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1034 p p . S t u t t g a r t : d n u r g c c n i s c h e Strukturcheviie. B y FALTER HCCKEL. 24 x 15 e m . ; s v Fertlin:rnd E n k e 1-erlag, 1948. Price: 68 AI (bound, i1.20 AI). Profwqor Hiickel is well known as t h e a u t h o r of l’heoretische Griindlageri der oryccnischen Chcnlic. :ind i t is t o he expected t h a t t h e same clear a n d accurate treatment of the material would lie found in his new hook, which deals with t h e field of inorganic chemistry. T h e t e s t is divided i n t o a number of largely self-contained p a r t s , which a r e compact monographs on t h e .-uljjects with n-hich t h e y deal. T h e three “books” deal Tr-ith stoichiometry and systematics. ;rtoniic s t r u c t u r e a n d chemical binding, a n d s t r u c t u r e a n d constitution, respectively. T h e first includes chapters on history, valency, coijrdination, a n d complex conipounds ill-erner’s t h e o r y ) , a n d polynuclear compounds such a s polyacids. T h e second deals with t h e periodic table a n d atomic s t r u c t u r e (including s p e c t r a ) , methods used for t h e determinntion of t h e nature of chemical bonds, a n d a treatment of chemical bonds in general. T h e third hook, n-hich is t h e longest, deals with t h e s t r u c t u r e of inorganic molecules (including Ijoron hydrides, t h e metallic carbon>-ls, nitrosyls, a n d organometallic conipouritls,. crystal structure (a very long a n d detailed account). silicates a n d glasses. metals i n t i mechanism of reactions in gases, liquids, and solids. It \rill lie seen t h a t a very large field is covered, a n d i t m a y lie said a t once t h a t it is covered in n ver>-thorough a n d interesting n-ay. There a r e full references t o t h e literature, a n d i n tlii.5 respect war-time Germany seems t o have been very fortunately s i t u a t e d as regards foreign literature! whilst readers in other countries, not so n-ell served n i t h German literature of t h e n-ar period, ir-ill be pleased t o have summaries of this in t h e topics t r e a t e d . T h e 1iter;irure references are very numerous, a n d i t n-as probably a mere accident t h a t t h e one or two lr-hich t h e reviewer turned u p n-hen his interest was aroused could not lie found in t h e places cited. T h e book is lavishlj- illustrated, t h e diagrams of s t r u c t u r e being verj- clear a n d good. .llthough, :is t h e a u t h o r s a y s , t h e field of his book has been t o some extent covered t ) > ~ British a n d . h i e r i c a n books published a t a time n-hen he rvas unable t o make use of them (he fails t o mention W, G . Palmer’s excellent T7ccZencp, Classical and M o d e r n , published in 1941), yet i t contains a great deal of material not t o be found in these, a n d t h e historical treatinelit he a d o p t s makes his hook very much more interesting a n d mature t h a n t h e mijority of them. I t is 1iartll~-t o tie expected t h a t t h e a u t h o r , whose interests are in organic chemistry, should haye lieen able t o include t h e finer a n d more difficult aspects of m a n y of t h e subjects which he t r e a t s , a n d t h e general outlook on valency is rather t h e older one of t h e Len-isLangniuir-Sidg~r-ick period rather t h a n t h e very latest systems,-for example, t h a t of Pauling. His treatment of what he calls niesonierism is also r a t h e r t h a t of t h e organic chem-I to 3 ist, and is iiot really adequate t o the needs of other branches of t h e science. -reference book by Eucken published in 1938 can hardly supply information of much interest on mass spectrometers, a n d some of t h e other references are rather out of d a t e . T a k e n all in all, however, t h e l ~ o o kis reall>-good a n d c:in tie cordially recommended. J. R.PARTISGTOS
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C h e m i s m m iozd Konslitution. By BERSUEISTERT.vi 387 lip. S t u t t g a r t : Ferdinand E n k e I-erlng, 1949. Price: 39 DAI (bound, 41.50 DAI). This I J O O provides ~ f u r t h e r evidence of t h e importance n-hich is non-adaj-s a t t a c h e d t o t h a t vigorous young hybrid-physical organic chemistry. It is written by a n author who has himself. especidly in collaboration with .lrndt, made valuable contributions t o t h e s u b j e c t . T h e liook is elearl?- written a n d easily readable. I t s e t s forth t h e m o r e important physicnl :rspects of the reactions xnd especially t h e molecular structures of organic conipounds. Whilst t h e subject m a t t e r is too generalized for t h e specialist in t h e field, it is adequate f o r tlie average physical or organic chemist and will provide stimulating reading a t tlie undergrntluate level.
