The discussion portions of the various sections consist of brief r6sum6s of the more important examples of the reaction under consideration, from the preparative standpoint. The author deliberately avoids any consideration of the theoretical aspects or mechanisms of the reactions and this detracts from the usefulness and from the readdability of the text, in the opinion of this reviewer. For example, an page 10 the subject of the "unusual" reaction of hydrogen bromide with 3,3,3trichloropropene is mentioned. The question of mechanism of farmstian of the rearranged adduct must certainly occur to anyone reading this psrsgraph. A brief indication of the mechanism would have served to show that it is not an "unusud'l" oddity, but an example of a moderately common and predictable rearrangement reaction. The tahles included in each section are well organized for ready reference and are reasonably complete up to ahout 1960. The inevitable errors occur, as in Table 37, page 206, where (C8HJ3BH should LEROYW. H A Y N E ~ read CaH$iHh hut in general they College qf Wooster appear to he minor and easily recognizable. Wooste~,Ohio The supplementary reading list of hooks and review articles appearing at the end of the text is useful for those seeking more detailed or critics1 discussions of the topics covered. Free Radical Reactions in Preparative This book will undoubtedly prove useOrganic Chemistry ful to laboratory workers seeking a quick assessment of the scope of certain imGeorge Sosnousky, Illinois Institute of portant free-radical reactions without Technology, Chicago. Maemillan Co., recourse to a. laborious literature search. 438 pp. New York, 1964. xvi However, the emphasis on the preparative Figs. and tahles. 16 X 24 m. $17. aspects of the subject to the exclusion of the theoretical, coupled with the high The author states in his preface that price tag, make it unlikely that it will this is the first hook to be written dealing exclusively with the preparative a~pects be considered a necessary addition to the privatelibraries of most organic chemists. of free-radical chemistry. In this he is essentially accurate, though it is unF. W. STACEY fortunate that so much of his subject E. I. du Ponl de Nemours & Cmnpany matter duplicates that of Chapters 3 and Wilmington, Delaware 4 of Volume 13 of "Organic Reactions"W. C o ~ FERNELIU~ m which appeared almost concurrently with Koppem Company, Inc. this text. This duplication of effort, Monroeuille, Pennsylvania while pointing up a. problem of cammunimtian among praapective authors, is Organic Polarographie Analysis doubly unfortunate in view of the fact that a. considerable body of recent prePel? Zuman, Polarographic Institute, parative free-radical chemistry has been Czechoslovsk Academy of Science, Constitutional Problems in Organic omitted from discussion because of Prague. Mscmillrtn Co. (a Pergamon Chemistry limitations of space. Indeed, the author Press book), New York, 1964. x himself is responsible for s. goad deal of 313 pp. Figs. and tables. 14.5 X M. B. Watson and G. W. Youngson, this recent chemistry, in such areas as both of Robert Gordon's Technical 22 cm. $6.50. metal salt-catalyzed peroxide and perCollege, Aherdeen, Scotland. D. Van In recent years, Dr. Petr Zuman has ester acylations, etc. Nostrand Co., Princeton, New Jersey, been the most active investigator of the The topics covered in the eight chapters 136 pp. 16 X 23.5 1963. v polamgrsphy of organic compounds among of the text are as follows: Addition of em. 54.75. the group of Czech chemists associated Hydrogen Halides to Unsaturated ComThis useful book is divided into two with Dr. Jaroslav Heyrovsky in the pounds; Addition of Alkyl Polyhalides to Polamgraphic Institute of the Czechsections: 168 problems, primarily of the Unsaturated Compounds; Reactions of Sulfur Compounds; Addition-type Reroad-mep type, 80 synthesis problems oslovak Academy of Science in Prague. The present volume, which largely deals actions of Water, Hydrogen Peroxide, plus answers to all, and short chapters on with the application of polarographic Alcohols, Acetds, Ethers, Carhonyl Comorganic reactions grouped by type (i.e., oxidation, reduotion, hydrolysis, elimreduction at the dropping mercury elecpounds and Saturated Compounds with trode (D.M.E.) to the determination of Unsaturated Compounds; Reactions of ination reactions, etc.). The reactions are discussed in Light of organic species, is ample evidence of the Phosphoms Compounds; Addition of their scope and limitations and as related author's interest and experience in organic Silicon and Germanium Compounds with polarography. to their diagnostic value. The majority Unsaturated Compounds; Reactions of After a 31-page introduction stressing should be familiar to the student reader. Nitrogen Oxides and Related Compounds; the various types of current control However, the grouping of the reactions by Halogenations. type rather than within the framework of encountered with the D.M.E., summary The chapters are subdivided into seechapters follow on polarographic instrufunotional groups provides a new viewtions for easy reference to specific subjects. mentation (29 pages), experimental techpoint. There are few explanations given Each section is an independent unit niques (22 pages), and 5 classification of as to why the reactions proceed as they consisting of discussion and tables. those of a more advanced character. Further, at the end of each chapter are a number of well-designed problems to aid the student in mastering the subject matter of that chapter. The appendixes present numerical values of physical constants, energy conversion factors, and selected thermodynamic data. There is a formula. ss well as a subject index and a list of symbols with page reference to the dehition of each symbol. The hook is abbundantly illustrated with clear figures. Errors are very few indeed although the authors do use the term "diastereoisomers" when "enantiomem" would have been much the preferable term. The authors' choice of material is excellent, the coverage adequate and from diverse points of view rather than aneaided, and the treatment thoroughly up to date. The sections on molecular orbitals and crystal field theory are outstanding. I t is unlikely that the student will need to "unlearn" anything covered by the text as he progresses through more advanced courses. Some will wish that the textbook had devoted more attention to generalieed acidity and to non-aqueous chemistry. The usefulness of the hook as the basis for a course prior to the course in physical chemistry will depend upon agreement within a department as to the extent of repetition of topics in the two courses. For a course in inorganic chemistry concurrent with or following one in physical chemistry, the text is excellent. As B reference, many inorganic chemists will find the book indispensable. This reviewer would like to teach systematic inorganic chemistry after the students were familiar with the principles covered by this text. The only comparable book to the reviewer's knowledge is "Physical Inorganic Chemistry" by Sienko and Plane. However, the two books are addressed to rather different audiences.
do. The primary emphasis is on what is the product when compound X is caused to react with reagent Y. The road-map prohlems range from simple hydrolysis problems to the deduction of the structures of natural produots. The information given is solely chemical and analytical. No spectral data. are employed. This limitation is explained by the authors in the preface: "Despite the many elegant physical methods now available for the elucidation of organic structures, the solution of pmhlems based on the traditional analytical and synthetio approitch still provides the best method of consolidating the student's knowledge of organic reactions." Withim this context the hook admirably fulfils its purpose. The only printing error observed was a rather glaring one which will, in all probability, be corrected in future printings. The answers to questions 15 through 40 of sections I1 and 111 were switched.
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Volume
41, Number 12, December 1964
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691
