Olah, George A. A Life of Magic Chemistry Autobiographical Reflections of a Nobel Prize Winner
1. Edition - January 2001 65.90 Euro 2001. 296 Pages, Hardcover ISBN-10: 0-471-15743-0 ISBN-13: 978-0-471-15743-4 - John Wiley & Sons
Short description How did a young man growing up in Hungary between the two World Wars go from cleaning the Budapest Opera House to winning the Nobel Prize in chemistry? In this fascinating volume, we discover the story of George Olah, the quintessential chemist, and a revolutionary whose impact on science reverberates even today.
From the contents Preface.
Introduction.
Perspectives on Science.
Chemistry: The Multifaceted Central Science.
Growing up in Hungary and Turning to Chemistry.
Early Research and Teaching: Departing the Shadow of Emil Fischer.
Move to North America: Industrial Experience While Pursuing the Elusive Cations of Carbon.
Return to Academia-The Cleveland Years: Carbocations, Magic Acid, and Superacid Chemistry.
Moving to Los Angeles: Building the Loker Institute-Hydrocarbons and Hydrocarbon Research.
"Every Scientist Needs Good Enemies": The Nonclassical Ion Controversy and Its Significance.
From Kekulé's Four-Valent Carbon to Five- and Higher-Coordinate Hypercarbon Chemistry.
The Nobel Prize: Learning to Live with It and Not Rest on Laurels.
Post-Nobel Years: From Superacids to Superelectrophiles.
Societal and Environmental Challenges of Hydrocarbons: Direct Methane Conversion, Methanol Fuel Cell, and Chemical Recycling of Carbon Dioxide.
Gone My Way.
Appendix: My Previous Books for References and Additional Reading.
