For Pet Users The Channel Data Systems 5960 Mandarin Ave. Goleta, CA 93017
2 "The Channel Data Book," is a source book of materials, software, hardware, etc., for Commodore P E T microcomputer. Very Complete.
In the Future J o h n Moore a n d Joe Lagowski are working on an NSFfunded uroiect entitled "Dissemination of MicrocomunterBased 1nst;uctional Materials." T h r o u g h this projeci, they will establish proredurrs for solicirin~,evaluatinp, publicizinp, and dissemin&ng instructional m o h e s , m G o E which will be computer based. Several workshops based o n those previously organized b y DIVCHED's Computer T a s k Force are also planned. T h e first workshop is scheduled for t h i s August i n coniunction with the 7 t h Biennial Conference o n Chemical ~ d i c a t i o uat Oklahoma State University. For more information about this project, write J o h n Moore, Visiting Professor, D e p a r t m e n t of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, (608) 262-0215. Persons interested i n volunteering as reviewers o r i n subm i t t i n a their uroarams or modular materials should also . c o n t a d John.
In the preface to this hook, the author states that the text is designed to meet the special needs of the nonseience student in an introductorv science course. The author has succeeded in that he has treated a large numhrr of toprc* utll and in rufflclmt deL111 ior ondrrrtnnding nilhuut rnv~mlwringthestudent w ~ t htupw.i rrqurmg a rigorous throrrtical background. 'l'hr organiratiun o i the bwk i i designed first to capture the student's interest by including such topics as environmental concerns, alcoholic beverages, drugs,steroids, and hirth control. These are followed hy a brief theoretical treatment of structure and hondinp, which in turn is elucidated bv nractical applications intended to-involve the student in learning ehemical principles. Part 1is an introduction totopimwhich concern the average citizen, sueh as radiation hazards, radiochemistry, nuclear power generation, and nuclear waste disposal. Part 2 contains a basic review of the principles of structure bonding, a review of solutions, and a brief introduction to organic chemistry. Part 3 deals with problems of the environment, energy, energy alteration, synthetic fuels, air and water pollution. Part 4~conee&ates on a & d t u r a l cbemistry-the chemistry of living plants, fertilization, photosynthesis, and insect contml. Part 5 centers around the chemistrv of food and includes such topics as alcoholic beverages, baking, dairy products, food preservation, fats, oils, and food additives. Part 6 treats the topic of drugs from dental health to mental health. With regard to reading level, previous science experience, and background, this text is ideally suited for the junior college or senior college nonscience student. Perhaps with modification it could also lend itself to use at the senior high school level. I recommend this text as an excellent source book for information on cunent topics and practical processes and as a classroom reference for use by teachers and students alike. GRANTE. CAREY ChurchvilleZhili Senior High School Churchville. NY 14428
Applied C h e m i s t r y William R. Stine. Allyn &Bacon. Inc.. Boston, MA, 1981, 2nd Edition. 558 pp. $22.95.
1 For those who brlirvs that the heart and soul of ehemirtry is entwined with the studrnth nbdiry towlvc prohlema, hnlnnce equations. or rrcuenirr the ~ r o n r r t i r of s matter hnaed on hcmdinr! o r thermodynamL characteris&, this book will not meet their approval. On the other band. the nonseience student who does not have a rather rigorous background in the terminology of science may have difficulty with this text. As many as ten terms are introduced on a single page, and if the student, particularly a nonscience student, does not have substantial background, there is the possibility of frustration. The text is organized into six well-identified sections, giving the instructor the flexibility of choosing topics to fit his course. The objectives of each chapter are well displayed, and the summarymaterials are very adequately done. The chapter problems could be better titled as review questions hut, nevertheless, do guide the reader to very specific conceptual material. The references that are listed, although factual and authoritative, are, in general, not the type of a r t i e l e s h k s that the nonseience major cauld/wauld use. Many of the references are also dated and thus lack currency with the advances in the fields. This is, unfortunately, a real problem in areas where dramatic advances continue to occur. The accompanying Instmdorb Manual provides simply the answers to the end-of-chapter questions and an abundance of multiple-choice test questions that could be used in the stated form or added to so as to increase the student's understanding of the concepts. The author states that the book may he used for either a one- or two-semester course. Perhaps the greatest use for the text would he found in those schools that teach an introductory course with a constant rotation of lecturers from one semester to the next. With wellprepared introductory lectures, the instructor could use this book to support hisfher major area of interest. Most high school teachers would find this a useful reference hook, particularly in seeking detailsto such practical questions as "How does bleu cheese differ from processed cheese?" or "What is a pheromone?" WILLIAM D. LUMBLEY s~oamingtan.~ i g hSCMI saum Blaomingtan. IN 47401
534
Journal
of Chemical Education
B a s l c Conce~tsof C h e m i s t r v Leo J. Malone. John W ley & Sons. Inc. New Yord. NY. 1981. 448pp., 518.95.
1 This textbook and its accompanying study guide are written for the college student with little or no background in chemistry. I t is a relatively short volume, yet it adequately treats the topics that such an objective would require. At the high school level, it could he used as the basic text, but it would probably be more useful as a supplemental book. The hook and study guide could be very helpful to the student with a less-than-adequate mathematics background. The book postpones an in-deoth treatment of the auantitative asoects of chemistrv until pendix devoted to basic mathematics, one treating basic algebra, another reviewing scientific notation. Each of these appendices begins with a pretest for self-evaluation purposes. Other appendices cover problem solving by the unit-factor method, logarithms, and graphing techniques. There is also an extensive glossary, answers to many of the chapter problems, and an index. The entire second chapter of the text deals with math and measurement and is filled with detailed example pnAdems solved by the unit-factor methud. Thr end of the chapter runtsinr a ~ 4 t ofh pnrhlcms, the mure difi~cultones heme, marked. These are features found in all the chapters. The chapters are presented in the following order: matter, changes, and energy; math and measurement; nuclear structure and reactions; atomic structure and bonding: the naming of compounds; the mole and chemical equations: water and aqueous solutions; acids, bases, and salts, oxidation-reduction; kinetics and equilibrium; aqueous acid-base eouilibria: and oreanic chemistrv. The chaoters are written students experience. Concrete analogies are used frequently to assist the students in understanding abstract concepts sueh as energy levels and chemical bonding.
