Synthetic chemistry is not really something you want to learn on your own in your basement. You <i>can</i> do it, but you&#x27;re much much much better off just following real laboratory courses in college. They&#x27;ll teach you proper lab safety in a safe environment, and the range of reactions you&#x27;ll be able to perform will be much wider than what you could do in your basement. Most undergrads will perform a Grignard reaction, but I would not advise you do that in your basement.<p>If you&#x27;re interested in <i>theory</i>, then it&#x27;s a whole other thing.<p>(I&#x27;m a chemist.)