本书是“时代教育国外高校优秀教材精选”之一，全书共分19个章节，主要对化学原理学的基础知识作了介绍。每章都附有概念自查、身边的化学、计算角等栏目，并列出了关键术语和有关定义、建议的阅读材料和网址，练习题也很丰富。是一本值得向国内普通化学界推荐的教科书和参考书。

这是一本新版的普通化学教科书，全书共19章，前12章以化学基本原理为主，通过学科发展的简介和与现实生活的联系，使学生更容易了解和接受化学基本原理和概念。后7章为了使学生在探索与化学相关的其他课题前获得有关材料的经验，而介绍了一些相对独立的应用领域，如生活中的化学物质、药物化学、粮食生产的优化、淡水资源、空气资源、材料资源、能源。该书语言生动活泼，内容涉及面较广，比喻生动有趣，可读性强，图文并茂，版面设计和栏目安排都很有特色。每章都附有概念自查、身边的化学、计算角等栏目，并列出了关键术语和有关定义、建议的阅读材料和网址，练习题也很丰富。总之这是一本值得向国内普通化学界推荐的教科书和参考书。

1 Chemistry Is a Molecular Science

 Looking at the World of Atoms and Molecules

2 Elements of Chemistry

 Understanding Chemistry through Its Language

3 Discovering the Atom and Subatomic Particles

 Where We've Been and What We Now Know

4 The Atomic Nucleus

 Know Nukes

5 Atomic Models

 Virtual Handles on the Very Real

6 Chemical Bonding and Molecular Shapes

 How Atoms Connect to One Another

7 Molecular Mixing

 How Molecules Attract One Another

8 Those Incredible Water Molecules

 Macroscopic Consequences of Molecular Stickiness

9 An Overview of Chemical Reactions

 How Reactions React to Form Products

10 Acids and Bases

 Transferring Protons

11 Oxidation and Reduction

 Transferring Electrons

12 Organic Compounds

 A Survey of Carbon - Based Molecules

13 Chemicals of Life,

 The Nutrients That Make Up Our Bodies

14 The Chemistry of Drugs

 Understanding Drug Action

15 Optimizing Food Production

 From the Good Earth

16 Fresh Water Resources

 Our Roles and Responsibilities

17 Air Resource

 One Planet, One Atmosphere

18 Material Resources

 A Look at the Materials of Our Society

19 Energy Resources

 Managing for the Present and the Future