reviews The Chemical World: Concepts and Applications J. C. K o b M. D. Joesten, J. L. Wwd, and J. W. Mwre. Saunders , Harcourt, Brace and Co.: New York. NY 1994. Figs., tables, and photos. xxiii +I070 pp. 21 x 25 cm This bwk is aimed a t the general chemistry course for science majors. The four authors have each written several texts. T w o have develoned extensive chemical education software. The aims and metbods of this attractive and unusual text are set out in detail in the preface. I n brief, they say, standard course ". ..hwks have become longer and longer, and more and mare complex. . . . re-examination of the goals of introductory.. . coursesis long overdue. Only concepts that we believe are truly fundamental to. .basic chemistry bave been included. we bave not introduced a principle. . . unless i t is needed later. . .and unless it is placed in the context of its applications." How much has been trimmed in a b w k of aver 1000 total pages? Alot has been deleted, given that applications are introduced on almost every page and clearly related to the chemistry being developed and that there is an average of close to one color phot* graph per page. These are the salient characteristics of this book. The authors'rationale for omittinesome of what has become usual on hyhrid honds, ligand field, multiple equillbna, and complex knnetier is consistent with their approach. The necraaary cornpromises have been made. For example, Chapter 7, their approach in thermodynamics is to aim directly a t the Gibhs free energy as the point of chemical interest. Heat engines and internal energy are not needed at this level, so they go directly to enthalpy, entropy changes leading to free energy changes. This is done as clearly and simply a s any treatment I have seen. In Chapter 9, on atomic structure, mathematical details of Bohr and Schrdinger treatments are not displayed, hut descriptions of orbitals and the quantum number rules are presented fully, The rest of usual topics are treated with exemplary clarity and carefully related to the copious applications. Many topics are old favorites, but a large proportion are of recent origin and are used to point out fascinating newer applications of chemistry. There are four helpful features. (1) Portrait of a Scientist sketches are frequent and point out relevant human detail. For example, "Fritz Haber" (p 340) relates his important work and the tragic consequences for his nation and himself. (2) Chemistry You Can Do are brief experiments using common materials. (3) The Chemical World and News Features are short descriptions of recent topics in
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industry, nature, and research. (4) The index serves as an extensive glossary with brief definitions of many important terms. End-of-chapter questions and problems are voluminous. Many are over 100 items long and provide a large variety of exercises and emphases. The illustrations are mare than beautiful, far they often clarify the meaning of the subject they accompany. (Ask students what the nicture an n 10 is doine there.) Exercises with available eompuier softwar; and hdeo &scr a& supplied. Many suppunnng materiala including five Saunderti lab manuals are listed. The tone of the book is intelligent, mature, and enthusiastic for our science. The science is current and is expressed in quality modem language reflecting recent international progress. I t should appeal to superior students and be accessible to most college students with reasonable language and mathematical preparation. I commend this text for examination hv all teachers cancwned wnh the problems it addresser. The authors make a persuasive case for [heir approach by executing it in painatakml: d e t d and with exceptional esthetlc appeal.
William B. Guenther Ln versty of the S o ~ t n Sewanee. TN 37383
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A Spreadsheet Workbook for Quantitative Chemical Analysis Robertde Levie. McGraw-Hill: New York, NY. 1992. 151 pp. Figs. 22.5 x 28.1 cm. This workbwk is intended to help the student understand the mathematical relationships and calculations involved in the several t w e s of equilibria encountered in the tmical first course in quantitative a&4ysis. As the author nates, t& spreadsheet exercises presented here are not meant to replace either a textbook or laboratory work, where the basic chemistry is presented and applied. Three chapters are devoted to acid-base, two to redox, and one each to complexation, extraction, and precipitation equilibrium calculations with the emphasis on calculating titration curves and species concentration plots. Same of the equilibria are quite complex, e.g., the pH-dependent redax system of v2+, v3+, V02+,and VOz+-Two additional chapters focus an activity effects and linear least-squares calculations. Each topical section in a chapter begins with a general discussion of theory and formulas and is followed by one or more specific illustrative spreadsheet calculations.
