AN INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.I. D. Garard, New Jersey College for Women, Rutgers University. Second Edition. John Wiley and Sons. Inc., New York City. 1940. xi 389 pp. 16 figs. 15 X 23 cm. S3.00. This edition is nearly a hundred pages longer than its predecessor. Thirty-one experiments are listed in the last 40 pages of the book. It is still intended, however, as a text for a onemester course in the subject. I n general the presentation is Far and orderly. The author's point of view is expressed in the preface: "It is felt that a rather thorough study of a small field is preferable to a scant treatment of all the topics that are introduced into a course which extends throughout the year." Such restraint iscommendable. Generally, the author has succeeded in carrying out this aim but one wonders what guided his preference in devoting four pages to purines and pyrimidines, another four to a detailed list of the several'amino acids obtainable from proteins, two pages to the "table of contents" type of treatment of simple, conjugated and derived proteins, one page t o terpenes, apparently to show their complexity, yet only one sentence to Grignard reactions. Most of the topics generally found in larger texts are treated in this book (the statement in the preface notwithstanding) but these items are omitted: acetoacetic and malonic esters, nitroparaffins, organic compounds of arsenic and phosphorus. For the most part Professor Garard's presentation, although not particularly novel, has been well done. Teachers may use it with the knowledge that facts in it are well presented, that good namenclature usually prevails, and that considerable attention is paid to reactions which are of modern industrial importance. CHARLES D Hum
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NOXTAWBSTBRN UNWEBS~Y EY*NSTON,
ILL1NO~B
AN INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL SCIENCE. W. H. Hatcher, Professor of Chemistry, McGill University. John Wdey and 423 pp 66 figs. Sons, Inc., New York City, 1940. v 14 X 21.5 em. 8.00. This text is written to meet the needs of the student who does not intend t o enter the more advanced chemistry courses for professional training. I t is well adapted to the needs of those students who desire a cultural background of chemistry in its application to everyday life. I n this connection the text is admirably suited for physical science s w e y courses. The book is divided into four main units as follows: (1) Inorganic Chemistry, (2) Organic Chemistry, (3) Food Chemistry, (4) Industrial Chemistry. A relatively large portion of the text is devoted t o the first unit; however, the other units are adequate for the non-professional student.. It is assumed that the text will be supplemented by lecture demonstrations rather than by laboratory work. The book is *ry well written and stimulating. WARREN C. JOHNSON
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Uwnnrasrr~OF CarcAoo Cmca~o,lmmors
O a m c m ~AND TENTATIVE METHODSOP ANALYSIS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF OFFICUI. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTS. W . W. Skinner, E. N. Bailey, L. E. Werrrm, J. W. Sale, G. G. Frary, If. A. Lcgger, and M. E. Lapp, Editors. Fifth Edition. ~ssociatioi-ofOfficial A g r i c u l t n ~ lChemists, Inc., Washing757 DD. ~ s .and 25 reference ton. D. C.. 1940. xii .. 61 f i. tables. 15 X 23 cm. $5.00. "The mast valuable contribution made to agriculture in the last forty years has been that of the standardization of the chemical and physical methods of research in agriculture by this Association." The continuation of this purpose results in the Fifth Edition of the Official Methods, which has been kept to a convenient handbaok size and yet contains new material, including Fish and Other Marine Products, Vitamins, Microbiological Methods, and Minochemical Methods. Its value is an accepted fact; its content has been brought up t o date, and it will be a necessary reference hook for the working chemist.
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PnYsrca~ CHEMISTRY.A BRIEF COURSEWITH LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS. L. J. Bircher, Professor of Physical Chemistry, Vanderhilt University. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New York City, 1940. xvi 429 pp. 75 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $3.00. Another author attempts the difficult task of writing a textbook which seeks to give students, majoring in chemistry and chemical engineering, a brief introduction t o physical chemistry in the intermediate college years, and also to mret the needs of students who are preparing "for medicine, biology, geology, agriculture, and other hranches of engineering." It is improbable that any two teachers of physical chemistry could be in agreement as to the selection of topics for such a course and the particular emphasis which should be given. The statement hy the author of his basis of selection suggests a somewhat new approach to the problem. "The materials particularly selected are those which show how atomic structure and certain forces control solubility and chemical reactivity-two factors important in all of these sciences. This material and certain other topics that are included should serve as a background for advanced work in chemistry or for those other sciences in which chemistrv . .nlaw . an imDortant Dart. Each Dart of the book strc~ir.;a phase of the p r o l h n s uf soluhili~yand reactivity. Part I d 4 . i with the. ruk playrd by atomic and rnnlccular structure; Part I1 d!.cu.;.;c* the prwwrty of sulmances callcd lugnriry, which is related to gas and vapor pressure and which is a controlling factor in chemical reactivity; Part 111 deals with reaction velocity and with the methods used to measure chemical reactivity." Detailed directions for a series of twelve laboratory experiments are given in Part IV. Questions for review and discussion together with a few problems are given a t the end of each chaoter. Thc trenuncnt in general is non-mnthrmatical and nu knowledge of cnlculus is a~rumed. In choicr of material and development of the suh~ecrthere i.i liltlc that icunusual with rrrts of the kind; the difference in approach seems to he more a matter of terminology than of content or method of treatment. The concept of fugscity is particularly useful in the accurate quantitative description of a system and the emphasis on fugacity in a texthook which is largely descriptive and non-mathematical is of interest to the teacher but of doubtful value t o the student. The chapters on Free Energy, Tbermqchemistry, and Thermodynamics are very satisfactory h u t that on Reaction Velocity seems far from adequite. With the emphasis on the modern concepts of acids and bases in many of the recent general chemistry texthooks i t would seem that the time has come t o make a thorough revision of the treatment of electrolytic solutions in elementary physical chemistry. The material is presented clearly and the book is distinctly readable. For courses designed to give students of other sciences an elementary knowledge of physical chemistry the book is adrnirably adapted. EMMA P. CARR
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MOUNTHOLYOLB CO'LSGB SOUTAHADLBY,MASSAEBUSBTTS
L.~ORATORY AND WORKBOOK UNITS I N CHEMISTRY.M. u. Ames, George Washington High School, and B. Jaffe, Bushwick High School. Consumable Edition. Silver Burdett Company, New York City. 1940. xx 267 pp. 37 figs. 19.5 X 24 cm. $0.92. The material in this manual is divided into fifty-one units. consisting of Experiments, Observations and Questions on the Experiments, and Conclusions. The instructions for each experiment are simple, clear, and specific and the student is aided in making a concise record of what he has seen and done. After each experiment the student makes generalizations based on his own recorded observations. Supplementary Exercises and Optional Questions require application of principles developed in both laboratory and teat, and provide a means of allowing the more gifted student t o go on with his learning, while the poorer one still completes the required work.
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