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Lessons in Chemistry Hardcover – April 5, 2022

by Bonnie Garmus (Author)

4.6 284,961 ratings

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'Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here' ELIZABETH ZOTT
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Set in 1960s California; Lessons In Chemistry is the brilliant, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home - something she most definitely does not believe - only to find herself the star of America's best-loved TV cooking show.
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Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing.

But it's the 1960s, and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her male peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen on her road to professional fulfilment is a run-in with famous colleague Calvin Evans, legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry.

But life is never predictable and three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother and star of America's best loved cooking show Supper at Six. Her singular approach to cooking - 'take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride' - and empowering message prove revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching housewives how to cook, but how to change their lives.

Meet the unconventional, uncompromising Elizabeth Zott

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Like most stupid people, Mr. Sloane wasn’t smart enough to know just how stupid he was.
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Because while stupid people may not know they’re stupid because they’re stupid, surely unattractive people must know they’re unattractive because of mirrors.
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday (April 5, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 390 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0857528122
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857528124
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.13 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.67 x 1.42 x 8.74 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #795,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 284,961 ratings

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Bonnie Garmus

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Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who has worked for a wide range of clients, in the US and abroad, focusing primarily on technology, medicine, and education. She’s an open water swimmer, a rower, and mother to two pretty amazing daughters. Most recently from Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99.

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284,961 global ratings

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A Saint By Marriage

Funny, sad, Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024

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Great book that kept my attention. Finished it quickly and looking forward to more from this author!

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024

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I think I’ve used this idea before, but it’s certainly true of this book. Lessons in Chemistry should come with a black box warning: THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR READERS WHO LOST SLEEP, SKIPPED WORK, FORGOT TO EAT, OR NEGLECTED CHILDCARE DUTIES BECAUSE THEY FELT COMPELLED TO CONTINUE READING NONSTOP. This novel is at once laugh-out-loud funny, disturbingly poignant, and spot-on in its acerbic observations of human nature and society.

Set in the late 50s and early 60s, it tells the tale of brilliant chemist, Elizabeth Zott, whose intellect and talent a male-dominated world refuses to acknowledge. After defending herself from sexual assault by the head of a university’s Science Department, she is summarily expelled from school without a degree. She lands a job at the Hastings Research Institute, where her original work “must be the product of the man she’s in love with,” and is ultimately stolen and published by another man. Along the way, she becomes pregnant “out-of-wedlock,” (in the eyes of her employer, a crime located somewhere between murder and kidnapping), and is fired immediately. Eventually, she winds up as the host of a cooking show on afternoon TV, Supper at Six, where, in addition to lecturing her female audience on the chemical composition of the foods and additives they so mindlessly ingest, she provides them with recipes for skewering the status quo.

Lessons in Chemistry is full of unforgettable characters, not the least of which are Six-Thirty, a German Shepherd who flunked out of the police academy’s bomb-sniffing squad, and “Mad” Zott, Elizabeth’s precocious child, the brainy bane of her Kindergarten teacher.

Author Garmus has written a novel as hilarious as it is heartbreaking, as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. If you haven’t read it already (per usual, I’m late out of the gate), start today! Then share it with someone you love.

73 people found this helpful

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Morris Nelms

Strong writing and a powerful message

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024

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I quite enjoyed this book. All the characters are well drawn and believable, and sadly, the behavior of the people of the 1950s and 60s is quite believable. Elizabeth Zott is a delightful character.
I would recommend this book with a caveat. It is, through the development of its main character, an apology for materialism, or as Elizabeth Zott would call it, humanism. I prefer to hear more than one side of an argument presented. Certainly, it is any writer's prerogative to speak in favor of what they believe, but I know it is possible for a writer to present multiple views of a difficult issue with clarity and realism. Cormac McCarthy does this brilliantly in The Sunset Limited. I would have liked a bit more of that in this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Mtlnative

Wonder-full book

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024

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I don’t know how it was that this book came into my hands at exactly the time it did. When its theme, about women and their treatment in the 1960s, about triumphing over it, about new beginnings, endings…. It spoke to me SO strongly. It’s funny, sad, I was crying for the last 30 pages but they were tears of release. This book meant so much to me. And the strangest thing was that, this week I was talking to a cousin who is going through some health issues because she’s a woman and I mentioned I was reading this book. She said, “Oh I have it right beside me, I’ve read it twice! I loved it!” I bought a copy for my daughter, I hope she reads it and reads it deeply because it has a message for every woman (I say woman although who knows, maybe men can “get” the message to) who has had to navigate our Western values and mores, especially these last 100 years.

9 people found this helpful

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Emily Batista

I laughed, I cried, I loved it.

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and didn't want to see it end. The protagonist is fascinating and all the characters around her are well-drawn. While several tragic events happen, the author doesn't leave the reader suffering long. There is a great deal of wit and many highly quotable paragraphs worth noting. Highly recommended to anyone with a heart.

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024

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I read this so long ago that if Amazon hadn't marked it read, I would not have checked it out. Evidently things have not changed as much as I thought from one female parent/child household in the 1950's to now, as I see Elizabeth and Mad would most likely be isolated and labelled autistic. No one bothered to determine whether or not she was or had been married to determine any rights or care necessary for the two, but now there would be great concern for father parental rights which would be a large social prybar into their business, allowing the bullying to begin, after all, it sounds much more progressive than gossip, nosiness, and social climbing or jealousy.

However, armor society fears most: drop dead beauty powered by nuclear level intelligence which link seamlessly and feed each other symbiotically will frustrate and confuse most such social efforts and will allow the growth of a different and richer fact pattern which will save their world or destroy it. I'm opting for the positive outcome myself. I met some people like this mother and child once,and while the daughter thought (wrongly) she could save the world when she grew up, the mother thought she could save her child. She was right and every day I thank her for it, bcs that is all one can do, really, and it is hard enough that very very few women besides Elizabeth and Dee will succeed. Bonnie is right and her beautiful words do work. Enjoy them, as she would be first to say they are just good practical applied science. Oh yes. And love. Read. Maybe , just maybe we can help them save the world!! Wouldn't it be fun? Www

2 people found this helpful

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Vivian Coulter

Funny and angry in equal parts. Some admirable women in an engrossing story.

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2024

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My bookclub, nearly all women, I think will like book. I will also suggest it to a retired woman scientist I know. The story wrapped up a little too nicely, but I liked it anyway. I know dogs are smart, but the number of words and concepts he understood didn't seem believable; but then I never tried to teach a dog anything more than the basics, so maybe I am misinformed. Anyway I liked it.

2 people found this helpful

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Julia I.

Hermoso

Reviewed in Mexico on April 7, 2024

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Lo ame mucho!!! Facil de leer, senti cerca a las personajes; me hizo reír y llorar 🥲

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Amazon Customer

Brilliant!

Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2024

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This book was by turns hilarious and heartbreaking. I love the originality of it all and very often my favorite character was Six-Thirty! This was a compelling read and more believable than I expected. Well written, great characters that were easy for me to see and hear in my mind.

Rainner Teixeira

Great Book

Reviewed in Brazil on February 17, 2024

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There is long time that I’ve read something so impactful, interesting and profound. A book that took my attention since the first chapter and make me feel inspired by stories full of encrypted messages and important debates.

aleranzi

Non ho resistito

Reviewed in Italy on May 6, 2024

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Vista la serie ho dovuto leggere il libro!
Merita

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eva30

Great story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2024

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I usually read biographies and thrillers but this book positively suprised me . Different, funny at times. Mind opening and Light to read, would definitely recommend

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Lessons in Chemistry Hardcover – April 5, 2022

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