This book gradually brings the reader, through illustrations of the most crucial discoveries, into the modern world of chemical catalysis. Readers and experts will better understand the enormous influence that catalysis has given to the development of modern societies.•    Highlights the field's onset up to its modern days, covering the life and achievements of luminaries of the catalytic era•    Appeals to general audience in interpretation and analysis, but preserves the precision and clarity of a scientific approach•    Fills the gap in publications that cover the history of specific catalytic processes