A book by these two WCC professors will surely make you fall in love with Chemistry

Chemistry wasn't the favourite subject for most of us. We will all have memories of endless struggles in the lab trying to identify compounds and pipetting out the right amount of solution? Not to forget the trouble of balancing chemical equations. But that isn't the case with Dr Shobha Ramakrishnan. This former head of the Dept of Chemistry, Women's Christian College (WCC), Chennai shared the most beautiful and romantic relationship with the subject.

It is no surprise that she has co-authored a book called Essentials of analytical chemistry with  Dr Banani Mukhopadhyay, an Assistant Professor at WCC. Dr Shobha assured that one will fall in love with the subject just the way she did after reading the book which has a lot of fun learning exercises that will benefit those preparing for competitive examinations.

The author was busy for the book's launch which happened on July 14. Nevertheless, she had so much to share. 

Excerpts:

Many students dread studying chemistry. How will your book make the subject more interesting?

I have written the book in a way in which I am talking to the people. I love chemistry. It is the most romantic travel I've experienced and you can never fall out of love. 
Everything in it happens in a pattern. It is a subject that should never be mugged. The problem is, it is not taught properly in our schools.

Loving Chemistry: Dr Shobha Ramakrishnan, the author

Why would you say so? What exactly is wrong?

The school syllabus deals with very deep concepts, but no one has the time to delve into these subjects. Students are taught how to score.  They're told what would come in the question paper. But that isn't the right way. Students should be taught in a logical explanatory way.

How to motivate more youngsters to study chemistry deep and take up academics?

You have to live it out. If you're passionate about something, you have to pursue it. Right now, we're getting some really good students in WCC. You can't push someone into academics. It has to come within. 

You're an artist too. How does that chemistry work?

If you're doing chemistry, the other side of your brain gets activated automatically. You balance it by being an artist. I do oil and acrylic painting. I've shifted from realistic to modern art.