This programmed text could also serve as the principal text for the first semester of a high school coune, or for a substantial portion of ran integrated chemistry-physics course.
BOOK Chemistry
Royal B. Leach, Tacoma, Washington, and G a h W . Ewing, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey. A Tutortext. Doubleday and Co., Inc., Garden City, New York, 1966. 400 pp. Tables. 14.5 x 21.5 cm. $5.95. Tbis is the first programmed text which attempts to cover all the theoretical s u b ject matter of modem general chemistry.' All the theories, ideas, and calculstions are gone over in detail, including atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding, electrochemistry, and chemical equilihrium. Descriptive chemistry is not treated, since purely descriptive factual material is better presented in regular text form. One of the respected Doubleday ' T u t o ~ Texts," tbis program is of the "intrinsic" or "scrambled book" form,* which means principally that the boredom of the linear program is avoided and a. good deal more discussion and explanation is provided. While not every student finds programmed materials to his liking, many students will be grateful for this text, since it can he studied by the student alone. Each c h a p ter has a s u m m q and a set of questions (or self-quiz) with answers, so that the student can easily review and test himself over the material covered. As with any intrinsic program, its unique strength is the explanation of why common misconceptions are wrong; its majorweakness is that of "wasting" space in the book, together with the criticism that "it is bad pedagogy ever to suggest a wrong answer."
-Reviewed
JESSEH. DAY Ohio University
REVIEWS This, however, is the way to teach discrimination, and most of us do use multiple choice examinations on occasion with rarely fatal results. The book is carefully and skillfully done, though from the standpoint of the programmer, it is not by any means perfect. It must however he given a t least a "very good" rating on this score. The red question is how to use this kind of book. It would not he inappropriate as the text for the first semester of a good college course, since it covers essentially the same material as the first 10 or 12 chapten of books on the level of Bailar, Moeller, and Kleinherg, for example. Various details and refinements would have to he added by the lecturer. The book could also he used as a supplementary text, much in the same way that workbooks or outline books are used. And of course the hook could he suggested for opt.iona1 student purchase. Still better would he the use of 20 or more copies of the book as the nucleus of a "class library," to be used in a. study room, or checked out far overnight study. The student could depend on this "class library" when he felt the need of a better understanding of basic theoretichl ideas and problem solving. The saving in time spent explaining to the students who come to the teachers' offices, and the probable increase in student over-all performance, would more than justify the relatively small expense. The "class library" of programmed materials has not been used by chemistry departments. Tbis text would he an excellent place to start.
in this Issue
Royal B. Leach and Galen W .Ewing, Chemistry C . J . Nyman and G. B. King, Problems for General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis Charles A. Reynolds, Principles of Analytical Chemistry Emil J . Maqolzs, Chemical Principles in Calculations of Ionic Equilibria: Solution Theory for General Chemistry, Qualitative Analysih and Quantitative Analysis J o c k Jander, Chemistv in Nonaqueous Ionizing Solvents. Volume 1, Part 1, Chemistry in Anhydrous Liquid Ammonia Terrell L . Hill, Leetures on Matter and Equilibrium Louis Meites, Polarographic Techniques J d m s Incz&y, Analytical Applications of Ion Exchangers W. J. Orville-Thomas,The Structure of Small Molecules Beat Meyer, editor, Elemental Sulfur: Chemistry and Physics J . T. Daeies, The Scientific Approach A. L. Smflh, Jobn Dalton, 17661844: A Bibliography of Works By and About Him J . Erik Jorpes, Jac. Berzelius; His Life and Work Vincent A. Suprynowiw, Intmductian to Electronics for Students of Biology, Chemistry, snd Medicine
1 Editor's Note: Readers are referred to the summary review of program materials in THIS JOURNAL, 43,275 (1966). 2 For a concise description of what an intrinsic program is and how it works, see THIS JOURNAL, 40, 14 (1963).
Problems for General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis
C . J. N w n and G. B. King, both of Washington State University, Pullman. Jobn Wiley and Sons, Inc., 274 pp. New York, 1966. viii Figs. and tables. 14 X 21.5 an.
+
$2.95.
The authors present tbis smdl volume of chemical problems as a modem uptodate work book for freshmen classes in general chemistry. I n the opinion of the reviewer they have achieved their end in a notable fashion and one might add that the text would be very useful for classes in advanced placement chemistry. The chapters cover the usual gamut of problems encountered in a freshman course. They include a concise model for solving a goodly number of graded prob Isuitable for s variety of classes. A helpful appendix has the numerical answers. The authors have striven to bring their textual matter up to date and many of the problems are derived from the modem literature. In addition to the topies usually encountered, there are some additional chapters that should make this text worth while. The reviewer was pleased to note a chapter on solids involving problems of simple q s b l line cells and properties thereof. Another step forward is the inclusion of a chapter on Thermal Changes in Chemical Processes. Still another is the chapter on Rates of Chemical Reactions where the student is introduced to first-order reactions, and a general treatment of reactions other than first-order. There are the usual chapters on equilibria which include applications of ionic equilibrium principles to the development of a qnalitative analysis scheme. A chapter that will 6nd favor with many is the electrochemistry one, and for those who discusa nuclear phenomena, there is an excellent chapter on that topic. The portion of the book devoted to qualitative analysis deals mainly with precipitation reactions and the equilibria involved hut does not include problems involving group separations by the usual analytical schemes. Eleven appendixes and an index complete this very worth-while volume.
JOSEPH A. MARTUS,S.J. College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts
Volume 43, Number 12, December 1966
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