"This fascinating handbook delves into the chemistry of everyday household products - for instance, why antifreeze is a component of toothpaste and how salt works in shampoo. Decoding more than 150 cryptic ingredients, it explains each component’s structural formula, synonymous names, and common uses. It can serve as a basic primer to commercial chemistry or as an indexed reference for specific compounds found on a product label. Grouped according to type, these chemical descriptions will dissolve common misunderstandings and help make consumers more product savvy. 240 pp."