book reviews
I heartily recommend Professor Pickering's new approach to all educators in analytical chemistry.
Editor: W . F. KIEFFER Cdlege of
Woater
RALPHN. ADUS University of K a ~ m Lawrence, 66044
w m t o r , Ohio
Biological Chemistry Modern Analytical Chemistry
W . F . Pickwing, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1971. 622 pp. Figs. and tables. 24.1 xii X 17 cm. $13.75.
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This new text is a delightful departure from tradition. Indeed, the writing of analytical chemistry texts over the past 20 years has been stereotyped. In the words of one of our better-known contemporary intellectuals, "if you've read one, you've read 'em sll." Not this book-it's an analytical "What-dun-it," taking as its central theme what energy form interacts with the chemical system of interest in analysis. How the energy interacts and the effects produced are described in sufficient depth to provide s. remarkably encompassing picture of modern analytical practices. Professor Pickering has no gripe with tradition analytical chemistry because his sections an mattermatter interactions quite adequately cover the classical chemical part of analysis. The material is very well organized and the writing is clew and easy to read, although parts gave the impression of handbook compilation style. I evaluated it in two ways. First, I pirked sevem1 sections in which I can consider myself to have some degree of expertise (an embarrassingly small number) and asked-is this what I would present to my students if I were teaching along the lines suggested by this text? In this context, the section on epr spectroscopy is excellent. I t provides a good
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introduction for a non-specialist and insight into the types of problem far which exactly what epr is applicable-just one would wish to present. The section on oxidation-reduction titrations is a d c quate, hut I'd use only part of it. The concept of formal potentials is presented but seriously short-changed. I t appears that in Lrying Lo condense this section it has been squeezed too tight. But, alas, in the section on polarography, we step back into tradition. While I agree that the term polarography should designate dropping mercury electrolyses, this area by itself hardly constitutes adequate treetment of modern electroanalytical practice. I'm not concerned that solid electrode methodology is skimped, but rather that the whole repertoire of voltammetric techniques is neglected. Students who learn electroanalytical practices from this hook will never know "where it's at." Secondly, I asked-is the material in this book a. better representation of analytical chemistry than the analytical courses I've taught or been associated with? The answer is an overwhelming "yes!" Just how one o m incorporate all the material of this hook into restrncturing existing undergraduate analytical courses is not easy to decide. It's hmd to believe one would handle this material in any adequate fashion in one semester. Nevertheless, this is a. powerful new approach adopted by Piokering-ne which demands attention. If we cantinue teaching analytical chemistry as only precipitates, tricky solution equilibria and button-pushing, we'll surely drive them all to sociology!
in this lsue
W . F. Pickering, Modern Analytical Chemistry Henry R. Mahler and Eugene H. Cordes, Biological Chemistry Fred W . Billmeyer, Jr., Textbook of Polymer Science, Second Edition Amos Turk, Jonathan T u ~ kand , Janet T . W i l t s , Ecology, Pollution, Environment D. J . G. ryes, Chemical Themnodynamics Ralph Bazerlein, Atoms and Infarms,tion Theorv: An Introduction to Statistical Mechanics Raymond Daudel and Camille Sandorfy, Semiempirical WaveMechanical Calculations on Polyatomio Molecules: A Current Review Richard S. Manson, Advanced Organic Synthesis: Methods and Techniques F. Leslie Hart and H a q J . Fisher, Modern Food Analysis Leopold May, editor, Spectroscopic Tricks. Volume 2. Robert E. Maizeil, Julian F . Smith, and T . E. R. Singer, Abstracting Scientific and Technical Lit,erature Franr Bukalsch and Wolfgang Glocknm, editors, Experimentelle Schulchemre K n z o Hzrayama, Handbook of Ultraviolet and Visible Absomtion Spectra of Organic Compounds Stewart M. Brooks, Basic Chemistry: A Programmed Presentation New Volumes in Continuing Series
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Henry R. Mahler and Eugene H. Cords, both of Indiana. University, Bloomington. 2nd ed. Harper and Row, New 1009 pp. Figs. and York, 1971. xiv tables. 18.5 X 26.5 cm. $19.
