BOOK REVIEWS
Dr. Himmelblrtu has demonstrated this
type of ability in the preparation of this text. Prognostications concerning the potential Actually, there is not much t o be of gas turbines in automobiles are, howadded to the subject of beginning calever, conspicuously absent. culations. The general principles, and For university libraries, no general even the problems, are of such a standard recommendation can be made concerning character that there can be little of this volume. Whether or not i t would be the new or the novelty in the subject useful depends upon the particular curmaterial itself. Hence, emphasis must ricula and upon the availability of other be placed on the method of presentation. sources of the information presented in In this Dr. Himmelblau has excelled. this volume. For those librmieries that A free and rather informal discourse include earlier volumes of this series, this leads t o the logical ddevelopment of reviewer recommends that the frequency illustrative problems, there being a t of their use be ascertained before a decision least one problem to demonstrate the is made concerning this volume. application of each of the principles introduced. The solution of each ilR. . I HENGSTEBECK . lustrative problem is so clearly and Ameriean Oil Company adequately presented that the average Whiting, Indiana student should be able t o solve the practice problems with a minimum of Basic Principles and Caleulmtionr in supplemental ininstruction. Chemical Engineering The text consists of six chapters and a well selected group of tables of data David M . Himmelblau, University of as a supplement. The subject matter Texas, Austin. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Encoverage of the first five chapters is glewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1962. approximately normal for the course viii 459 pp. Figs. and tables. for which the text is obviously written 15.5 X 23.5 em. $9.75. and is closely comparable to that of other texts in this field. The subjects It requires courage and conviction of introductory cdculations, material to prepare a manuscript in 8. field already xs well covered by texts as is the first balances, the phenomena related t o gas chemical engineering mathematicties course. laws, vapor pressure and phase pheIt is, therefore, a mark of outstanding nomena, energy balances, and combinaability to be able t o write a text which tions of the material and energy balances are certainly standard for a chemical will not only successfully enter the field but will unquestionably challenge the engineering course a t the beginning level. leadership of the alder texts in this area. Each subject is covered in adequate
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depth and the work is arranged in such a manner that the individual instructor can readily tailor a course to fit the time allocated in his particular curriculum to introductory chemical engineering calculations. Dr. Himmelblau's sixth chapter is one dealing with the unsteady state material and energy balances. This is something of an innovation, although a welcome one, for the work in stoiehiometry. It will be very useful providing the student using the text has had an appropriate background in mathematics. A short section near the end of each chapter, in which there is summarized the principles the student should have learned in that chapter, is an interesting addition to the text. The compilations should be thought provoking t o the student. Each chapter has alist of supplementary references. Since these references are mostly other texts, the list is repeated, without much difference, at the end of each of several chapters. These references could be improved, if they are to be added in this fashion, by citation of page or chapter. The practice problems a t the end of each chapter, a total of over four hundred, are certainlv adecluate in number. Thev are clearly and concisely presented, and they appear to be graded carefully in complexity. I n the way of recapitulation, the straightforward presentation combined with a writing style of such a nature as to promote easy reading, the well-organized
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arrangement of tprt and problems, and the unusually good explanation of the illustrative problems make this a n excellent toxt. Fine printing of a n easily readable type on high quality paper has produced a. book which is a compliment t o the printer's skill. This is a text which should find immediate adoption by many chemical engineering departments. I t has been written essentially for students. To his credit the author has not attempted t o make i t anything else.
B . E . LAUER Unzvemtg of Colorado Boulder Methods of Experimental Physics. Volume 3, Molecular Physics Edited by Dvdley Williams, Ohio State University, Columbus. Academic Press, Ine., New York, 1062. xiv 760 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $19.
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This is one volume of a six-volume series rovering the various areas of experimental physirs. Of the six this is probably t,he one of greatest interest t,o rhemists. The major areas covered in this volume are: Molecular spectroscopy (microwave, I. R., Raman, electronic), Resonanre studies (NMR, electron spin resonanre, quadrupole resonance), Mass spectrometrv, Molecular beams, Elertrir properties, and TTltrasonicstudies. The material inrluded is quite up-todate, including such recent innuvations as the use of optical masers as Raman light sources. Also, since earh rhnpter is written by someone in the field involved, fairly complete coverage of earh area is insured. The general approach in each chapter is t o give a fairly thorough +,he
