Chemistry, An Introduction, 2nd Edition Stanley M Cherim and Leo E. Kallan, Saunders College, Philadelphia, 1980. xi 484 pp. Figs. and tables. 18.5 X 26.5
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"Chemistry, an Introduction" is "designed to encourage a mastery of basic skills" for "the capahle and highly motivated student who has not taken high school chemistry or who took it years ago or who found his previous chemistry c h s a dismal encounter." The text has chapters on Measurement; Matter, Energy and Change; Elements, Compounds, and the Mole Concept; Formulas and Nomenclature; Chemical Equations and Stoichiometry; The Behavior of Gases; Atomic Structure and the Periodic Tahle; Chemical Bonds; Solutions; Acids and Bases; Chemical Equilibrium and Reaction Rate; Oxidation-Reduction and an Introduction to Electrochemistry; Introduction to Organic Chemistry; and Nuclear Chemistry. Appendix I gives answers to numerical exercises and problems and Appendix IIpravides useful tahles and charts. This is the second edition of the text which apparently was originally entitled "The Joy of Chemistry." The order in which topics are discussed is satisfactory, and in most cases the treatment is adequate. In my opinion, however, the discussion of valence and the use of terms in the chapter on formulas and nomenclature needs to be reviewed critically for accuracy.
For example, valence is used frequently in place of oxidation numher or state. The writing is average and in many cases leaves the reader hanging when another sentence would have clarified the point being made. For a second edition the book contains too many errors both typographical and suhstantive. Many of these can he extremely confusing to the student. Some examples: "atomic masses expressed in grams" is used rather than the numher of grams numerically equal to the atomic mass; the student is urged to memorize Tahle 4-2 which shows the relationship of molar mass to combining weights rather than Tahle 4-3 which is alist of modern valences [sic] based on commonly used ionic species; a portion of a diamond crystal is illustrated as planar rather than three dimensional; "pressure is a colligate property of gases" rather than calligative;". . . illustrate the amphoterie nature of the amphiprotic species"; "the Kb value (for ammonia in water) means that the iron [sic]
"because of a double hond, hydrocarbons containing four fewer hydrogen atoms than their corresponding alkanes are named alkynes"; acetylene has "a earhon to carbon distance of 1.2 A, and a carbon-ta-carbon distance of 1.06 A"; the two Kekul6 resonance forms of benzene are identical; "the particle exists (rather than exits) through an opening a t the outer edge of one of the dees." These and many athers should, in my estimation, certainly lower the acceptability of
the book for use in a class for whieh it meets the requirements of level, order, and content. Anyone using th: book would have to note carefully and correct the errors for a class. On the positive side, the hook has a good selection of exercises and problems with numerical answers far study and review. John A. Beel University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO 80631
College Chemistry: An Introduction to Inoraanic. Oraanic. and Biochemistrv Morris Hein and Leo R Best, BrookslCole Publishina.. Monterev. CA. 1980. xvi 761 pp. iigs. and t a b ~ ~ ~ x . ' i24 g cm. $19.95.
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The second edition of this text is an expanded version (161 versus 699 pages) of its precursor, "College Chemistry" (Diekinson, 1916). The earlier text was also reviewed by t h e present reviewer (THIS JOURNAL, 54, A128 (1977)). The first nineteen chapters of the text which constitute the inorganic part are basically the same in the second edition, although the miting has been clarified in many eases and some topics have been updated and revised. I t is disconcerting, however, to note some of the same factual errors pointed out (Continued on page A261
Reviewed in this Issue
Reviewer
Stanley M. Cherim and Leo E Kalian, Chemistry, An introduction, 2nd Edition Morris Heiri and Leo R. Best, College Chemistry: An Introduction to Inorganic, Organic, and Biochemistry Charles H. Henrickson and L. C. Byrd, Chemistry for the Health Professions Mark M. Jones and John T. Nettervilie, Chemistry, Man and Society Thomas E. McDuffie and Jacqueline Anderson, Chemical Experiments from Daily Life
John A. Beel Wayne C. Wolsey
American Lung Association, Editor, Chemical Emergency Action Manual Kenneth J. Klabunde, Chemistry of Free Atoms and Particles Gilbert F. Froment and Kenneth B. Bischoff, Chemical Reactor-Analysis and Design
Jay A. Young James L. Adcock W. Harmon Ray
George C. Levy, Robert L. Lichter, and Gordon L. Nelson, Carbon-13, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, 2nd Edition
Devens Gust
J. M. Prausnitz, T. F. Anderson, E. A. Grens, C. A. Eckert, R. Hsieh, and J. P.
Jack Winnick
Ethelreda Laughlin Dewey K. Carpenter Philip K. Welty
O'Connell Computer Calculations for Multicomponent Vapor-Liquid and LiquidLiquid Equilibria New Volumes in Continuing Series
Volume 59
Number 1
January 1982
A25
