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An Introduction to Chemistry. JOHN author has kept faith in his promise to ARREND TIMM,Yale University. Foreword by J o m JOXNSTON. First edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York City, 1930. xviii 561 pp. 161 figs.. 6 portraits, 74 tables, over 400 footnote references to the literature. 13 X 20 cm. 53.50.
set these things forth as they have taken form in the minds of men and bas pointed out both the rational bases upon which many of our theories rest and the reservations with which they should be accepted. The style throughout is lucid and attractive, the feeling of the reader The purpose of this book as asserted being that the author has done a thorin its preface, in the foreword, and in an oughly good piece of work of its kind. article by its author published in JOURNALA feature of the book especially to be OR C H E ~ C A EDUCATION, L 6, 1316 (1929) commended is the continuous reference is to serve "those students whose major of the student to the Literature. The interests lie elsewhere" than in chemistry; citations are not only numerous but are who may wish to acquire in a course so selected that they alone give a very something of the "methodology and wide range of informational material philosophy of science in general and of as well as due appreciation of the ways It is not in which men of science carry on and make chemistry in particular." expected that these students shall perfect record of their accomplishments. While themselves in the use of the twls of the commenting upon the general make-up chemist but rather that they shall become of the book mention should be made of familiar with what the tools are, how its excellence from the viewpoint of a they have been fashioned, the manner product of printer and publisher. The precise niche which this work of their use, and what has been accomplished by their aid. The author seems should occupy in the educational scheme confident that these expectations can be is not easy to designate. The extent realized without laboratory work as to which Professor Timm's objections an accompaniment of the course, and may be either profitable or possible To many without the "cruel waste of time" involved certainly is controversial. in learning to write equations, in solving persons these objectives will seem to be problems, or in attempting "the de- aspirational rather than practically atNevertheless i t is not to be velopment of a certain degree of mental tainable. dexterity. . ." Looming large upon the denied that with his obvious enthusiasm title page are the words A PANDEMIC for the task Professor Timm may himself TEXT. This characterization, unless achieve the objectives measurably, while words are but scraps of paper, signifies i t is self-evident that the success which that the presentation is such as would will attend the efforts of others in an undertaking of this sort must be commenappeal to every one. Tbe book embodies subject matter surate with their own enthusiasms. used in a course offered a t Yale. This Whatever the part played by the attitude matter is arranged upon a substantial of the teacher, the f a d still remains that framework constructed of fundamental if textbook content and organization theoretical concepts in use by chemists are to count a t all these must be suited I n grade and physicists of the present day and to clasnoom constituency. moment. I n connection with this oresen- of difficulty this book is in no sense subtation of theory there is a plenitude of elementary, but upon the contrary comdescriptive and illustrative material. The parable to textbooks which in recent 411
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years have been put out for the use of students doing their second year of college chemistry. If this appraisal is just it is certain &at the h&k cannot -he used effectively with heterogeneously composed groups. It is much more likely to fit in where through selection the class is composed of students who have more than ordinary backgrounds in mathematics and physical science and who a t the same time possess mental maturity of the sort which engenders real interest in the philosophical aspects of things. These considerations, together with the comprehensiveness of the materials offered, would seem to make a use of the term pandemic quite inapplicable; panckemic might he a more accurately characterizing word. Aside from all comments such as the above the fact remains that the hook does organize the funhmentals of chemistry in a different way which not only is refreshing, but which should exert an influence upon textbook writing in the future. Every teacher of chemistry should read it with interest, whether or not he may find it suitable for classrcom use.
F ~ s n v m 1931 .
of questions without final answers. T h e improvements over the &st edition consist of a much enlarged section on organic chemistry, the introduction of more historical and descriptive material, and a revision and simplification of the treatment of a number of topics. The appendix, in the form of a tabular summary of properties of inorganic cornpounds, is a noteworthy addition in itself. Written specifically far the student who has had a high-school course in chemistry, it is not given to the use of artificial means of stimulating interest; there are no "trick" ways of solving problems. On the contrary, it pays the student the compliment of assuming him to have a measure of common sense and healthy good judgment. Its treatment of theoretical topics is sound and, an the whole, simple and interesting. Many readers will miss the wealth of illustrations which are to be found in most modern textbooks; some will feel relieved st this omission. More diagrams and line drawings might have helped in places. The second edition contains more of these than did the 6rst and those which do 0.F.STAETORD appear are pertinent and well chosen. UNIVBRUTY 0. ORBCON Its treatment of the kinetic-molecular EUOBNE, OBBGON behavior of gases, as well as the properties General Chemistry. H. I. SCHLESINGER,and structure of liquids and solids, is Second edi- especially strong. University of Chicago. The mathematical tion, Longmans, Green and Co., New relations have been emphasized here, as York City, 1930. xi f 847 pp. 47 elsewhere, to a sufficient extent to make figs. 14 X 20.5 em. $1.00. the student realize the value of matheMost teachers of chemistry are aware matics as a tool in chemistry. In an excellent chapter on ionization that we are on the eve of a revolution in the methods of teaching the science. the modern theory of complete dissociaThis hook foreshadows that event, not tion of strong electrolytes is fitted in so smoothly that one does not recognize so much in radical departures in its own make-up as in its implications, in the it as a recent development. This skilful suggestions which may be read between transition of the recent into the orthodox the lines, and in its fmad-looking points is characteristic. One muld wish that the same had been true to a larger exof view. The second edition has adhered to the tent in dealing with recent developments fundamental policy of the first in furnish- in atomic structure. The author missed ing students who have studied elementary an opportunity to do the same with chemistry in the high school a diffemt simple quantum concepts and spectrum approach to the subject and in pre- farmation by atomic radiation. Several points of specifc interest might senting i t as a growing science, s t i l l full
