LABORATORY MANUALFOR GENERALCOLLEGECHEMISTRY. J. A. Bebor and A . Lehrmon, College of the City of New York. Thomas Y. Crowell Co., New York City. 1940. 292 pp.. Wira-o binding. 46 figs. 21.5 X 28 cm. $1.75. EXPERIMENTAL GENERALCHEMISTRY.J. W. Neckevs, T. W . Abbott and K . A . Van Lente. Illinois State Normal University. ThomasY. Crowell Co., NewYork City, 1940. 282 pp., Wire-o binding. 22 figs. 21.5 X 28 cm. $1.75. L ~ ~ o n ~ r o MANUL nY TO ACCOMPANY FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY AND APPLICATIONS. C. 4.F I G ~ and C~S E . C. Morse. Teachers College, Columbia Unive~sity. The Macmillan Company, New York City, 1940. 152 loose pp., punched for cover. in an envelope. 19 figs. 21.5 X 28 cm. $1.00. EXPERIMENTAL CHEMISTRY FOR COLLEGES. J. A . Harris and W . Uve, University of British Columbia. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York City, 1940. 123 perforated pp.. punched for cover, paper bound. 21 6gs. 19 X 26.5 cm. $1.25. OF GENERAL COLLEGE CHEMISTRY. L. B. L ~ a o u ~ o nMANUAL Y Richardson and A . J. Scarlett, Dartmouth College. Revised Edition. Henry Holt and Co., New York City, 1940. 243 perforated pp., spiral wire binding. 23 figs. 21 X 28 cm. $1.40. Any of these manuals would serve satisfactorily to guide the freshman through the usual first year's laboratory work in chemistry. While some are designed t o accompany specific textbooks, they are nevertheless essentially independent and could be used with any standard textbook. A casual inspection of these and comparable laboratory manuals fails to disclose any tendency toward an increased use of the inductive laboratory approach to chemistry. The difficulties presented by mass education with the resulting large laboratory sections, frequently taught by inexperienced graduate assistants, evidently are best met by such carefully planned outlines as these. Initiative and inquisitiveness. however. are not encouraeed. -- . and because of the-routine character of the work, it is to be expected that all too often able students will reject rather than be attracted to careers in natural science. LAURENCE S. FOSTER BROWN UNIVBRSITY PROVIDBNCB. R I D D BISLAND
NATUREOF THE CHEMICAL BOND. Linus Pauling, Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technolow. Second Edition, revised. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 1940. xvi 440 pp. 88 figs. 47 tables. 15 X 23 cm. $450. Designed as an introduction to modern structural chemistry, this book presents the essential criteria of molecular and crystal structure with a minimum of mathematics Nevertheless, because of the necessary condensation of elementary discussion the beginner will find it necessary to fill in his background from other sources. Naturally, the concept of resonance, developed largely by the author and his co-workers, has a dominant place. I t is the unifying theme of modem structural chemistry as presented by Pauling. Those who are familiar with Sidgwick's, "The Covalent Link in Chemistry," will find in Pauling's book an entirely different approach to covalent and ionic bonds. Sidgwick develops the hypothesis that covalent and ionic bonds are fundamentally distinct; Pauling develops the concept of a mixed bond on a sliding scale, a bond which is partially covalent and partially ionic in character, its behavior being determined largely by the predominant character. I n the judgment of the reviewer, this book marks a most significant modern advance in the field of molecular structure, an advance which will lead soon, let us hope, to a far mare quantitative approach. No teacher of chemistry can afford to be unaware of the progress being made in this field; no book on the subject presents a clearer, more unified panorama of the field. SIDNEY J. FRENCH
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COLonre UNrvERsrrv HAY~TO NEW W Yo== ,
PHYS~CAL ORGANICCHEMISTRY.L. P . Hammelt, Columbia University. McGraw-Hill Company, New York City, 1940. vi 404pp. 14 X 21 cm. $400. The many admirers of Professor Hammett's scholarly researches in the field of kinetics of organic reactions in solution will welcome the appearance of this volume in which he surveys the rapidly moving developments in this field and in closely related subjects. To those not familiar with the original contributions of the author the sub-title. "Reaction Rates, Equilibria, and Mechanisms," will indicate more clearly the scope of the book. The approach is distinctly physical. The physicist, or the physical chemist, enters by the familiar path of the quantization of the hydrogen atom, and this leads naturally into a discussion of modern valence theory. The uninitiated need not be deterred by so austere a beginning; the mathematical expressions are introduced merely to show in a general sort of way how the theorists tackle problems of molecular structure, and the discussion is eminently successful in leading simply and directly to the important concept of resonance. The quantum mechanical picture of the structure of molecules and ions underlies the whole of the interpretation of reaction rates and equilibria which is to follow. Professor Hammett's well-conceived, well-executed, and wellprinted book will he on the reading list for every graduate student of organic chemistry. WKLDONG. BROWN
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TMSU ~ l v s a s r r vor' Crrrc~ao CHICAGO. ILLINOIS
C ~ L L ~ ICHEMISTRY D (A TEXTBOOK).Harry Boyer Wsiser. Professor of Chemistrv. The Rice Institute. Tohn Wilev and 42E( pp. 103 figs SOUS. Inc., New ~ o r City, k 1939. viii 15 X 23 cm. $4.00. This is a textbook of colloid chemistrv written for colleee students specialininy in chrrnistry or chcmicd tngirwcring, who hare completed nn intrcrluctory course in phsswal rhrmistry Colloid chemistry has uown 30 rapidly during thr. pait quarter of a century that the subject no longer can be covered adequately in general chemistry or in an intr$uctory course in physical chemistry. For this reason most educational institutions have found it highly desirable t o offer a separate course on the theory and applications of colloidal behavior. This book was designed for such a course and with a threefold purpose: ". . . to acquaint the student with the foundatio~sof colloid chemistry and with the role that the classical experiments have played in the development of the modern theories and applications of the subject; to formulate systematically and t o correlate critically the theories underlying colloid chemical behavior; and to illustrate the widely diversified applications of the principles of colloid chemistry in such fields as the industrial arts, agriculture, and biology." This book will be valuable not only as a textbook for a comprehensive course an the theory and applications of colloidal behavior, hut also as a reference book for those who wish t o correlate and extend their scientific knowledge. I t is well planned, and the proofreader has aone a good job. JOHNH YOE
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U N I Y B B S ~ T Y0 s VIRGINIA
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O~oalrrcSYNTHESES, Volume XX. Charlw F. H . Allen. Editorin-Chief. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York City, 1940. v 113 pp. 6 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $1.75. This current volume of the series, "An Annual Publication of Satisfactory Methods for the Preparation of Organic Chemicals," contains directions for thirty-nine new preparations. An index comprising material from the volume is also given. The utility and reliability of this series in preparative organic chemistry is generally so well appreciated that no further comment is deemed necessary. MAXF.ROY
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BROWN UNlVBRSrTY PROVIDBNCB, R H O D e ISLAND