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The second edition of Mahler and Cordes' encyclopedic biochemistry text has been updated and expanded with extensive revision of some chapters and sections. A new and provocative introduction is provided by the authors dealing with the Nature of Biochemistry and Rational Approach to Biologicd Chemistry. A new chapter on chemistry of carbohydrates has been included that provides an extensive presentation on cell wall structure. The reviewers were particularly impressed by Chapter 19, Nature and Function of the Gene; Chapter 20, Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids; and Chapter 21, Biasynthesis of Proteins, all of which have been expanded and reorganized. Such expansion is in keeping with the rapid advances in the field of molecular genetics/ biology. These chapters should provide the student with insight into controversies over many hypotheses. The information provided on protein structure and properties (Chapter 3) is more comprehensive than it was in the first edition. There is also much revision and new material in Chapter 15, Biological Oxidations. Among other new materials included is Table 2-3 an the dissociation and metal binding constants for phosphates of biochemical importance. Also new is Figure 12-8, a scheme for three light reactions in plant photosynthesis. And others as well. Extensive and updated reference lists at the end of each chaoter will aid the interested student in further pursuing topics presented. As in the first edition, the emphasis is on physicochemical aspects, while physiological and medical examples are sparse. There is very little that relates to adyances in biochemical understanding of evolution, phylogeny, or development. The little on evolution that is given refers to the family tree of the cytochromes. Virtually nothing is given that relates biochemical parameters to the economy of organisms vis-64s their environment. The authors touch tangentially upon the use, by some fishes that live in cold water, of a protein that has a. capacity of lowering the freezing point of the blood. This is not expanded upon, hut at least it helps build interest, appearing as it does at the beginning of Chapter 3 dealing with proteins. Altogether, too few such examples are provided, however. In the review of the 1st ed. [J. CHEM. E ~ u c .44, , 310 (1967)], it was painted out that schematic diagram were done with (Cdinued on page A8961
Volume 49, Number 7, July 1972
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book reviews expertise, but that reproduction of electron micrographs was unsatisfrtctory. There has been no improvement in the presentation of the electron micrographs. The format of the book has been improved by bold titles for tables and figures and the use of dark lines to separate these from the textual material. The increased use of bold type subject headings in the wide margin facilitates searches within the various chapters. In their preface to the 2nd ed., the' authors state ". .what we had to do was not to restrict ourselves to a mere updating and revising, but instead to write what amounts to a new book." While it is true that there are numerous changes, additions, and deletions, the reorgsnization in reality amounts to a lot of cutting and pasting of paragraph, diagram, structures, and equations that were in the first edition. However, there are numerous new items, disgvams, and structures in the second rditiun. 'Thi. pntrhmg dops not dptrart from the wlue of the .wcmd edition. All of the effort seem to be a legitimate way to approach the problem of updating the material. The first edition comprised 872 numbered pages including the index. The second edition reached 1009 pages. However, in the second edition, there are approximrttely 6 lines more per page. The revised volume is equivalent to a book containing a half-million words. Considering the authoritativeness of the presentation, this is no mean achievement. As for the student who makes use of this text, it
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Puts to him all the learnings that his time Could make him the receiver of. Shakespeare, Cymbeline We recommend this text for a twosemester biochemistry course for students with a strong science background. Serious students of biochemistry who are using other texts in their courses will wish possibly to add this authoritative book to their libraries.
College of Fisheries Univwsit?, of Washington Seattle, Washington 98195
are employed in industries connected with polymers but even introductory senior and first year graduate level courses in polymer science are not common. For this reason, the well organized presentation of the important facets of polymer science in this hook is especially important. Those who have not been trained in polymer science but must work in the field can start here to get the general background they will need to work intelligently. Faculty who wish to add special topics in polymer chemistry to existing courses will find this one of the best primary sources of text and references. Workers in various parts of biochemistry and medicine who deal with natural polymers will also profit from starting with this book to build the background of physical chemistry of nonmolecules which will aid their own specialized interests. The material covered is similar to that of the first edition-with many intelligent additions and revisions. Since the field that it covers is very broad, this book is essentially an outline-although a very inclusive one. Most topics of interest %re found in the book, with a hrief discussion followed by references ta more complete general discussions found in more advanced textbooks of polymer science and in the "Encyclopedia of Polymer Science 61 Technology" and the "Modern Plastics Encyclopedia." In the case of fields which are changing rapidly there are well chosen references to the original literature. The organization of the book is, as before, first, the "scientific" aspects: Physics, physical chemistry, and organic chemistry of polymers, then the technological properties of commercial polymers and polymer processing. I recommend the book highly to the wide spectrum of readers mentioned in this review.
