More than any other science, chemistry combines the practical with the ethereal and the magnificent. It is best known as the pedestrian, ubiquitous source of all the substances that surround us, and with their help, our lives take form and shape.

We take for granted the dyes that dress us in modern and cheerful colors, the synthetic fragrances that beautify our own, the medicines that combat pain and illness, or the advanced semiconductors in our smartphones. The materials of this science embrace our daily lives: polyesters and polycarbonates, touch screens and batteries, non-stick pans and dripless paints, but also natural gas and hydrocarbons.

The beauty that chemistry hides within is less known. Often, it goes unnoticed, while we frequently simply ignore or overlook it. The book you hold in your hands will help us to discover it. A series of stunning photographs, along with the illuminating texts that accompany them, allow us to admire the delicate snowflakes, flowers with intoxicating colors and scents, the amazing hues of metals when we work them, to feel the allure and danger of the flame, or to let ourselves be swept away by the foam of champagne!