chemistry
Author	Ted Lister
Year (of my version)	2000
Publisher	Royal Society of Chemistry
ISBN	0 85404 914 2
Comment	Quite specialist, and its age means it is definitely not “cutting edge” any more, but this book still gives a great view of some relatively recent advances in Chemistry, which are obviously well ahead of what’s featured on A level specifications.

Four Laws that drive the Universe
Author	Peter Atkins
Year (of my version)	2007
Publisher	Oxford University Press
ISBN	978 0 19 923236 9
Comment	If you ever felt that you didn’t really understand enthalpy, entropy and free energy and your teaching was just reciting what you had been taught badly, then you need to read this book. Not an easy read but quite short; it will give you a better insight into this challenging topic.

The Faber Book of Science
Author	John Carey (ed)
Year (of my version)	1995
Publisher	Faber and Faber Ltd
ISBN	0 571 16352 1
Comment	Probably the best book of short accounts of scientific discoveries, many written by the scientists themselves, including such luminaries as Galileo, Hooke, Newton, Priestley, Jenner, Faraday, Darwin. It even features an account of the first steps on the Moon by Armstrong and Aldrin. Quite simply, all science teachers should have this book!

Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry
Author	Richard Rennie (ed)
Year (of my version)	2016
Publisher	Oxford University Press
ISBN	978 0 19 872282 3
Comment	Any good dictionary of Chemistry is useful – I am currently using this one, although previously I found the Penguin one good.  It’s just a useful reference tool that gives concise and reliable information when you need to check something.

Molecules at an Exhibition
Author	John Emsley
Year (of my version)	1998
Publisher	Oxford University Press
ISBN	0 19 850379 2
Comment	Possibly my favourite popular Chemistry book, this is the sort of place you will find all manner of fascinating facts and anecdotes to spice up Chemistry lessons.

Chemical Storylines
Author	Burton, Holman, Lazonby, Pilling, Waddington
Year (of my version)	2000
Publisher	Heinemann
ISBN	0 435631 19 5
Comment	One of two books published for the Salters Advanced Chemistry scheme, this is the one which puts the Chemistry into its real-life contexts. Intended for students, it is great for teachers too, and gives a lot of relevant background.

Chemistry in Context
Author	Graham Hill and John Holman
Year (of my version)	1989
Publisher	Nelson Thornes
ISBN	0 17 438401 7
Comment	Just a great general A-level text, irrespective of what specification is being followed.  In-depth and clear.

The Fontana History of Chemistry
Author	William H Brock
Year (of my version)	1992
Publisher	Fontana
ISBN	0 00 686173 3
Comment	Chemistry teachers need to know something about the development of the subject, and  few books have the depth of this one.  At over 700 pages it is definitely aimed at specialists, but it is an invaluable volume to dip into.

The Disappearing Spoon
Author	Sam Kean
Year (of my version)	2011
Publisher	Black Swan
ISBN	978 0 552 77750 6
Comment	Fascinating background stories to the development of the periodic table and its elements.  An accessible read, and not too long.

ASE Science Practice:  Teaching Secondary Chemistry
Author	Keith Taber (ed)
Year (of my version)	2012
Publisher	Hodder
ISBN	9781444124323
Comment	Good introductory text for teaching chemistry at secondary level.  Contains lots of practical advice on how to approach the teaching of most common chemistry topics.

The Chemistry Classroom
Author	J Dudley Herron
Year (of my version)	1996
Publisher	American Chemical Society
ISBN	0 8412 3299 7
Comment	A more in-depth guide for chemistry teachers, in particular applying educational theory to chemistry teaching contexts.  Readable and clear.