ROOK REVIEWf practice for future work hut is strictly a learning technique. A few typographical errors were noted. The more serious ones include: (1) Example 3.3, p. 74, (2) problems 1and 2 of Exercises, p. 21, and (3) the conversion factor between inches and centimeters, p. 51. The latter should have been 2.540005 cm, or 0.0254 meters in S.I. units (by definition). The printing and formatting is of excellent quality and yields maximum clarity t o the user. Many appropriate diagrams and graphs are shown in two colors to help illustrate the material. This is a text that is well worth considering for adoption.
Milton E. Fuller California State University. Hayward Hayward. CA 94542
General Chemistry, Principles and Modern Applications, Third Edltion Ralph H. Petrucci. MacMillan Publishing Co., New York, NY. 1982. v 764 pp. Figs. and tables. 20.5 X 26 cm.
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Student Study Guide (to accompany Petrucci's General Chemistry, Third Edition) Robert K. Wismer, MacMillan Publishing Co.. New York, NY. 1982. i Figs. and tables. 21 X 28 cm.
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Solutions Manual (to accompany Petrucci's General Chemistry, Thlrd Edition) Ralph H. Petrucci. MacMiflan Publishing Co., New York, NY. 1982. iii 326 pp. Figs. and tables. 21.5 X 28 cm.
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Instructor's Manual, Experiments In General Chemistry (a Laboratory Program to accompany Petrucci's General Chemistry, Third Edition) Gerald S. Weiss, Robert K. Wismer, and Thomas G. Greco. MacMillan Publishing Co., New York. NY, 1982. iii 36 pp. 21.5 X 27.5 cm.
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A368
Journal of Chemical Education
Experiments in General Chemistry (a Laboratory Program to accompany Petrucci's General Chemistry, Third Edition) Gerald S. Weiss, Robert K. Wismer, and Thomas G. Greco, MacMillan Publishing Co.. New York. NY, 1982. v 350 pp. Figs. and tables. 21 X 28 cm.
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This atttactive third edition of Petrucci's text has much to recommend it and stands in sharp contrast t o the other three members of this "teaching package." The skillful organization of the textual material allows the chapters t o he used in numbered order by instructors who are "text followers," or used in altered order hy those who are "syllabus followers." Moreover, the presentation of large topics in judiciously arranged multiole-chanter format enhances the adoution of the Iwok fur use in cuur3t.s d i t r r w in h t h level of instruction and inilructimal gusli. There are, for example, two chapters on bonding, the first dealing with elementary concepts and VSEPR theory; the second presenting valence bond and molecular orhital theory. There are also two chapters on bonding, two on acids and bases, and several in which chemical equilibrium is treated. The book is lucidly written, with analogies often used brilliantly to convey abstract concepts. The graphics are pleasing and are kept sufficiently subdued t o avoid overwhelming the written material. Extensive use is made of marginal comments, examples, tables, and figures. The initial end-of-chapter problems are grouped helpfully by topic, with brief answers given in the back of the hook, and are followed by a shorter set with neither headings nor answers. Finally, there is a self-test with answers. A feature which will weaken the text for some is that of encouraging problem solving by the conversion factor method, an approach which reinforces student tendencies to assume that all natural relatimihip5 are direct pruportimalities. while diiwuraging analytical thinking. Espwisily in it&himwtry. cunversion lacturs divert the student from the chem~strypinl: on and fail to drvtlup his ahilrtv 1%)derive avvnwrinte mathematical .. . relationships from fundamental chemical relationships. Instructors who stress understanding over memorization will prefer to teach their own brand of problem solving. The author introduces stoichiometry early in the text, following a useful trend which others have discovered assists in catching students' interest and preparing them for laboratory. Strangely, however, the inherently dull (to most students) topic of gases has been moved uo to an unneeessarilv, earl". point and is separated by six chapters frum a trratment uf liquidsand ididr. Equilibrium runsiderations d w slighted in ~xidutiow reduction and complex ion treatment. Descriptive chemistry fits so logically with periodic trends that it seems a mistake not to connect these topics proximately. Indeed, descriptive chemistry is given short shrift, desoite current renewed emohasis in introenergy would help also The supplementary solutions manual gives a thorough explication of problems from the text, but i t suffers aesthetically from using typed and hand-drawn manuscript in photo
offsrt. The rtudy guide giws practirr quines that ran he gmd learning tools hut mivrs w n w svund rtudy suggestions with pour ndvice on preparation for and use of lecture time, and its admonitions concerning how to accomplish objectives from the text seem inappropriate for students in whom one hopes to inculcate intellectual independence. The aceomoanvine , ,.unimoressive laboratow manual takes s tot, typwal fill.m.the-blank appwach and is r p a r 4 y illustrated. The pro~nisinginclusion ui a prrlsb report turns out t o require no more than responding t o a few questions and problems, while many items in the final lab report belong in the prelab report, if the intent is to assist the student in comprehending the experiment to he undertaken. Petrucci's versatile text is, then, commendable for courses not requiring a deep penetration of the theoretical underpinnings of introductory chemistry. The "package" appears, however, to have been unfortunately completed with material far less carefully crafted.
