Banned Books Awareness: “The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments”

Growing up in the 1980s many of us had our interest in science inspired and popularized in the television show, MacGyver. Come on, who could forget such classic scenes like when he made a defibrillator out of some candlesticks, a microphone cord, and a rubber mat? Or how about when he made a snow-destroying bomb to escape an avalanche using a sleeping bag, a bottle of vodka, and a tank of oxygen? Classic, indeed; but about 20 years before the wit of MacGyver an actual science book inspired millions. That book was The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, written in 1960 by Robert Brent and illustrated by Harry Lazarus.

According to the Online Computer Library Center, a global nonprofit cooperative, only 126 copies exist in libraries worldwide. Why so few, you ask? Well, it was banned by the United States government for being too accurate in its scientific initiative.

It was a source of inspiration to 17-year-old Metro Detroit native David Hahn, nicknamed “the Radioactive Boy Scout” by the media, when he tried to collect a sample of every chemical element and built a model nuclear reactor, which led to the involvement of the authorities in 1994. On the other hand, it has also been the inspiration for many children who went on to get advanced degrees and productive careers in engineering or academia.

The book, part of Western Publishing’s classic Golden Books series, was intended to explain to kids how they could learn about science by setting up a home chemistry lab and conducting simple experiments, but the US government had the book removed from libraries and banned for sale because the projects “were too dangerous for its intended audience.” Essentially, the government felt that the general public was (and still is) too stupid to be allowed access to the book. Granted, I wouldn’t want little Johnny next door igniting a tank of hydrogen either, but inspiring a love of science trumps all else. The easy way to avoid this and putting the neighborhood’s piece of mind at ease is by being a responsible parent and supervising your little scientist and encouraging safety.

This book remains one of the best do-it-yourself science books of all time. A second printing was made in 1962 and a revised edition was printed in 1963. Copies of this book often sell for prices between $100 to $700- or higher- depending on their condition.

The silly irony of all of this is that even though the book has been banned from public libraries since the ‘60s, thanks to modern technology and because it was published in 1960, before the US copyright laws were rewritten and the original copyright was never renewed, you can download a PDF file of the book completely legally and free. Want a copy? Just right-click this link and chose ‘save link as’: http://chemistry.about.com/library/goldenchem.pdf.

Happy experimenting, just don’t blow up the garage.

For more information on the Banned Books Awareness and Reading for Knowledge project and the complete list of titles covered, please visit the official website at http://bbark.deepforestproductions.com/

Sources: Wikipedia, About.com, Scribd.com
© 2013 R. Wolf Baldassarro/Deep Forest Productions