The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, written by Robert Brent and illustrated by Harry Lazarus, is a children’s book published in the 1960s that was intended to explain to kids how they could set up a home chemistry lab and conduct simple experiments.
Supposedly the US government had the book removed from libraries and banned for sale on the grounds that the projects were too dangerous for its intended audience.
While you probably don’t want your kids making and igniting hydrogen in the garage, for the aspiring chemist who can adhere to the safety precautions, this remains one of the best do-it-yourself chemistry books around. It’s an excellent chemistry reference to add to your personal library.
The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments PDF
You can download the pdf of The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments to save on your computer or mobile device or to print. Alternatively, you can read it here online. It’s in the public domain, so you’re free to distribute the file, too. You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file, which is a free PDF viewer program.
It is sort of funny that a book that is banned from the public library is legal to download and read, yet it’s true. Another out-of-print book you may enjoy is The Boy Chemist, by A. Frederick Collin. This book outlines numerous home chemistry experiments. While the book is intended for children, it’s best to perform them with adult supervision.