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Gerald W. Gibson College of Charleston Charleston. SC 29401
Basic Chemistry, Third Edition William S. Seese and Guido H. Daub. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs. NJ. 1981. 596 pp. Figs. and tables. 19 X 24 cm. The first two editions of this textbook in 1973 and were reviewed in THIS JOURNAL 1978. Those who liked either of those will doubtless like this edition, because the chanees are not extensive. The chaoter on organic chemistry ~n the wrond editivn has been expanded to twu chaptrrs, and the chapter on nuclear chemistry that was deleted from the second edition has been restored, for a total of twenty chapters. S.I. units are mentioned in a footnote and treated in more depth in an appendix. The hook was written t o be used in non-maiors chemistn, courser whose students haw had little or no preparation in sciencp or mathematics heymd rnultiplirati~nand division.'l'hus, a f k r an introductory chapter it appropriately spends most of the second chapter on basic mathematical calculations, including measurements. The other chapters come in the expected order: concepts of matter, atomic and molecular structure, and inorganic nomenclature. Then follow three chapters on chemical calculations, two on states of matter and one devoted almost entirely to water. The next four cover solutions, acids and bases, redox, and kinetics. Last are the two chapters on organic chemistry and the one on nuclear chemistry. There nre eight appendices including answers to most of the problems, and a glossary. The greatest strengths continue to be the extensive use of the factor-unit method of calculations, the relaxed writing style, and the large number of example problems worked out in detail. Overall, both the quantity and variety of the problems a t the ends of the chapters are excellent and seem exceptionally ~
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relatianshins are treated in somewhat more depth, first in introductory chapters (Chapters 2 and 3) and invarious sections there& ter. Stermisomeri~mis introduced earlv and is developed further in later chapters including one (Chapter 8) which is devoted t o the topic of Molecular Shape. I t is a pity that, the structural diagrams are not better drawn. Several chapters feature elective topics which the author suggests are of interest but of peripheral importance t o a short course. One of these concerns elimination and suhstitution mechanisms of organohalogen compounds. It is dehatahle whether this topic deserves more than elective status, especially since the text of succeeding chapters makes reference to these mechanisms. Other chapters are devoted t o topics of special interest, notably fats, oils, and waxes (Chapter 141, carbohydrates (Chapter 11). Biopolymers (Chapter ll), Synthetic polymers (Chapter 18). and Spectroscopy (Chapter 18). Apart from thelatter, which is too superficial to be useful, these topics are presented in a brief but informative manner. In a brief text of this kind, much must inevitably be omitted. The most obvious omission is the role of organic synthesis in organic chemistry. In turn, the coverage of carhonyl chemistry is minimal. However, the essentials are included and there are relatively few errors. In particular, the author may be commended for the clarity of the presentation. Mariorie C. Caserio University of California,lwine Iwine. CA 92717
discussion of standard states and reference states in thermodynamics, an unusually thoroueh treatment of electrical conductance. ~. and rime hiolugical and polymeric epplicalions diitrihurcd thnmghouf the t~x.k.l'lw treatment i,t'quanturn chmllc~l10pic.i ir clear and authoritative, as we would expect from Levine. There is more emphasis on quantitative aspects of chemical bonding than ia characteristic of current texts. Both SI and non-SI units are used. Despite the excellent writing which Levine has done, the book has faults. The style is one which drives inexorably through a given subject with only occasional illustrative problems or helpful figures. The format is very dull and requires definite concentration t o pay attention. An improvement in production format could definitely improve the attractiveness and utility of a text which is already very good. As it is now the book will probably be used mostly by teachers to upgrade their own backgrounds. That is how I plan to use i t unlessafuture editionmakes more concession to student needs such as more worked-out problems and more informative figures. Dewey K. Carpenter Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Physical Chemistry Ira N. Levine. McGraw-Hill, New York. NY, 1978.847 pp. 24 X 19.5 cm.
