It is the insignificant chemical molecules that historians do not even look at that have changed history.
As you read this book, which covers the activities of these chemical molecules on the world stage, the claim that chemical molecules changed history will not sound so absurd.

The book begins with the unique question of whether world history might have been completely changed if Napoleon had truly understood chemistry.
The buttons on the uniforms of Napoleon's army as they set out to conquer Russia were made of tin.
However, tin loses its metallicity and crumbles at low temperatures.
In the end, the buttons on Napoleon's soldiers' uniforms broke in the bitter cold of Russia.
The soldiers were unable to properly hold their weapons or fight properly as they were busy trying to straighten up their unbuttoned coats, and they began their retreat.
If Napoleon had known the chemical properties of tin, his army would not have been defeated by the cold.

Kang Mo-rim's witty illustrations, created especially for the Korean edition, help lower the barrier to chemistry that people's preconceptions have created.