B - Q&A: Peter Atkins on writing textbooks

Opinion. Q&A: Peter Atkins on writing textbooks. Nature 2010;463:612

An interview to Peter Atkins, who wrote the classic textbook Physical Chemistry, first published in 1978. It is the first of five interviews with authors of science books. According to Atkins, the author of a good science textbook should imagine himself as a student and capture a mode of thinking. He also explains how the rewards for textbooks can be considerable, and not only economical. The intellectual rewards are also great: there are real pleasures in knowing one person is helping to mould people's attitudes.

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