Radioactive Wastes and Thermal Pollution. Nowhere is a. profile of either power needs or energy resources given nor is the concept of a breeder rertctor introduced. Chemistry professors may find this book useful as supplementary reading for students. In these days, "ecosystem" is a. good ward to hear in a chemistry class. However, the real chemistry, even the background essential to understanding how man is endangering his ecosystem, will have to be made available to the students from other sources. WFK
Chemicd Thermodyn~mics
D. J. G. Ives, Birkbeok College, University of London. Macdoneld and Co., Ltd., London, 1971. viii 211 pp. Figs. and tables. 22.8 X 15.2 em. E2. ( ~ $ 5 . ) .
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Professor Ives states that he intends this book for final year undergraduates with some prior exposure to thermodynamic principles. But since the author is of the opinion that the prior exposure rarely leads to any useful mastery of the subject he hopes his writing will prove helpful to first and second year students, "who may welcome a short text somewhat unconventional in approach, emphasis, and illustration." There is presented a rather helpful mixture of classical and statistical thermodynamics. The opening chapters are presented more as a review of elementary thermodynamics than a. thoroughgoing exposition. A number of topics are presented without constructing them logically from first principles but with the intention of using thermodynamic language from the beginning. Thus entropy E. FERINOTON and enthalpy are used early in the text THOMAS W . R. Grace but only developed further along. Research Division Under the general topic of ThermoClarkmille, Md. BlOZ9 chemistry there are good discussions of Hess's law, Kirchhaff's theorem, thermochemical bond energies, electronegativities, Born-Haber cycles, and a variety of applications to chemical behavior. The Ecology, Pollution, Environmanl discussions are critical and the rtndysis of bond energies is especially clear. Amos Turk, City University of New Entropy and free energy are discussed in York, Jonathan Turk and Janet T. fair detail in a relatively elementary Wittes, University of Pittsburgh. W. fashion. There is a careful treatment of B. Saonden Co., Philadelphia, 1972. equilibrium constants with special atten217 pp. Figs. and tables. 22.5 ix tion given to the question of dimensions X 14.5 cm. $3.95. and standard states for equilibrium wnstsnts. The author briefly describes free The title correctly describes the content energy functions as used in many tables of this book. Perhaps its size (200 pages, but makes it clear that in his a ~ i n i o n many of which contain photographs such "their fornmnlism~,whwh add norlai~lgi l l as a full-page view of a half-cleaned office ahstance or principle, inns I>P8.f H ~ V H ~ building) suggests the level of treatment. tngr to thr f p a h*hlttmlly bnnd1il.g da?a, It is a. well done and reasonably balanced but otherwise they are an embarrasspopular level treatment of its subjects. ment." I t is hardly a, textbook, even for s n introSolutions are discussed' in terms of duetorv coune in environmental science. chemical potentials and partial molar quantities. For most readers this will prove to be the most complex mathecontemporary technology. However, a. matics of the book slthough the compotential danger is that students may form plexity is more one of numerous details answers based on the relatively superficial than of principle. Although earlier the information these pages For author was quite careful about dimensions example, the multifaceted problem of nufor equilibrium constants, he is much less clear energy is treated in chapters entitled
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Textbook of Polymer Science, Second Edition
F ~ e d W . Billmeyer, JT., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York. Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1971. 598 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 xiv X 16 em. $15.95.
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This third generation book which has grown from BiUmeyer's earlier "Textbook of Polymer Chemistry" is still the best general source for a survey of the polymer field. I t is still true that this very important area of science and applied science is greatly neglected in college and graduate school. About 40% of industrial chemists
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