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T h e book is divicietl into t w l v e chapters. T h e first is historical, t h e second tie atomic structure, a n d t h e third n-ith t h e use of physical methods in t h e eluciil:,tiun of molecular structure a n d xvith t h e bond energies of molecules. I n connection lvitli :he 1:itter i t is unfortunate t h a t t h e a u t h o r has uncritically accepted t h e earlier a n d , for c:irhuii, e r roneous values given by Pauling. I n consequence t h e first bond dissociation e:irrg~- in methane is s t a t e d t o be only 87.3 kcal., instead of t h e much higher value accepteil at the present time. T h e f o u r t h chapter deals with dipole moments a n d molecular refraction, t h e fiitii with light absorption in general, t h e sixth ITith conjugation, a n d t h e seventh ~ v i t l it h e more q u a n t i t a t i v e aspects of light adsorption a s applied t o molecular s t r u c t u r e . Tli,. c~ighth chapter presents a brief s u m m a r y of chemical therniodj-naniics and kinetics. This :seems t o be r a t h e r superfluous, for these subjects a r e d r e a d y adequately covered for m o s t re:iders i n a course of physical chemistrl- proper. T h e ninth chapter cleals with acid-base p1iel:omeria fairly adequately, the t e n t h is concerned with the concept of inductive arid mesomeric effects, a n d the eleventh gives a good e1enient:iry account of intermolecular forcpi. cspecially in their s t r u c t u r a l aspects. Chnpter twelve is probably the most interesting. [ > u tleast satisfying. chapter in t h e book. I t deals v i t h t h e niechanisms of addition, substitution. and elimination rcactions, a t sonie length. A notable omission here, in a book which i; remarkably u p t o d a t e a n d includes :i number of 1948 literature citations, is a n y reference t o t h e i m p o r t a n t work of Winstein. On t h e 11-hole, stereochemical m a t t e r s are not adequately presented in this book. I t is, however: hardly fair t o criticize for omissions a \vorli described as volunie I . Clieniists \vi11 look forivard t o t h e second volume Tvith tlie anticipation t h a t omissions and minor errors in t h e first volunie n-ill there find correction. h l t h o u g h t h e paper and binding used cannot be compared Tvitli those emplu>-ci!i n pie\var Gerniaii textbooks, the)- are satisf:ictorj- 115- present-day European stuntlrircI.s. T h e a u t h o r and publishers are t o lie congr:itulated o n a useful addition t o t h e \s-urlil'> c~lic.iiiic:tl literature. D. H. R . U.iR,ros.
Foundations os .Ilodern Phusics. By THO~IAS B,BRON-S. 351 p p . ; 1S1 figs. I t s \ \ - \ - u r k : J o h n Wiley and Sons! l n c . , 19-40. This 1949 editioii is :i revision of tlie 1940 edition. Tile major changes. or r:itlici :iililitiuiis, a p p e a r in those frontier fields of ph\-sics which have expanded s o rapidly in the inteivenirig nine years,-namell-, t h e fields of electronics, microwaves a n d radar, nuclear pliJ.>ic.-. :irid t h e theory of elementary particles. JIinor changes have been made throughout tiic t c x t . Professor Bron-n has also added a n introduction and :in epilog t o explain his o1ijectivc.s a n d t h e philosophj- of his book. This book was v r i t t e n originally for a one-term course in nlodern physics, gi\.cbIl :ti the f o u r t h unit of a t x o - y e a r general course in physics a t t h e George Washington 1-i:iwrsity. T h e material lias been expanded s o t h a t i t m a y be used in a one-year course i i i i n i d e r n physics. A background of elementary physics, algebra, a n d geometry is sufficient prc'pr~ration for such a course bnsed on this book. Description and explanation of the Insic s t r u c t u r e of modern physics keynote the present:ition. Chapter headings a r e : I. T h e elementary electric charge a n d t h e electron; 11.Dinieri3ioiis of a t o m s ; 111. T h e wave character of light; IV. Polarized light; V,Electrical o.x-ill:itions a n d electromagnetic waves; T'l, T h e electromagnetic spectum-infrared light ultrriviolet light, a n d x-raj-s; T'II. Light particles a n d electron waves; V I I I . T h e hydrogen >jjtctru111 a n d t h e hj-drogen a t o m ; IS. Optical spectra a n d atomic s t r u c t u r e ; S.X - r a y spec.tr:i :lnd n o r e about atonis; S I . Molecular motions; 111. Molecular energj-; 1 1 1 1 . C1 B l a c k b o d y radiation; S V . Radioactivity; S V I . Xuclear discovery; S V I I . S u c l e ~ i rresearch; S V I I I . S u c l e a r energy; SIX.Cosmic rays. T h e book's 381 pages include 181 excellent figures a n d di:igrams, arid 163 pro1)lc::ils t o illustrate t h e text material. Specific references for adv:inceri reading or for merely Lid&
