Sourcebook on Atomic Energy
Sanzuel Glasstone, Consultant t o the United States Atomio Energy Commission. 2nd ed. D. Van Nostrand Ca., Inc., Princeton, N. J., 1958. 641 pp. Many figs. 16 X 23.5 cm. $4.40.
BOOK REVIEWS An lnfroduetion l o Chemistry
Chades Compton, Professor of Chemistry, Williams College. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, N. J., 1958. aiv 607 pp. Many figs. and tahles. 16 X 23.5 em. $6.85.
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The author has made a conscious effort to utilize the traditional general chemistry approach and the trend toward the "physical chemistry" development in freshman chemistry in this text which was developed primarily for a one year terminal course for nonmajors. Evidences of some success in correlating these different viewpoints is apparent in the fimt three chapters. Here the "traditional" is emphasized by using the ease history technique in considering the concept of matter, the theory af combustion, and the development of the atomic theory. The use of specific examples and the identifying of fact and of generalization permits the student to recognize how different postulates were suggested, tried and used or dropped as experimental evidence demanded. Such an introduction leads very naturally to the consideration of the structure of matter as the general topic covered in the first eight chapters. Chapter 7 on "interunit forces" calls t o the student's attention some important relationships between physical properties and atomic structure. Nuclear chemical changes are introduced in Chapter 9. The author presents a very considerable amount of informatian in table form throughout the book. One table, "The Formulas and Some Properties of a Number of Common Compounds," occupies twenty-one pages giving the color, state, electronic structure, and formula of 113 common compounds. The mast unique, interesting, and im-
About 50,000 copies of the first English language edition (THIS JOURNAL,28, 342 (June, 1951) of this ~ourcebookwere portant contribution, in this reviewer's sold and the book was translated into opinion, that the hook makes to chemical several foreign languages. A page-byeducation is found in the chapters headed, page comparison of the second edition "The Nature of Discoveries in Chemistry" with the first shows the extent of the revision. For the most pert the writing and "The Conditions for Discovery." Dr. Compton discusses briefly but clearly the is identical with the first edition except techniques, the methods and the arts infor the interpolation of new material, with a resulting addition of about 100 volved in scientific problem solring. He identifies the difficulties of communicating new pages. Some obsolete data have been new ideas, the cumulative, chain reaction replaced by new, but the revision has nature of science, as well as its values and consisted mostly of a skillful insertion of its limitrttions. new material to bring the sourcebook up to date, as of January, 1958. A considerable space is devoted to laboratory techniques; to "technology"; Some detdils will aid the teacher t o decide whether he will wish to replace to foods, medicine, plastics, etc. Perhaps this is justifiable if these students become his first edition by purchasing a copy of the aware of chemistry's contribution to our second. In Chapter 11, Fundamental world. Particles, s. new section has been added on the antiproton, with a. clear descripQuestions a t the end of the chapters retion of the experiments used in evidence quire, for the most part, some good thinkof their existence. A new section has ing and synthesis rather than the memorizsimilarly heen inserted on the antiing of miscellaneous facts. The suppleneutron, hut neutrinos are not mentioned mentary reading lists are well chosen and until Chapter VII. The tables on radionot too technicil for these students. active series have been corrected by "An Introduction to Chemistry" is an insertion of new values for half-lives, interesting attempt to meet the needs of etc., and the section on Ionization Instruthe nonscience major, well written and ments has been rewritten. The time-ofwith very few errors. The author has inflight mass spectrometer is now discussed, cluded various ohemical problems hut has as well as the nozzle method of sepxating minimized the ohemioal arithmetic whieh isotopes. The section a n the separation causes many nonscienee majors to abhor of deuterium has been enlarged. The the field. Common experiences and eondiscussion of charged particle accelerators ditions are used to illustrt~tehis diseushaa been augmented by new material on sions rather than unknown hypothetical the alternating gradient synchrotron and situations. by a. discussion of the acceleration of The only real problem that this volume heavy ions. The section on Transmutapresents is a very common one for the tion by Heavy Ions ia new, as well as the general chemistry instructor; with such a section on Transmutation by Radiation wealth of suggestions and ideas the diffiand by Electrons. There has been culty is deciding what one can conscienadded a now section on Meson Theory of tiously leave out of the course. Nucleon Farces. Under properties of W . G . KES~EL nuolei, new material has been inserted on Nuclear Magnetic Moments and on Indiana State Teachers College Magnetic Quadripole Moments. There T e m Haute, Indiana is an enlarged discussion of the Nuclear Shell Model and of Magic Numbers. The discussion of Fusion has been increased from three pages to nine. The biggest change has been the addition of a new chapter on Nuclear Reactors, in whieh the original eleven pages on this topic have been increased to 32. The seetian on Uses of Isotopes has been considerably enlarged and is now titled Uses of Isotopes and Radiations. The chapter on Cosmic Rays and Mesons has been retitled, Cosmic Rays and Strange Particles, with appropriate additions of new material. The last chapter on Radiation Protection and Health Physics has been increased in scope. The RAD unit has been correctly introduced in place of older ones. From t,he brief nates given in the previous paragraph, the scope of the saureebaok is apparent and it must also be obvious that no teacher of scienoe today can afford to be ignorant of the new field Volume
36, Number 3, Morch 1959
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