Fundamentals of Chemlslry. Second Edltlon Rod O'Connor, Texas A&M University. Harper and Row, New York, 1971. xi 906 A-75 pp. Figs. and tables. 21 X 24 em. $15.95.
+
+
Reviewine a second edition is like me revisiting the sire of my honeymoon: the wenrry and location were t h c ~ n m ebur , modest chances had uccurred The trees and shrubs werebigger, pruning was done, some trees were removed, the entrance way was rearranged, and the lodge repainted. Although these were changes which created a new effect, the place was really the same. Therefore, I will refer the reader to the review of the fnst edition [J. CHEM. EDUC., 52, A-210 (197511. The good features are still present. There is a slight reduction in the number of units, now 35 instead of 42, and most are concise and t o the point. Possibly Unit #16,"Reaction Kinetics and Mechanisms," should have been broken into two smaller units which would he more in keeping with the size of the other units. This edition has changed the format of the objectives, the pre-tests, selftests, ete, hut they are present and well done. The author definitely knows his audience and writes for all levels. It is unfortunate, though, that some of his explanations are so thorough that the less-able student probably will get last. For example, activities and malarities, and solids and liquids, are explained quite well, p. 435, but confusion can come in when activity coefficients and molality are explained in connection with standard states, p. 579, and when the Nernst equation is discussed, p. 598. Possibly the issue of activities is made too big a t this stage of the student's learning, since O'Connor resorts to molarities in each case. The many worked-out examples of prahlems in the text are excellent. The detailed
steps are great, especially when working with Logarithms. There is, however, the prohahility of the 3rd edition having t o reduce the logarithm conversion portions due to the advent of the hand-electronic calculator era; log tables are almost as extinct as slide rules. When one considers the size of this text, 980 pages including index, chemistry becomes a "weighty" subject. Yes, the text is very good for the more capable student; however, there is too much material for the averam student. As is common. the instructor must be careful in assigning material from thir text: it is not n feat in whrch one an "just turn the student loose." Another difficulty arises with the style of type used for printing; there is not much contrast between print and background. In conclusion, I think the book is well worth adopting since it is witten for students by a person who has tested it among many students and instructors. The students should not need a separate study guide since this text is its own study guide. ~n
Milton E. Fuller Cal1forn;a State University Hayward Hayward, California 94542 Theory and Practice In the Organic Laboratory, Second Edltion Jolrn A. Landgrebe, l'niversq of Kansas. D. ('. Heath and Company. I.cringrm. I977 xxiv T 551 pp Fiyi.and roblrs. 19 X 23 cm. $9.95 According to the author, this laboratory text is designed for a one-year organic chemistry course. It presents and illustrates reaction conceots. the use of laboratorv
Laboratory." This section consists of 12 chapters and includes the theory and practice involved in commonly used experimental techniques. One outstanding feature of the first part of this section is the illustration of various types of equipment currently used in the laharatow. This feature is excellent for the chemktry majw hat mav be tovexhdu~tivc and or tediws for the nunrnajw C'hdptvrs9 ILuf thii wcrion cover n r w , ir, nnd uv spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The spectroscopy part is well done but tends to take the first year student too far into the subject. This is especially true in the nmr chapter. All of Section One is very much like its counteroart in the first edition of the text. Topic; in nuclear m n ~ m 4 creumanrt such xs chrmirdl shifr rendrnrc, dwoupling, and cnrhon-I:$nmrarenen addttimi to thiss
