BOON REVIEWS I
thereby obtained and may be related t o the
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not just formal theoretical constructs, rather they are the bonds between the models of the dynamics and experiments. The chapters are .seKcontained and one can become profident, in m e method a t a time. T h e breadth of ex^ perimental applications is remarkable. A nonexclusive list includes light, neutron, and electron scattering, hydrodynamics (including polymer melts), paramagnetism (ferromagnetism), dielectric relaxation, NMR, lattice vibrations, ultrasonic relaxation. and the electron gas. T h e general utility of the statistied methods is apparent. Each technique is described briefly below. Chapter 11. Stochastic Equations. This chapter treats macroscopic properties a t large distances and long times. Motions on a microscopic scale are treated as a random h r c e which is nncorrelated with macroscopic dynamical variables. T h e linear Langevin equation is presented as an example of a simple stochastic equation uf motion from which the velocity autocorrelation function can be calculated and the self-diffusion eons t a n t extracted from the result. This is a special case of the Kuho techniqur for ohtaining transport coefficients. A more cum~ l i c a t e deuuation of motion is set forth sub-
is relieved hy intraducti& of a memory function into the Langevin equation, T h e properties of the memory function are in^ vestigated and m e finds that the equation for evolution of the memory function has the same form as that of the generalized Langevin equation. An infinite hierarchy of memory functions results and Fourier transform leads to a continued fraction expansion (Mwi method). Chapter IV. Renormalization Group. T h e method has its orieins in field theorv. but it a creative application to polymer physics by
De Gennes). The problem is that standard methods diverge in a space dimension less than some critical dimension which is characteristic of the model Id = 4 for polymer statistics). T o find asolution for the realdimension of interest, the divergent contributions to the (Feynman diagram) expansion scheme are given a well~definedmeminxand the expansion reorganized to give finite quantities subject to the requirement that the physics be unchanged. Chapter V. Causal Green's Functions. An equation of motion for the causal Green's functivn is derived in Chapter I by considering the system response t o step-function perturbations. The advantages of using Green's functions are their computationill convenience and their ability to provide a base fur generating approximate results for nonlinear systems. Chapter VI. Linear Response Theory. A small time-dependent perturbation causes a system response (caleolahle from the change in Hamiltonian) which may be linearized (if necessary). The dynamic susceptibility is A278
Journal of Chemical Education
of this formalism is easy to visualizeand the mathematical simplicity of linear systems makes applicatims straightforward. Not surprisingly this has been a preferred path for the construction of correlation Sunctions. Although the content is demanding o f t h e reader, this bonk deserves wide circulation. Worth E. Vaughan University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison. WI 53706
Analytical Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy J. C. Van Loon. Academic Press, New York. 1980. xi 337 pp. Figs, and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm.
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This monograph is essentially a collection of analytical procedures based on atomic absorption spectrometry with the first 76 pages out of 337 devoted to a brief, qualitative description of the general principles of atomic absorption spectroscopy which should be readily understandable t o the nonspecialist. T h e remainder of the book consists of detailed procedures for applying this extremely popular analytical technique t o a variety of analvtical samoles. The ~ r o c e d u r e s are grouped together in chapters with separate chapters devoted t o the analysis of waters, r~rganicsamples, geological materials, metals and alluys, metal compounds, petroleum and petroleum products, industrial samples, and air samples. Of course, the major problem fur the a o thur in writing a book of this type lies in selpcting the particular procedures for inclusion from the burgeoning atmnic absorption literature. The author states in his preface that, "The procedures were selected with a view tc, their reliability. Emphasis was placed on choosing thoroughly tested methods, p r e f ~ erably ones t h a t were evaluated by using standard reference samples and interlsbo~ ratory comparisons."This is unquestionably a reasonable way to go about the selection. Ilnlortunately, this reviewer did not find much data in the text tosupport the author's statement. In fact, with must of the procedures described, the reader must wonder who determined the reliahility of the selected procedures? Was it the authors of the originally cited literature? Was it the author of this monograph' How specifically was the reliahility evaluated for each sample type? What were the results? Must importantly, what levels ofaccumcy would he expected fnr the methods? In the preface it states that "Citations have been kept t o a minimum to improve the flow of material and toavoid the impression that the reading of these refer^ ences is essential." If the discussion of the reliability and accuracy of the methods is to he found only in the original citatims, it would seem that reading them would he es~enlial. T h e format for the description of each procedure begins with a section entitled, "Comment on the Method," followed by "Reagents and Equipment," and finally, "Procedure." In reading these procedures, this reviewer found it difficult to determine whether definitive statements and conclusions about the procedures are those eon-
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lained in the original published citations to the literature or are possibly those arising from the author's own personal experience with the method in his laboratory. Here wain, i t would seem essential to consult the original literature. Part of this amfusion may he due t o the style of the format where the "Reagents and Equipment" section is written in the past tense in the same manner as the experimental section of a research paper. By using this style, the reader is given the impression that this material is essentially that frlund in the experimental sections of the cited reierences. In contrast, the "Procedure" section is written with an imperative verh form characteristic of an analytical methods buok rather than a research paper. Regardless of whether this tense shifting has any significance or is simply a matter of poor editing on the part of the publisher, it can be very disconcerting a t times. For example un p. 299 it states, "The hydrogen flow used is 1 liter/ min." Later in the same paragraph it states, "Nitrogen flow used was 6 iiterslmin." Still later in the same procedure the verh shifts to the imperative form and it states that, "Columns must hr cured for several hours." In spite of these shortcamings, this manograph does provide a collection of analytical procedures for the atomic absorption analysis of a variety of sample types with 218 literature citations. This book may, therefore, be useful to the practicing analyst faced with dayto-day analytical problems on a variety of samples where time does not permit lengthy literature searching. For such an analyst, this book would be quite valuable for quickly locating a procedure as well as fur deciding whether to do a particular determination by atomic absorption ur by some other technique. Because of the large amount of infwmation on sample preparation contained in this monograph, it should be a valuahle companion to the methods manuals supplied by instrument manufacturers with their spectrometers. Kenneth W. Busch Bayior University Waco, TX 76798
ANNOUNCING A NEW JOURNAL
Organometallics Dietmar Seyferth, (Editor). American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1982. Val. 1, No. 1.
Orpanometollics, an international journal concerned with all aspects of organome~ t a l k chemistry, will be puhlished monthly, one volume per year, beginning January 1982. It will cover svnthesis. structure and bondine
inorganic and organic functionality present in the molecule, and applications of organometallic reagents in organic synthesis and in polymer synthesis; catalytic processes in which an oreanometallie comnound is the ganometnllic compounds in the synthetic aspects of materials science and solid state chemistry.
