j
j
j
Recent Books
lI!
A Brief Introduction to the Use of Beilthe complicated Prager-Jacobson dassistein's Handbuch der Organischen fication method. T o the student of orHAMLINHUNTRESS, ganic chemistry the volume is recomChemie. ERNEST Ph.D., assistant professor of organic mended for thoughtful consideration and chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of study. Time spent in mastering the Technology. Cambridge, Mass. John classification system will he saved many Wiley and Sons. Inc., New York City, times over through increased facility in 35 pp. 15 X 23 an. the use of Beilstein. 1930. viii $1.00. The pamphlet is hound with a paper hi^ little based on partof a cover, hut print and paper are good. The contribution, clearly h course of lectures given at the ~ ~ work ~is a valuable ~ ~ ~ setts Institute of Technology for students presenting a and specializing in chemistry, is "a brief NATEANL. DRAKE explanation of the method of classification U NCOLLHOB WE~SIN 08 P mMARYLAND r , Mn. of organic compounds used in the fourth edition of -Beilstein's Handbuch der .-~.~ ~Organischen Chemie." It constitutes the Atoms, Molecules, and Quanta. ARTHUR most complete exposition t o be found in EDWARDRUARK, Ph.D.. Physi~ist. English of the necessarily rather involved Mellon Institute of Industrial RePrager-Jacobson classification system. search, lecturer in physics a t the UniChapter I, devoted t o an explanation versity of Pittsburgh, and HAROLD of the scope of the Handbuch, is followed CLAYTON UREY, Ph.D., associate proby four chapters setting forth the various fessor of chemistry a t Columbia Unid e s which govern the system; and the versity. Internntional Series i n Piiyrfinal chapter contains illustrations of the ics. l? K. RICHTMYER,Consulting method of finding a particular compound, Editor. McGraw-Hill Book Company, given its structural formula, provided, of Inc., New York City, 1930. xviii course, that the substance is included in 790 pp. 15 X 23 cm. $7.00. the published volumes. .In this final The appearance of this treatise on the c h a ~ t e ris t o he found also a survey of the volumes of Beilstein already published, structure of matter is truly a milestone in the progress of American chemical literawith publication dates and contents. A classification system which is t o ture. I n the words of its authors, "This include 200,000 entries, the number con- book was written with a double purpose. templated for the fourth edition of Beil- It is intended to serve the needs of those stein, is necessarily very complex, hut Dr. who approach the fascinating study of Huntress has set forth in this work in a atomic and molecular structure for the clear and logical fashion the various mles first time, and portions of i t are therefore of this complicated system. Further- written in full and simple style for these more there are few errors in formulas, newcomers. It alsa seeks to serve workers in the field with an up-to-date account of tahles, or tent. For the student specializing in other the laws of quantum theop, and with a than organic chemistry, the pamphlet will general account of important experibe of little interest, for such a student will mental researches in the field." Any one probably prefer t o waste a little time on a t all familiar with the manifold developthose rare occasions when he consults ments in the field of atomic structure will Beilstein, rather than t o try t o master agree that the authors set themselves a 1447
+
+
~
-
1448
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
gigantic task. That they have fulfilled it so well is not only a tribute to their own ability, but also to the standards of American scientific education which have produced men that could accomplish such a monumental work. As a first-rate. thoroughly sound, comprehensive treatise, this book is the equal, if not the superior, of any similar work which has been produced abroad. Considering the proportions of the field which the authors have covered, they have succeeded remarkably well in the first part of their double purpose, namely, t o make the hook readable for beginners in atomic physics. The first few chapters and the first parts of the later chapters, which deal particularly with the experimental basis of our present concepts, are essentially non-mathematical and understandable for one with the ordinary undergraduate college training in the subject. Some of the later chapters, however, will be apt t o awe any one but a specialist in the subject. This transition is indicated by the number of mathematical equation per page, the ratio being 0.94 equation per page in the first chapter, 1.7 in chapter two, approaching, as the book progresses, a value which to the ordinary reader seems pretty close to infinity. However, there is such a completeness of prwf and clearness of presentation that one may proceed through the pages of this book with a reasonable amount of study and see the unfolding of our physical concepts with considerable understanding even as far as such abstruse topics as the wave and matrix mechanic;. The above description should indicate fairly well the rEle which this book will play in chemical education. The reader who expects a popular exposition arranged primarily for the purpose of enticing him to read further will be disappointed. Its greatest use will probably be for those who have completed or are just completing a college course in chemistry or physics. With such a background and a good knowledge of calculus this book should prove really exciting. Besides this it is
JUNE.1930
well qualified to stand for several years as a standard of reference for specialists in a number of the fields which it touches.
The Chemistry of the Colloidal State. JOHNC. WARJ%, Sc.M.. Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, New York University. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 313 pp. New York City, 1930. xiv 96 figures. 15 X 22 cm. 84.50.
+
This volume is a textbook intended "to present the fundafnentals of colloid chemistry as they are disclosed by an analysis of the material available a t this time and not in accordance with the facts of twenty years ago when the subject was on the threshold of a period of very intensive scientific research." The chapter headinns are: The units of a colloidal solution; sedimentation; interfacial phenomena; turbidity and colloidal suspensions; colloidal suspensions and color; motion in colloidal suspensians; the electrical character of interfacial phenomena; the preparation of substances in the colloidal state; the gredpitation of substances in the colloidal state; water in comhinationviscosity and plasticity of colloidal suspensions; emulsions; gels; silica gel and its uses in adsorption; catalysis by contact agents. There is undoubtedly a wide difference of a p i ~ i o nas to what should be included in a 300-page introductory textbook on colloid chemistry. The author of this volume has made a very satisfactory choice of subjects and in most cases has presented the material in a manner that will he helpful alike t o teacher and pupil. The ninety-& cuts and diagrams are especially good and contribute materially t o the usefulness of the hook as a text. While welcoming a book on colloids that is designed primarily for classroom use teachers of colloid chemistry will find it desirahle. if not essential, to supplement the material included in the text. On this amount and for the reason that the volume ~
~
