book reviews Editor: W. F. KIEFFER College of Woorter Woorter, Ohio
Chemistry
J. V . Quagliano and L. M . Vallarino, Florida State University, Tallahassee. 3rd ed. Prentice-Hall, Ino., Englewood 844 Cliffs, New Jersey, 1969. xv pp. Figs. and tables. 19.5 X 26.5 om. $11.95.
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This book is based on the second edition of "Chemistry" by James V. Quagliano, with same additions and extensive revisions. Three chapters entitled The Valence Bond Approach, Thermochemistry, and The Driving Farce of a Chemical Reaction have been added, together with the division and regrouping of others. A chapter on nuclear chemistry has been dropped. The book is long, having more than 800 pages of text, plus appendices and index. Nearly three quarters is devoted to theory and principles, while the chemistry of the elements is treated in the balance of the hook. The authors state their intention to use chemical bonding and energetics as unifying principles in the construction of the book. To these might - be added the apparent intent of using repetition as a ~edsgogicd devioe. The authors also state in the preface that the book was written for the beginning student, but it seems clear that a fairly high-level freshman course wasin mind. A casual reading of the book gives a good impression. Though it is massive, the book is satisfactory in appearance and typography. Energetics and bonding have been used successfully in many parts of the book to correlate and explain s hen om ens. There are relatively few serious errors of fact. The chemistry of the elements comes out well, along with
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chapten on acids and bases and on descriptive equilibrium. However, the book is deceptive. Anyone considering its use ss a text should he warned to read it carefully. It contains much less information than one would expect from its size and i t has a number of traps into which the unwary student may fall. The goad points of the book will he by examining it, discovered but the bad points are harder to find and will be discussed here in some detail. I t appears that new material has been grafted onto the previous edition, hut in a very uneven manner. For example, the initid chapter on equilibrium treats s numher of cases with the help of the Principle of Le Chatelier which is presented as a. new and different principle of chemistry. This chapter occurs late in the hook (p. 528), long after the discussion of thermodynamics, hut the relation of the Principle to entropy is never pointed out. Furthermore, there are strange differhces in the level of parts of the book: Thermodynamics is d i r cussed a t a high level for freshmen, but there is no equation to show vapor pressure as a function of temperature; there are elaborate presentations of redox equations and oxidation potentials, hut there is a low level and partly incorrect treatment of stoichiometry. Definitions of terms such as "formula," "rate of reaction," "net ionic equetion," "half reaction," and "anode" are seriously deficient. "Chemical reaction" is used throughout the book, but does not seem to he defined, though "chemical change" is defined twice without saying that resction is meant. The use of repetition for teaching purposes is overdone and is one of the reasons for the length of the book. A number of
topics me treated from two to four times each when a single complete discussion would suffice. Lattice energy, the energetics of formation of MgO and molecular shapes are examples. Several figures and tables are repeated in substantially the same form. This technique requires careful cross-references to tell the reader where he has been and where he is going, but this sort of help is frequently not provided. The internal arrangement is also not always clear. Chapter and section headings are curiously vigue and inexact. For example, Section 8-2, entitled The Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases, is 25 pages long and contains the only discussion of the gas laws. A number of other topics seem to be in the wrong environment, or a t least the intent of the anthors is not explained. The index is long hut spotty, and may lead the reader astray or not help him a t all. This reviewer has strong reservations about the wisdom of including the amount and level of thermodynamics that the text has. I n places such as a discussion of Solutions of Gases in Gases the thermodynamic reasoning is unnecessarily involved and is used to replace observation, measurement or description. I n attempting to put everything in the same form, the next section deals pointlessly with Solutions of Liquids and Solids in Gases. Such discussions are of doubtful pedagogic value. I t is also true that one cannot he completely rigorous a t this level, so i t is difficult to be consistent in making the distinction between AS and ASo, for example. I t seems more sensible to try to produce competence in areas that are likely to he within the student's ability to comprehend and to use. The response of a student to 8. sea of tbermodynemic reasoning is likely to be the same as his response to a sea of fscts-blind memorization. However, the difficulties mentioned here are not fatal and other hooks have their peculiarities too. The teacher who is forewarned ought to be able to get gaod results with this text, though i t will require some efforton his part. CHARLES E. ERICKSON Rutgem, The State University New Brunswiek, N.J .
in this Issue
J . V . Quagliana and L. M . Vallarino, Chemistry
. . .A55
Eduard Farber, The Evolution of Chemistry: A History of its Ideas, Methods, . . .A55 and Materials . . .A56 J. Gareth Mom's, A Biologist's Physical Chemistry
H. J . M. Bowen, Properties of Solids and their AtomicStructures Ernest L. Elid, Elements of Stereochemistry
H. Krebs, Fundamentals of Inorganic Crystal Chemistry
. . .A60 . . .A62 . . .A62 . . .A64
J. E. Germain, Catalytic Conversion of Hydrocarbons E. Stenhayn, 8. Ahmhamssa, and F. W . McLafferly, editors, Atlas of Mass Spectral Data
. . .A64
The Evolution of Chemistry: A History of its Ideas, Methods, and Materials
Eduard Farber, American University, Washington, D.C. The Ronald Press Co., New York, 1969. 2nd ed. vii 437 pp. Figs, and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $10.
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After a lapse of seventeen years during which he ha., been bard a t work a n other volumes, Eduard Farher, the senior statesman among American historians of chemistry and recipient of the 1964 Dexter Award, has presented us with the second edition of his uniaue book first published in 1952. ~nfo&nately, this is destined to he his last pnblished hook, Volume 47, Number
1,
lcrnuary 1970
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A55