Reviewed in this Issue Reviewer
J. C. Kotz, D. Joesten, J. L. Wood, and J. W Moore, The Chemical World: Concepts and Applications RobertdeLevie, A Spreadsheet Workbook for Quantitative Chemical Analysis Alan Lighhnan, Einstein's Dreams Robert L. Weber, Science with a Smile Sidney Harris, From Personal Ads to Cloning Labs: More Science Carloons from Sidney Harris Sidney Harris, edited and annotated by S. N. Arseculeratne, There Goes Archimedes Monographs New Volumes in Continuing Series
A190
Journal of Chemical Education
William B. Guenther Russell Batt George B. Kauffman Laurie Kauffman George B. Kauffman Laurie Kauffman George B. Kauffman Laurie Kauffman George B. Kauffrnan Laurie Kauff man
In the chapter following the chapters on acid-base equilihria, the author describes aprocedure for wnstructing and interpreting approximate logarithmic species concentration plots using only pKa and total analytical concentration data. His intent is to wnvince students, who often rush to compute before they think, t h a t "back-of-the-envelope" calculations often suffice to provide valuable insights into equilibrium systems. The workhook is written specifically for QuattroPro running on a n IBM-wmpatible XT- or AT- 386- or 486- computer with a hard or laser nrinter. Chanter I is a hrief disk. and dot matrix.. inkiet..~ introduction to QunttrnPm far the complete novice, startmg m t h turnrnl: the computer ON. Dirwtions fur constructing individual ~preadaheetsare detailed in the firat few chapters, but gradually became more general a s one progresses to later chapters. In this reviewer's opinion, most students probably would profit from a more extensive introduction to QuattroPro than is provided i n Chapter I, so they are not faced with simultaneously learning the software and the chemical calculations and wncepts. The author claims t h a t using this workbook with other spreadsheets should present no problems, and presents a one and onchalf page appendix "How to Use Other S~readsheets".But aeain. this reviewer belleves the student shouid be thoroughly famiar'wrth the other spreadsheet and have some knowledge of QunttroPro syntax hefow attempting to use this workhook.
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Russell Ban Kenyon College Gambier. OH 43022
hlstnnnns of scwnce, students of selence, and anyone concerned w t h the wellsprings of sclentlfic ereatlwty
George B. Kauffman and Laurie M. Kauffman California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 93740
Science with a Smile Robeft L. Weber. Institute of Physics Publishing: Bristol, Phila. delphia, PA, 1992.452 pp. 15.2 x 23.2 cm. $39.00
In this, his latest anthology of humorous items related to science, Robert L. Weber, Assoeiate Professor Emeritus a t the Pennsylvania S t a t e University a n d author of A Random Walk i n Science, More Random Walks in Science, a n d other amusing hooks, offers us hundreds of irreverent quips, stories, anecdotes, jokes,lecture excerpts, eannonn, quotations, essays, poems, limericks, clerrhews, sonnets, songs, ballads, heroic couplets, letters, L'UO~Y definitions, hoaxes, a ~ h u n s m sand , pamdres of srientdie mape&culled from books,joumals, magazines, and newspapen. 'fhe sources,mostly American, Canadian, and British hut also Czech, Chinese. Russian. Hunearian. and Philinnine. are &en in the generousmargins. Theltems range in lengrh fmm"one1iners"and hilarious howlers 'from student examination papers t o n 26-page invited address titled "How to display data badly." Other tongueinsheek didactic essays include "How to write a n article to impress your peers," *How to a d a t a seminar," "Haw to survive a conference," and %ow to set up a wnsortium." Each of the hook's 14 sections is ~ r e f a e e dhv ,one or m o r e ~ a r t i e u larly apt quotatmns. Among the urplrs featured or satirized are pemonnlities (inrluding chemnsrs Walther Sernst and Peter Debye,; academic life; hureaueraey; research: scholarly publirhtng; interdisciplinary strivings; conferences; and excessive safety, food, and environmental wncerns ("God and EPA" deals with the dassaction lawsuit brought against the Deity for failingto file a n environmental impact statement before creating the universe). Not all of the pieces are humorous; far example, Irving Langmuir's 1953 talk on pathological science (which has been recently and frequently referred to in discussions of cold fusion) and the discussion of fashions in science by Nobel laureate Sir Ernst B. Chain of penicillin fame. Despite its excessive number of typographical errors, the imaginative chemistry or science instructor will find a multitude of ways to use this book on humor and humanism in science to illustrate in lecture hall, classroom, or laboratory that science can be entertaining as well as enlightening.
