General Chemistry: Atoms First, Second Edition starts from the building blocks of chemistry, the atom, allowing the authors to tell a cohesive story that progresses logically through molecules and compounds to help students intuitively follow complex concepts more logically. This unified thread of ideas helps students build a better foundation and ultimately gain a deeper understanding of chemical concepts. Students can more easily understand the microscopic-to-macroscopic connections between unobservable atoms and the observable behavior of matter in daily life, and are brought immediately into real chemistry–instead of being forced to memorize facts.