"This textbook was originally conceived to fulfill the requirements of The Technician Education Council Standard, Safety and Laboratory Practice Level I (U761001). The contents have been expanded so as t o be applicable t o any person commencing work in a laboratory-whether in school, college, or industry. The text assumes little prior knowledge of science." As the above opening paragraph suggests, the presentation is directly aimed a t a British audience, and it appears nicely to serve the targeted market. Information is provided on coping with electrical, mechanical, chemical, and physical hazards. "Assessment Questions" for students are a t the end of each chapter, and answers are provided in an Appendix plus a set of "Revision Questions" without answers. Some of the material could be useful here in training laboratory technicians, hut the frequent citation of British statutes and the use of terms unfamiliar t o our readers (e.g., Perspea" for acrylic plastic) will limit adoptions in the United States. There are few references to standard American texts, and those listed tend to be out of date. Malcolm M. Renfrew
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well chosen, hut it was surprising that there were no numerical kinetics problems. The chapter discussion was sufficient to prepare students for some. The references to "eleetronie shells" in the second edition have heen changed to "principal energy levels" in every place except one. This will help reduce student confusion from trying tolearn both the old and new theories of atomic structure. The list of recommended readings a t t h e ends of the chapters would seem to be wishful thinking for student reading a t this level but should be quite helpful to the instructar. The cartoons have been retained from the previous edition. While they are drawn well, this reviewer did not find them particularly humorous or illustrative. The second edition of this textbook was one of the best available for non-maiors courses, and all of the changes madr for the third cdirion appear to make rt httter. J. Michael Conner Regis College ~~
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Organlc Chemistry, An lntroduclion Jack E. Fernandez, Prentice-Hall, Inc., En538 pp. glewood Cliffs. NJ. 1982. vii Figs. and tables. 18 X 24 cm. $19.95
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This book is intended for a one-semester or two-quarter course in organic chemistry for nonmajors. Despite its brevity, i t manages to cover the mast important aspects of the subject in a reasonably thorough manner. For this reason, it promises to be a useful text for the serious student who needs t o obtain a firm grasp of the fundamentals of organic chemistry. The writing style is straightforward and clear. Sentences are short and carefullv canstrurtpd to present the k q concepts with n minimum d'wordu. (:ompleaitv is carefully avoided. The format is also designed for maximum clarity. Major reactions under discussion are set apart with ruled lines for emphasis and as a visual aid in reviewing the material. Another useful feature is a glossary of "new terms" a t the end of every chapter. The glossary serves as a convenient chapter summary. The text is interspersed with problems t o illustrate the concepts within each section. There are ample additional exercises a t the end of eachchapter, andanswers to selected exercises appear a t the end of the book. The oresnization of tonics is traditional in "~ that compounds are clns~ificdsrcurding to their funrr~onnlity.Four chaprersartdevotpd to hydnmrbona followed hg chapters on halogen, hydroxylie, carhonyl, and nitrogen compounds. Within this structure, a timehonored a n ~ r o a c his used which includes for each clasd bf compound short sections on structure, physical properties (with ample tables of physical data), nomenclature, preparation and reactions, and qualitative chemical tests. Reaction mechanisms are discussed judiciously but are not given particular emphasis. Structure and reactivity ~~~
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A370
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This is a very good book which could have been even better. The writing is clear and a m a t e , and thelevel of presentation is high. The principles are carefully explained, and the equations are derived with a good balance between mathematical rigor and physical insight. It is not as good in imparting a feel for experimental aspects. It is perhaps the most carefully written of all cutrent physical chemistry texts. A student who is up to the level of the treatment which Levine gives will certainly come away with a real understandine of the nrineinles. "her traditional one in The - - - - - of . &ics ;s the~~-~ which macroscopic equilibrium thermodynamics is followed by molecular andlor kinetic phenomena. Statistical mechanics is delayed until thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and spectroscopy have been presented. Kinetic theory, however, follows directly after thermodynamics. There are very useful sections on mathematical topics from calculus interspersed a t appropriate places. Good reviews of classical mechanics and electrostatics precede the material in which these disciplines are used. Some (hut not all) chapters have good summaries a t the end, hut this hook does not fallow the current trend of stating learning objectives, glossaries of important terms, etc. Among the specific things done really well are the discussion of temperature, of the Third Law of Thermodynamics, precise definitions of terms throughout the book, the ~~~
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Safety a n d Laboratory Practice, Level
I B. P. Clarke, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York. NY. 1981. vii 157 pp. Figs. and tables. 14.5 X 22 cm. $17.95.
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Chemistry in Today's World D. Ainley, J. N. Lazonby, and A. J. Masson, Mills & Boon Ltd., London. 1980. 403 pp. Figs. and tables. 19 X 24 cm. The authms of this text haveskillfully mtrrwoven thccrctical princ~plrsand erperr-
