The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments

Book excerpt: BANNED: The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments was a children's chemistry book written in the 1960s by Robert Brent and illustrated by Harry Lazarus, showing how to set up your own home laboratory and conduct over 200 experiments. The book is controversial, as many of the experiments contained in the book are now considered too dangerous for the general public. There are apparently only 126 copies of this book in libraries worldwide. Despite this, its known as one of the best DIY chemistry books every published. The book was a source of inspiration to David Hahn, nicknamed "the Radioactive Boy Scout" by the media, who tried to collect a sample of every chemical element and also built a model nuclear reactor (nuclear reactions however are not covered in this book), which led to the involvement of the authorities. On the other hand, it has also been the inspiration for many children who went on to get advanced degrees and productive chemical careers in industry or academia.