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R. G. Pearson Chemical Hardness Why do certain chemical reactions take place and others don't? Why are some chemical compounds more stable than others? Chemical Hardness is one of the highly useful concepts which enable chemists to understand reactivities without reference to large supercomputers and databases. Originally developed as an intuitive, qualitative concept, it is today firmly based on and justified by quantum chemistry. This book explains the history, applications and theoretical foundations of "Chemical Hardness". Written by R. G. Pearson, the originator of the concept, it is a clear and well-written account of the consequences that can be derived from "hardness". An excellent and highly readable source of information for every chemist! … a compact, coherent, critical, lucid account of the initiation and development of a major line of twentieth century chemical thought. … reviewed carefully. … the ideas are of wide-ranging general validity. R. G. Parr, University of Chapel Hill, North Carolina