RSC Books Blog

Ian Hornsey’s latest book looks at the significance of alcoholic beverages in the advancement of mankind and provides a basis for further research in this area.  Integrating archaeology and anthropology, plant breeding and industrial processes together with other disciplines, this book is a unique text aiming to show what fermentation is all about as well as the extent to which ethanol has played a part in the evolution and civilisation of our species.

Raise a glass to toast yeast for evolving the ability to synthesise ethanol and the author in providing us with this fascinating account!

For further information see http://www.rsc.org/Shop/books/2012/9781849731614.asp

Derived from a meeting, this book presents review articles and research findings charting the dynamic and rapidly evolving issues around environmental microbiology.  Faced with the ‘demise’ of the microbial indicator, scientists debate methods to replace this robust tool with the ultimate aim being to assist the monitoring and modelling of environmental systems to protect human health, animal welfare and environmental quality.  Broad in its coverage, this book will appeal to researchers, local government officials, health professionals and the water and food industries.

 Be informed so you can join the debate.  For further information see http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2012/9781849731690.asp

Published as the result of a conference NanoFormulation 2011, held as part of the ICMAT group of symposia, this book covers advances in research, development and applications of innovative formulation technologies where nano materials play an essential role.  With contributions from leading researchers and practitioners worldwide, this is essential reading for scientists interested in the ingredients which make our lives better.

 For more information see http://www.rsc.org/Shop/books/2012/9781849733786.asp

Is there science in ice-cream? This new edition of Chris Clarke’s popular book presents the fascinating scientific principles and developments in ingredients and techniques used in making ice-cream. Also discussing the challenge of reducing fat, sugar and calorie content of ice- cream whilst maintaining its taste and texture, Clarke provides an accessible book which can be used across the industry and beyond. Impress your friends with your knowledge of the science of ice-cream!

 For further information see http://www.rsc.org/Shop/books/2012/9781849731270.asp

Capturing the state of the art in environmental forensics, this second of a series of conference proceedings presents peer-reviewed material from the 2011 INEF Conference held in Cambridge. Topics included are contaminant age dating, the use of chemical and biological diagnostic markers for contaminant source identification, advancements in the use of petroleum hydrocarbon pattern recognition techniques and much more.  Providing practical and useful information, let this book inspire you to contribute to the evolution of this subject.

 For further information see http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2012/9781849733724.asp

Consumers have the right to food that does them no harm and professional companies have a responsibility to supply this as practically as possible.  But accessing all the information can be problematic, especially for smaller food businesses. This new edition, of an indispensable guidebook, is an attempt to address this problem by distilling the key facts about a wide range of individual food safety hazards into a single book. The authors, Richard Crawley, Laurie Curtis and Judy Davis, have adopted a clear format and concise focus on the important facts. Coverage is wide ranging, both biological and chemical, and each chapter follows the same risk analysis-based structure to enable the reader to find the information easily.

Use this book as your first point of call for information on almost all known food safety hazards. For further details see http://www.rsc.org/Shop/books/2012/9781849733816.asp

Everyday observations of the natural world may leave you asking questions like these and many more.  The Chemistry of Plants: Perfumes, Pigments and Poisons, written by an organic chemist, educator and plant enthusiast, provides a basis for a better understanding of chemistry and its connections to the world of plants, the natural world in general, and to daily life.  It addresses an audience with little previous chemistry knowledge, yet, leads the serious reader to an understanding of sometimes complex plant compounds, by providing an introduction to chemistry basics, combining the chemistry with pictures and stories, and using simple, clear language.

Further details of this book can be found at http://www.rsc.org/Shop/books/2012/9781849733342.asp.  Let us help you find the answers!