A Briel Introduction to General,
Organlc and Blochemlstry Joseph I. Routh, Darrell P. Eyman, and Donald J. Burton, University of Iowa. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, London, Toronto, 1976. xiv 438 pages. Figs. and tables. 18 X 26 em. $13.50.
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This is the second edition of an outstanding texthwk for a oneyear coursegearedfor non-majors of chemistry. The material in the first edition has been almost comoletelv revised and rewritten in order to reflect the rapid changes in student interest, the many new research discoveries, and the increased awareness of the role of science on societal issues, including the environment, energy resources, and health. The hook will be especially useful to pre-medical, nursing, and health-oriented students. The first section of ninechaptemcovem the fundamental topics of general chemistry, including atomic structure, chemical bonds, the states of matter, chemical reactions, water and solutions, chemical equilibrium and rates of reaction, and a brief discussion of nonmetallic and metallic elements. The next ten chaoters focus on oreanic comoounds. with emphasis on the important funrtional groups and their reactions. The presentation is classical, with only slight attention paid co mechanisms or the effect of structure on reactivity. This relatively Light coverage of organic chemistry will appeal to non-majors and is likelv to better hold their interest. The final 14 ehaoters (total of 33) deal with s wide , . ~.~~ range of suhjeets of hioehemical interest and include, in addition to discussion of proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, vitamins, earhohydrates, and lipids, chapters on metabolism, hiochemistry of genetics, and hiochemistry of drugs. The text is well organized and written lucidlv. There are several features of oedaeoe~calvalue which I particularly liked, viz., ( 1 ) each chapter hegins with a list of objectives for that chapter and ends with a list of im. portant terns and concepts for review; (2) there are good questions, with answers in the hack of the text; (3) a brief list of suggested readings from popular sources, e.g., Scientific
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American, Chemistry, and Journal of Chemical Education, is included a t the end of each chapter; (4) many of the chapters contain one or two special topics of current interest. such as atmosoheric chemistw. nlnnt n&ients and eutroihication. oolvuti: r~~~~~ . . saturates and heart disease, fluorocarbonsblood subrtitutes, chem~ealrummunicntion, food additives, and drugs in the treatment of cancer. I am much impressed by this honk and recommend it highly because I believe that students will fmd it attractive. readable, and relevant. ~~
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Robert Filler lllimis instltuht of Technology Chicago, lllinois
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Baslc Chemistry For the Life Sclences H. L. Helmpreeht andL. T.Friedman, State University of New York, Agricultural and Technical College a t Farmingdale, MeGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1977. viii 579 pp. Figs. and tables. 19.5 X 24 em. $14.95.
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As the title imolies this hook is an introdurtory text for ;he students who have had little or nochemistry. It is presumably for a year's terminal courseand, assuch, it can be considered indirect competition with the teat hy .I. R. Holum. "l4ements of General and ~iologicalChemistry." It attempts to introduce the conceots of conversion factors. dirnrnsional analysis, atomic ~ t r u n u r ehond, ing, hond hybridization, rtoichiumetry, reduction potpnrialb, free energy, entropy, organic funrtionnl group reactions, glycolysis. urea ryrle. Krnb's cycle, D N A replication. transeriptron and translation, all within the space of some 500 pages. This monumental task is generally well done. The writing style is simole and straieht forward. Terms are well defined in the teat and supplemented by an excellent glmsr). C d usr is made of tables and explanatory diagrams. Problem sets are provided at the end of each chapter and selected answers supplied in the appendix. Unfortunately, as in any survey text of this nature, the material is mostly qualitative and ~~~~
the quantitativk aspeds of chemistry minimized. Alro the authors must make somc difficult decisions about what to include and what to exclude. Often their evaluation reeardine imoortance can he a t variance with ;he opGionfioitheir colleagues. Although free energy change and entropy change as driving forces to thr attainment uf equilibrium are introduced, explained, and diagrammed, there is no discussion of the equilibrium constant nor is the relationship AG' = -2.303 RT log K,, introduced. I regret that the authors did not introduce the Cahn-IneoldPrehy: R,S termmology when definingoprical activity and the D,L convention ip. 322,).as the former convention is becoming more prevalent in the biochemical literature. Allasteric effects should not have been limited to negative feedback inhihition (p. 409). Nor should one forget the role that Okazki fragments olav in reolication of DNA strands of opposite polarity. Althmgh only enmholie pathways of mrtaholi*m are discussed, presentation of the Hexosemonophosphate Shunt (p. 486) as an alternate degradative route for glucose without mentioning its role as a source of pentoses for nucleic acid synthesis and reducine Dower (NADPH) for fatty acid biosynthesis is regkttable. HOW. ever when one considers the amount uf material in 512 pagesof text theauthorugenerally have chosen well. Aside from the glaring error, p. 436, upon ahsorption "triglycerides are then passed into the blood stream," rather than the lymphatic system and the thoracic duct, the hook is relativelv error free. It has heen well edited and there are few typograph~alerrorr,on p. 235, 2 H's are mrssmg on the structural for. mula of cyclohexane. In summary this is a very good text. It should he looked at by any instructor of a terminal survey course in chemistry in order to determine whether i t fits his philosophy and needs. Charles J. Stewart Ssn Diego State University
Ssn Diego, California92182
Chemistry wlth a Computer
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Paul A. Cauchon, Canterbury School, Connecticut Educomp Corporation, 174 Hartford, Connecticut, 1976. aiii pages. Figs. and tables. 21.5 X 28 cm.
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This hook documents 28 computer pro(Continued on page A212)
Reviewed in this Issue
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Joseph 1. Routh, Darrell P. Eymon, and Donald J. Burton, A Brief Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry H. L. Helmprecht and L. T. Friedman, Basic Chemistry for the Life Sciences Paul A. Cauchon, Chemistry with a Computer J. William Moncrief and William H. Jones, Elements of Physical Chemistry Robert M.Rosenberg, Principles of Physical Chemistry Dennis Piszkiewicz, Kinetics of Chemical and Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions W. Ferdinand. The Enzvme Molecule Michael A. ~ b r r i s o n ~, h o m a L. s Estle, and Neal F. Lane, Quantum States of Atoms, Molecules, and Solids Peter B. D. de lo Mare, Electrophilic Halogenation. Reaction Pathways Involving Attack by Electrophilic Halogens on Unsaturated Compounds
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Reviewer Robert Filler Charles J. Stewart K. Jeffrey Johnson Colin F. MaeKay Halbert Carmichael Ian S. Longmuir Richard L. Taher Keith H. Johnson John F. Garst
J Volume 55, Number 4, April 1978 / A211
