book reviews
and perhaps minors is an important and rapidly growing phenomenon in chemical education. No textbook which does justice t o the breadth, depth, and philosophical implications implicit in such a course has yet appeared.
Chemistry and the Technological Backlash
James L. Pyle, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Prentice-Hall, Ine., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1974. xiii + 354 pp. Figs. and Tables. 15.5 X 23 cm. $11.95. Since 1970 or 1971 the number of books relating chemistry to the environment, pollution, and/or the energy crisis has increased geometrically with a doubling time which appears to he on the order of six months or less. As one librarian in a recent Punch cartoon, glancing warriedly a t overcrowded stacks, remarked to a colleague, "Do you realize that if hooks on the environment continue to proliferate a t the present rate, then by the year 2M)O. Of course one assumes that some sort of Malthusian limit will he reached eventually. In such a situation a rapid decrease in population is to be expected, from which only the fittest will emerge as survivors. One of the delights (and difficulties) of writing in this field is that there is no cansensus regarding fitness. One has nearly free rein (but also full responsibility) in deciding what to include and how to approachit. James L. Pyle has m i m e d the interdisciplinary breadth of environmental problems in the number of topics he has included in "Chemistry and the Technological Backlash." His chapter headings constitute almost an honoi roll of problems which have received copious media coverage: Energy, eutrophication, organic chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, solid waste, trace analysis techniques, government regulation, population, food additives, drugs, and ethical and political dilemmas faced by scientists. According to the preface the book is designed t o complement and supplement any of the basic texts used in general chemistry. The level of treatment is described as being appropriate for both science and non-science majors, although Pyle does qualify this assessment with the hope that the latter will not he "unduly challenged a t times by what may seem to he chemical sophistication" and the former will not be "unduly bored by what he may see as chemical simplicity." Pyle further suggests that the text mieht be used alone for a auarter or " semester course, provided that students had adequate background.
. . ."
-Reviewed
Unfortunately I cannot agree that any of these uses will he satisfactory. The level of presentation is'not consistent, fluctuating rapidly from high to law to high again. Far example, on page 19 in the section on photosynthesis is found the statement, "Energy levels are not unlike a stepladder, in that only certain levels are 'allowed' and the energy difference between them is definite or quantized." Two paragraphs later we read that, "Glucase occurs mostly in a cyclic structure with five carbons and one oxygen forming the ring. Four hydroxyl groups and a hydrmymethylene (CHIOH) group are linked to the ring as shown (Fig. 1.3). and hydrogen atoms complete the structure." I simply do not believe that even the better non-science majors are going to be able to fallow the latter, especially if it is encountered fairly early in the course. For science majors in the freshman course or a specifically designated environmental course two more problems arise. The factual and conceptual material is not always clear or correct. On page 24 entropy is introduced in such a way that it appears t o be conserued in a spontaneous process (largely due to the fact that only the system is considered). Numerous statements suffer from lack of good editing as on page 25, "This equilibrium, shown in Fig. 1.7, illustrates the components of this equilibrium." On page 28 we are treated to, "Coal is elemental carbon, although many hydrocarbons are present." If only it were!: No SO2 and the major man-made source of mercury in the environment eliminated! I had hoped that the broad coverage indicated by the table of contents of "Chemistry and the Technological Backlash" would make it a competitor with Manahan's "Environmental Chemistry" (see this Journal, 50 A512, 1973), whieh does not give adequate coverage of energy and solid waste problems. Unfortunately Pyle has sacrificed depth for breadth in an attempt to cater to the non-science student. For broader (though still somewhat choppy) coverage, Hodges' "Environmental Pollution" (which has not been reviewed in these pages) might he considered (demite the fact that its author labels himself as n physicist' 1 believe that the separate en\,ironmenrnl rhemistr). murse ior majors
in this Issue
. . .A453 James L. Pyle, Chemistry and the Technological Backlash John O'M. Boekris, and Ronald A. Fredlein, A Workbook of Electrochemistry . . .A453 Georee F Sekenk. Absomtion of Light and Ultraviolet Radiation: Fluorescence and Phosphurescenre i.:mwsmn . . .AKA ('mrperH Lan&d, HASIC F.qud~hriumCalcdnrions . . ACA O ~ g a n Chm:str\ ~c of 1.iir. Headings fmm 5 r i ~ n r r i t e A n z ~ r r m n 2.134
John W. Moore Eastern Michigan University Ypsiianri, Mich. 48197.
A Workbook 01 Electrochemistry
John O'M. Bockris, The Flinders University and Ronald A. Fredlein, The University of Newcastle. Plenum Press, New York, 1973. X 177 pp. Figures and Tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $9.95.
+
This reviewer has a strong intuitive feeling that little electrochemistry remains in the standard undergraduate physical chemistry sequence, primarily because of the seductive demands of quantum chemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics. Although there has been a n accompanying increase in emphasis in analytical ehemistry courses, the general trend seems to be unfortunate since, as these authors convincingly demonstrate, electrochemical science can he an excellent integrating summary of physical chemistry, as well as a vital, legitmate discipline by itself. This book serves the purpose of self-instructing a topical overview of the dynamic field of electrochemical science. It is not a textbook, but is appropriately called a workbook. The authors state that the intent of this hook is to "set down a number of questions.. . to help the student of electrochemical science." It appears that such a specified audience is too narrow and that most graduate students in physical chemistry, chemical engineering, or metallurgy would profit by browsing in this book sometime during their graduate programs. The mature undergraduate student should also he able to learn from this book, after completing his physical chemistry course. This little volume certainly contains problems of numerical nature as well as derivations, but there also are questions which require nontrivial consideration of practical processes and proposed models. Not only is this a book of questions, but almost one-half of the questions have answers included which are worked out in some detail. The reviewer feels that this is a significant educational dividend since these answers can be very instructive to the reader when the material is unfamiliar or the problem seems too difficult. The mathematics used is certainly honest (the Langevin function appears on p. 15 and the error function first shows up an p. 36) but it is not flaunted promiscuously, and can usually be understood in context. It is expected that the student know, or be willing to learn, mathematical approaimations and there are several places where the interconversion of units is shown as an effective exercise. This book is definitely not a limited development of classical topics, although one can find passing reference to the Faraday, ionic equilibria, cell potentials, and free energy. Along with various questions on thermodynamics and (Continued an pageA454)
Volume 51. Number 9. September 1974
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