Books A Guide for Practical HPLC Practical High Performance Liquid Chromatography. C. F. Simpson, Ed. x + 315 pages. Heyden & Son Ltd., Spectrum House, Alderton Crescent, London NW4 3XX, England. 1976. $18.50
Reviewed by Lloyd R. Snyder, Technicon Instruments Corp., Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591 T h e increasing popularity of high performance liquid chromatography (LC) in recent years has led to the a p pearance of a half dozen or so books on the subject since 1974. T h e present book is an edited collection of contributions from several authors, a number of them internationally recognized for their previous work. Chapter 1 begins with a conventional introduction, covering elementary theory and definitions. Chapter 2 then discusses column theory and its practical consequences in a very detailed and thorough manner, and the authoritative conclusions of pages 34-8 will repay careful reading by the more experienced worker. Chapter 3 (and part of Chapter 12) deals with solvent effects in liquid-solid chromatography, but will be difficult to understand by beginners and experienced workers alike. Unfortunately, 16 of the 21 pages of this chapter are a word-forword reprint of an earlier journal article, consisting of masses of raw data, detailed discussion of how these data were collected, and controversial conclusions of limited applicability. Chapter 4 plus Appendix I (as well as part of Chapter 12) collectively provide a thorough and readable account of equipment for LC. One may quibble with certain minor points here, but the overall t r e a t m e n t is right on target. Chapters 5-10 discuss individual LC methods: the usual four, plus separate chapters on bonded-phase separations and the determination of polymer molecular-weight distribution data. Each of these chapters is at least adequate, and I thought Chapter 5 (liquid-solid chromatography) was quite good. However, the standout chapter is 10 on molecular-weight distribution assays, which alone is worth the price of the book to those interested in this area. It provides the best and most complete t r e a t m e n t of this area t h a t I have seen in a short 25 book pages. Chapter 11 on bioaffinity chromatography really does not belong in this
book, since this technique has little in common with high performance LC. T h e chapter is also too short to do justice to the subject. T h e last chapter in the book presents 21 separate LC experiments which are designed to illustrate various practical effects, the solution of problems encountered in initial attempts at separation, etc. This again is a unique chapter which should appeal to many readers.
PRACTICAL HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY C.F.SIMPSON
This is a book I recommend for either beginning or experienced workers. T h e overall coverage is complete and up-to-date, and several chapters simply cannot be found in other books. T h e quality of the book is generally good; I found few typographical errors, the type and figures are pleasing to the eye (with the exception of several crudely drawn figures in Chapter 1), and the index is adequate. References seem more or less complete through 1974, although coverage of the literature in different chapters was somewhat variable. On the negative side, some of the chapters are uneven or overlap other chapters—an apparently inevitable consequence of an edited book. For example, detectors are treated in three separate chapters, basic theory in two, etc. I also found certain chapters to be excessively narrow or partisan. However, these shortcomings are in part balanced by the very thorough treatment of a given area or by contrasting opinions on still controversial topics.
A Dictionary of Chromatography. Ronald C. Denney. xi + 191 pages. Halsted Press, 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1976. $14.50
Reviewed by Hans Veening, Bucknell University, Dept. of Chemistry, Lewisburg, Pa. 17837 T h e purpose of this dictionary is to provide the nonspecialist in chromatography with a complete and fast source for definitions of terms and names commonly used in the field. As the author states in the Introduction, "This book is not intended for the person who considers himself or herself an expert in the theory and practise of the subject." Definitions are listed alphabetically; coverage is very inclusive and comprehensive and runs from absolute detector sensitivity t o zones. T h e author has included a wide range of chromatographic processes, instruments, accessories, materials, concepts, and equations. Many of the definitions, especially those for chromatographic instrumentation and accessories, have been supplemented with instructive illustrations. Occasionally, one finds terms such as elemental analysis and isoelectric point which are indirectly related to chromatography. Two pages at the beginning of the book are devoted to defining notation and symbols used throughout the dictionary; over 300 references are listed at the end. T h e explanation and descriptions of chromatographic terms and concepts have been written clearly, accurately, and concisely. A very practical feature of the book is the elaborate amount of cross-referencing. For example, the thermal conductivity detector is crossreferenced and listed under the other names by which it is known (catharometer, katharometer, and hot-wire detector). Furthermore, chromatographic terms or concepts used within a definition are cross-referenced and defined independently. There are just a few omissions; however, these generally include the methods which have been published very recently such as ion chromatography and field-flow fractionation. A surprising aspect of the book is its degree of compactness. Those who are entering (and probably many who already have entered) the field of chromatography will find this dictionary to be indispensable. T h e book should be particularly valuable as a reference source for under-
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 49, NO. 1, JANUARY 1977 · 71 A
Books graduate and graduate students of an alytical chemistry. In summary, I com pliment the author for having filled an obvious gap in the chromatographic literature, and I highly recommend this book. Electroanalytical Chemistry. Fred Anson. Six cassettes (playing time, 5.1 hours) + 157-page manual. Educational Activities Dept., American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St., N.W., Washing ton, D.C. 20036. 1976.$115 Reviewed by Larry R. Faulkner, Dept.
of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, III. 61801
W h a t I have been asked to review here is actually an ACS Audio Course comprising 5 h of carefully prepared lectures by Professor Anson. They are contained on six cassettes, and accom panying them is a manual t h a t dis plays the equations and figures dis cussed on the tapes in much the same way t h a t they would be presented on a blackboard during a live lecture. T h e
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HAMAMATSU CIRCLE 96 ON READER SERVICE CARD 7 2 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 4 9 , NO. 1, JANUARY
manual also has sets of problems, an swers to all the problems, and many references to the literature. T h e course is introductory, and only a knowledge of the Nernst equation and elementary kinetic concepts is re quired to follow it through. T h e dis cussion begins with the origins of cur rent-potential curves and proceeds through bulk electrolysis, coulometric titrations, chronoamperometry, chronocoulometry, chronopotentiometry, linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry, polarographic methods (including pulse and ac techniques), and rotating electrodes. Notably absent is any ref erence to analytical potentiometry. For each faradic method, both the an alytical and diagnostic capabilities are illuminated, and there are frequent il lustrations of utility by interesting ex amples from the literature. Anyone who has heard Professor Anson lecture will not be surprised at the clarity of his presentation on these tapes. His organization and delivery are excellent. T h e pace is exactly right, and diction is very good. T h e ability to add vocal emphasis is an im portant advantage of the audio meth od, and Anson shows skill at using it here. T h e audio medium itself displays distinctive features as a teaching tool in comparison with print. Some as pects, such as the facility for emphasis by intonation, are positive. Others are drawbacks. For example, one occa sionally wants an index; yet, there is none. Moreover, finding any specific passage is much less convenient t h a n with a book. To make most efficient use of the time, the lectures have ob viously been carefully written out and then read aloud. Grammatical con structions are a bit more complicated than one might hear in a conventional lecture, and the information content is quite high; hence, the listener m u s t re main especially attentive. I found it comfortable to listen for 30-40 min, but beyond t h a t limit, keeping atten tion was a strain.
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