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Classic Chemistry Demonstrations: One Hundred Tried and Tested Experiments Ted Lister, compiler. The Education Department, The Royal Society of Chemistry: London, England, 1996 (distributed by Turpin Distribution Services, Ltd., Blackhorse Road, Letchworth, Herts SG6 1HN, UK). xvi + 284 pp. Figs. and tables. 21.1 × 29.6 cm. $49.50, £27.50 softcover. When former students visit me, the parts of my lectures that they invariably recall most vividly are my lecture demonstrations, usually the more spectacular ones, even though in some cases four decades have elapsed. Fortunately, for those of us who regularly employ demonstrations, various collections for this purpose have appeared of late. This one, compiled by Ted Lister, Teacher Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry for 1993–1994, is derived from diverse sources, few of them original. Perennial classic favorites, some with ingenious variations, abound. Most of the demos are from the literature, both journals and books; some are from chemistry teachers from all over the world. A short bibliography is included, but no specific references. All of the demos, which range in length from one to six pages and most of which require only easily accessible equipment, were tested by Lister at Warwick University and subsequently replicated at a large number of schools
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and colleges, most in the United Kingdom. Each demo is organized into the following clearly defined sections: topic, timing, level, description, apparatus, chemicals (with possibly dangerous or toxic reagents highlighted in boldface type to refer the user to a 4-page safety section), method (both before and during the demo), visual tips, teaching tips, theory (including pertinent equations), extensions (variations), further details, and safety. IUPAC nomenclature is used consistently, but more familiar trivial names are given as well for all reagents, including such apparently unusual ones as ethanoic acid, methanal, propanone, and iron(II) ethanedioate (acetic acid, formaldehyde, acetone, and ferrous oxalate, respectively). An especially useful feature is a 3-page table listing all 100 demos by categories: entertainment, pre-16 curriculum, post-16 curriculum, acid–base, electrochemistry, equilibria, inorganic chemistry, kinetics, organic chemistry, periodicity, polymers, quantitative chemistry, and thermodynamics. With its wide margins and heavy, chemical-resistant glossy paper, this valuable resource book is as much a work of art as of science. It would indeed be unfortunate if American chemical educators fail to use it because of lack of advertising in the United States.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 74 No. 3 March 1997
George B. Kauffman California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA 93740
