Vanity, vitality, and virility : the science behind the products you love to buy

"Vanity, Vitality, and Virility" is a fascinating portrait gallery of chemicals involved in our everyday life, from Viagra and selenium to whispering asphalt, nappies, and chewing gum.

While it will not advise you what to do if you want to improve your looks, your health, your peace of mind or your sex life, it explains the science behind many of the products that claim to be able to do just that.

Chemistry is too often associated with poisonous gases and strange bubbling solutions, yet it is all around us, and inside us too.

Renowned science communicator John Emsley lifts the lid on the secrets inside the products we use every day.