BOOK REVIEWS acid-base c~talysis. The reviewer feels every instructor should give serious consideration to this text. The second in the series, entitled "The Noble Gases," might have been given a subtitle of "Interactions between Molecules and Atoms and How They are Investigated." Using the very timely topic of the noble gas compounds, how they were discovered and how their structures were elucidated, the author introduces to students most of the techniques of modern chemistry. A second credit to this text is the two level presentation which makes certain parts suitable for beginning students and certain parts suitable for more advanced students. The selection of these parts is made by the author in the preface. This text is another needed addition to a growing, useful, undergraduate library that will allow the student to feed his interest beyond the level of the usual text. The third in this series, "The Metalloids," defines what is usually meant by the term metalloid and attempts to give some quantitative way of delinesting them in terms of eleotronegativities. This differentiation of these elements from the met& snd nonmetals is carried further in terms of physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The depth of the approach is such that any student can follow it. The find parts of this text are topics selected by the author to give some depth to s student's understanding of the descriptive chemistry of these elements. R. K. BIRDWHISTELL University of West Florida Pmacola 32503
Operator Theory
Methods
in
Ligond
Field
Hiroshi Watonabe, Hokkaido University, Japan. Prentiee-Hell, Ino., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1966. ix 193 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $9.50.
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My first reaction to this book was that there was little need for it because of the abundance of good texts wsilitble. Yet, I have found myself using this small book as a reference while workmg on recent problems, and I believe that others will also find it a useful addition to their "working" bmkshelf. The text, based on lectures given by Professor Watanabe a t the University of Michigan and a t Hokkaido University, is very concise. It covers the elements of angular momentum, infinite group theory, the seniority scheme, and ligand field theory in 146 pages. I t assumes a knowledge of matrix theory and topics which appear in "The Theory of Atomic Spectra" by E. U. Condon and G. H. Shortley (2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, London, 1957). Each of the first three chapters begins with a block diagram showing the interconnectedness of the equations developed in the text. This technique is only one of the valuable
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reference points for the researcher. The appendix is a very useful tabulation of the spherical harmonics to sixth order, irreducible tensors to rank six, basis fun* tions for the octahedral group, ClebsohGordon coefficientsfor cubic groups, state vectors in the strong field scheme, and symmetry classified ligand orbitals for octahedral, tetrahedral and cubic coordinations. Indeed, it is these tables, together with the brief text, which make it a very handy volume. The brevity of the hook is certainly a shortcoming, if it were to be considered as s. graduate course text. In addition, there are no proble~mor exercises given. The hook is quite free from errors, with one exception found in most hooks on the subject. The character table for the double group of T is in error, but may be easily changed by comparing with the correct table given in "Properties of the Thirty-Two Point Groups," by G. F. Koster, J. 0 . Dimock, R. G. Wheeler, and H. Statz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, Cambridge, 1963). The fine printing work of Prentiee-Hall, together with this careful and precise manuscript of Professor Watanahe, should make this volume valuable and useful tool for any worker in this field. PAULB. DORAIN Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts
Chemie Lexikon.
Four Volumes
i.e., English translations of the omresponding German terms. The sixth edition differs from its predecessors especially by approximately 100,000 changes in the text (new inclusions of and deletions of outmoded entries) supplementary information, corrections, etc. In short, the text has been brought up to date so far as is feasible considering the magnitude of the undertaking. I n its present form, this outstanding chemical encyclopedia is a fitting capstone t,o fhe lifework of Hermmn Riimpp, whose professional life (his norms1 workweek was 80 hours) was spent in the servioe of his fellow chemists. Most of this sixth edition was esseniially complete when he died of a heart attack on April 24, 1964. A great debt is owed to Dr. Erhard dhlein for bringing this task to s successful conclusion. Dr. tfhlein had assisted Rompp for some yesrs by making suggestions, correcting proof, and the like, and had promised RBmpp, who perhaps had a presentiment that he would not live too many yesrs more, that he would continue this important project. This reviewer suffered a. g n a t personal los9 when Professor R6mpp died. He has been told that a letter from him was perhaps the lsst piece of correspondence that reached this eminent encyclopedist before his death and while he was working on his "Lexikon." This letter said in part: "I consult your Lexikon practically every day and I thank God that he has created a man l i e Rompp, who gives me so much information and stwen me so much time that otherwise I would have to spend in libraries."
Hmnann R h p p (deceased). Revised and Edited by Erkurd Uhlein. 6th ed. Franckh'sche Verhgshandlung, S t u t t g a t , West Germany, 1966. viii 3930 pp. Figures. 17 X 24.5 om. 390 (cash); 429 DM (installments). (1 DM = $0.25.)
R a m E. OESPER Universitg of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio
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The first edition of this outstanding chemical encyclopedia appeared in 1947; the single volume of 1370 pages contained 7700 entries. Suooeeding editions a p peared a t fairly regular intervals; the number of entries went up to 28,850 oocupying 2933 pages divided into three volumes. The latest three editions were reviewed in THIS JOURNAL (see 39, 416 L19621). What was said in these p r p ceding reviews need not he repeated here; the earlier findings are confirmed and reemphasized with respect to the edition issued in 1966. The tardiness of this
sent out until a reprinting could be made. This fact alone testifies to the worth that the chemical German-reading public has accorded "Rompp!' The sixth edition in four good-sized volumes offers to the reader 7930 halfcolumns of clearly printed text. There are 37,500 entries with extensive discussions, 29,560 sources of supply (many with prices), 48,950 references to the technical literature, 13,570 proprietary articles, 1,150 brief biographical sketches of eminent chemists. A valuable new feature is the inclusion of an Index comprising 23,000 English technical terms,
Gmelinr Handbuch der Anorganischen Chemie. 8. Aufloge, System Nummer 57, Nickel. Teil AI, Ger~hichtlicher, Vorkommen, Dorstellung
Edited by E. H. E. Pietseh and the Gmelin Institute. Verlag Chemie, GMBH, Weinheim/Bergstrasse, 1967. nrv 641 pp. Tables. 17.5 X 25.5 em. $152.
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as recent as 1965. After a short historical section, a large part of this volume summarizes the geochemistry data which have accumulated since the turn of the century. The occurrence of nickel, from the cosmos to the innermost parts of the Earth, is covered in detail, as well as theeconomicimplications of the production of the metal. Another large portion of the book discusses the technology and varied methods of preparation of nickel metal. Short chapters on the nickel isotopes and toxicity conclude the volume.
B. VANDOREN J-&NET College of Wooste~ Wwste7, Ohio (Continued on page -4668)