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Einstein's Dreams
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AlanLightman. Pantheon Boob: New York. 1993.179 pp. 10.5 x 15.8 cm $17.00. At t h e 1890 Benzolfest August Kekul6 ascribed the genesis of his concepts of both the self-linkingof carbon atoms (1858) and the cyclic structure of benzene not to conscious, rational thought hut to dreams, and h e wnduded, "Let us learn to dream, gentlemen, then perhaps we shall discover the truth." Similarly, Alfred Werner's coordination theory occumd to him in a dream. Thus, the suheonscious is often intimately connected with what Alfred B. Garrett has called "the flash of genius," a n idea readily accepted in the humanities but still greeted with some skepticism i n the sciences. Einstein himself stated, "The most beautiful thing that we can experience is the mysteriow. I t is the source of all true a r t and science," and on another occasion he maintained that "imagination is mare important than knowledge." In this slim, poeket-sized volume, which has appeared on The New York 'IEmes Book Reuiew's hestseller list, Alan P. Lightman, the physicist, astronomer, astrophysicist, and author who is currently Director of MIT's Program i n Writing and Humanistic Studies, relates in 29 short ( 3 4 pp), untitled, but dated chapters the fictional dreams that Einstein might have had fmm April 14 to June 28, during his annus mimbilis of 1905. In a "Prolorme" the 26-vear-old Bern natent clerk"sorawls i n his chair.~,head &wn on hiddesk." haldinb "twentv eru&nled naees. his new theory of time." Each of t h r following dreamlrke, surrealistic chapters postulates a different world wnh alternative possibilitiesfur the nature ofrime and desrnbes t h r physical, personal, and social consequences on a variety of fictional characters. In the chapter dated "29 May 1905" the conception of time eventually selected by Einstein for his special theory of relativity (Ann. Physik 1905, [4]17,891) is depicted: ".. . i n this world time passes mare slowly far people in motion. Thus, everyone travels a t high velocity, to gain time." Einstein appears i n three "Interludes" (each preceded by a charming woodcut of a view of Bern by artist Chris Costello) and in a n "Ep~logue"where he gives his handwritten manuscript to the typist and is left feeling "empty." Although described a s a novel, the hook is short enough to he read in a few hours hut does not show the character development or sequential organization of action and scenes associated with t h a t form of writing. Lightman's first work of fiction is actually a series of brief, imaginative, fantastic, Daliesque vignettes reminiscent of Dylan Thomas' Under Mdk Wwd (according to GBK) or Charles Dickens'A Chr~stmasCarol (according to LMK). Its poetic Dassaees abound i n vivid imazes that make extensive use of the five senses, and irr author shows a detailed knowledge not only of Bern but a l w ufuther Swisd cit>es.This unique, mramerizing, nnd thought-provoking little volume will be of interest to scientists, ~~~~
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George B. Kguffman and Laurie M. KaUffman California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 93740
From Personal Ads to Clonln Labs: More Science Cartoons fromlidney Harris Sidney Harrrs W. H Freeman: New YorK. 1993. Unpag nated [I46 pp]. 18.4 x23.3 cm.$10.95 (PBI.
In this latest hilarious book America's foremost pictorial satirist of science has assembled 138 examples (including, forthe first time, four two-page cartoons featuring Dr. Quark) of his unique and inimitable brand of zany humor culled from diverse original publications. Amang the branches of science, pseudoscience, and technology receiving another of Harris' good-natured skewering are alchemv. . " . a n t h r o ~ o l o w astronomv. -. biolow. chemistnr. computer selencc, cosmology, environmentalism, genetic programm i n ~geology, . marhemat~ea,nutrition, oceanography, physics, and zoology. The imaginative chemical educator or science teacher will find a wealth of merry material for lecture, class, or bulletin board use in this vivacious volume that we are pleased to rewmmend most heartily.
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George B. Kauffman and Laurie M. Kauffman California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 93740
Volume 71 Number 7 July 1994
A191
