The Rhubarb Connection and Other Revelations: The Everyday World of Metal Ions

I have fond memories of revising for my general inorganic chemistry finals exam (no, really). The paper was designed to be synoptic, and the first section simply consisted of a list of molecular formulae: pick three and write down pertinent facts about their chemistry. I covered the walls of my room with revision posters of all the molecules that might come up in the exam. One my favourites by far was haemocyanin. This bioinorganic molecule is found in the blood of invertebrates, and its ability to carry and transport oxygen hinges on the fascinating chemistry of the single copper metal ion at its centre.

With these happy recollections, I was very excited to read The Rhubarb Connection.