[3] During his childhood, Warner first met his long-time friend and colleague Paul Anastas at age eleven, with whom he later co-authored the defining work in the developing field, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice.

[5] He played in a successful band called the Elements until the death of drummer James "Opie" Neil, at which point Warner became more much involved in his then-elective chemistry classes.

[7] After college, Warner pursued graduate studies at Princeton University, where he received a PhD in chemistry after completing a doctoral dissertation, titled "Synthesis of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines (5-deazapteridines)", under the supervision of Edward C.

[5] During this time, Warner first conceived a theory called Non-Covalent Derivatization, a unique approach to chemical synthesis that involves changing the properties of a target material by exploiting its innate intermolecular forces.

[15] He initially devised this method as a solution to a common engineering problem that hydroquinone (HQ), an essential developer in Polaroid instant photography, is not readily soluble in water.

"[16] Inspired by phenomena he observed in nature, Warner proposed NCD as an alternative means of modifying a target material, not via covalent bonds, but innate intermolecular forces.

NCD is now most often employed as an effective means of reducing the environmental impact of a process, by the minimizing the materials and energy required and waste produced, and is successfully applied in the production of pharmaceuticals as well as fragrances, agrochemicals, pigments, and food additives.

[18] Warner holds patents based on NCD in many of these areas, most notably drugs to treat nervous system disorders, additives to increase recyclability of asphalt, and processes to reverse depigmentation in hair.

[3] The introduction of the book highlights that many environmental crises in the twentieth century, from those depicted in Rachel Carson's influential Silent Spring to the more recent events at Times Beach and Love Canal, stemmed from the poor practice of traditional industrial chemistry.

The remainder of the book details how to design environmentally benign chemicals, from evaluating starting materials to examining concrete toxicological mechanisms and giving examples of green processes.

[4] Warner has more recently presented a series of lectures at industrial and academic campuses throughout the country on the importance and legacy of green chemistry, titled The Missing Elements.