BOOH R€V#Wf
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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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-
mental work in a series of chapters that cover a wide range of topics. The choice of topics has emphasized the importance of chemistry in the modern industrialized world. This hook has been written primarily for preuniversity students who are preparing for various examinations that are held in the U.K. The examples that are used throughout the text and the excellent illustrations are from situations that are familiar t o readers in the U.K. Hiih school students in this country and non-science majors a t the university level will benefit greatly from the stimulating approach that is used in this hook. There is a wide choice of student experiments as well as lecture demonstrations, all of which require only very simple equipment. Each experiment is followed by a series of thought-provoking questions. This approach stresses the importance of careful observation when carrying out experimental work. The well-written series of questions a t the end of the hook are designed to test the level of understanding that the student has achieved in the subject matter that is described in various chapters that are grouped together rather arbitrarily. The dearth of numerical nrahlems is a weakness that is evident in thir text a well as in most books at this level. Many of the important concepts that are introduced to the student can be reinforeed by the judicioususe of numerical problems. Problem sets that are provided with correct answers are an important study aid t o students who have some An increased facilitv with elementaw, aleehra. " emphasis on numerical problems would, nt the wry lenst, dirccruragc studrnra who can only memorize fmnular and rquations from becoming chemists. Quintus Fernando ~
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TITLES OF INTEREST
Carbon-13 NMR Spectral Problems Robert B. Bates and William A. Beavers, Humana Press. Clifton, NJ, 1981. xi 259 pp. Figs. and tables. 20.5 X 20.5 cm. HB $29.50, PB $12.95.
Decay Heat Removal and Natural Convection In Fast Breeder Reactors Ashok K. Agrawal and James G. Guppy, (Editors). Hemisphere Publishing Corp., 423 pp. Washington. DC. 1981. xvi Figs. and tables. 16 X 24.5 cm. $55.00.
molecules together with theoretical assignments obtained fur about 150 out of the 200 spectra. T o aid in understanding of the valence orbital structure, schematic drawings of valence orbitals are also shown for about 140 molecules calculated.
Experimental Pulse NMR. A Nuts and Bolts Approach Eiichi Fukushima and Stephen B. Roeder, Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., Reading. MA. 1981. xiii 529 pp. Figs. 16.5 X 24 cm.
lntroductlon to Alkaloids. A Blogenetlc Aonroach Gwffrey Cordell. John Wiley 8 Sons. Inc.. New York. NY. 1981. xvi 1055 pp. Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 24 cm. $125.00.
This hook is about pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR),with its techniques, the information t o be obtained, and practical advice on performing experiments. The emphasis is on the motivation and physical ideas underlying NMR experiments and the actual techniques, including the hardware used. The level is generally suitable for those t o whom pulse NMR is a new technique, he they students in chemistry or physicx on the one hand and research workers in biology, geology, or nerieulture. on the other. The hook can he "~~~~~~~~. wed for a senior or firs-year ~ a d u a t erourse where it could supplement the standnrd NMR texts.
This book summarizes the occurrence, synthesis, biosynthesis, spectroscopic properties, chemistry, and phmacology of all the alkaloid groups. Introductory chapters discuss the history, detection, isolation techniques, and the formation of the alkaloid precursors. Subsequent chapters are organized a c d i to the hiesynthetic precursor of each alkaloid group.
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Experlmental Techniques in Quantitative Chemical Analysis Vinay Kumar, University Press of Amerlca, Washington. DC, 1981. xiii 169 pp. Figs. and tables. 21 X 27 cm. PB 510.00.
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Fouling of Heat Transfer Equipment E. F. C. Somerscales and J. G. Knudsen. (Editors), Hemisphere Publishing COrp.. Washington. DC. 1981. xiii 743 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24 cm. $75.00.
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Fundamentals of Physics, Second Edition David Halliday and Robert Resnick, John Wiley 8 Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1981. xv 848 pp. Figs. and tables. 21.5 X 26 cm. $27.95.
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Guldellnes in Chemlstry. A Modern Approach to the Chemistry Laboratory David E. Newton and Gloria Nelson. J. Weston Welch. Portland, ME. 1981. vi 215 pp. Figs. and tables. 22.5 X 28 cm. PB $7.40.
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'aC NMR F. Toda, T.&hima. Y. Ishida. Y. Takehira, K. Saito, and K. Tanaka, Sankyo Publishing, lnc., Tokyo. 1981. iii 279 pp. Figs. and tables. 19.5 X 22 cm.
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This volume is a handbook of Carhon-13 -~~~~ ~~~
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NMR spectra oforganic compounds (errept natural products! which was reported in the literature thnmgh 1977. Although the (minimal introductory) text is in Japanese, the 1796spectra are systematically presented and displayed in such a way t o he useful to those who do not read that language. The compounds are organized into the usual familiar classes, which makes searching for a particular compound relatively easy.
Handbook of He1 Photoelectron Spectra of Fundamental Organic Molecules K. Kimura. S. Kahumata, Y. Achiba, T. Yamazaki, and S. Iwata, Japan Scientific 268 pp. Societies. Tokyo. 1981. vii Figs. and tables. 19 X 26.5 cm.
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I n this handbook, Part I describes the main principles of He1 photoelectron spectroscopy, a brief explanation of measurements of the photoelectron spectra compiled here, and an outline of the ob initio calculations employed. Part I1 includes ahout 200 He1 photoelectron spectra of fundamental Volume 59
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Molecular Enzymology C. W. Wharion and R. Eisenthal, (Editors), Blackie 8 Son Limited. Glasgow, Scotland, 1981. v 326 pp. Figs. and tables. 15 X 21 cm.
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"Molecular Enzymology" begins with a description of the fundamentals of catalysis, illustrating these with simple chemical reactions which may he supposed t o serve as models of catalytic processes. Protein structure is discussed in terms of the fundamental forces whieh determine the shape and dynamic behavior of protein molecules. The approach emphasizes those features thought to he mest intimately involved in the catalytic function of enzyme molecules and is illustrated with specific examples. The chapters on enzyme kinetics are covered. The fundamental kinetic equations whieh describe both the transient and the steady state are fully derived, and the equations are extended to the description of inhibition, pH-dependence, multi-substrate kinetics, and cooperativity. Stress is laid upon the practical aspects of methods of assay and analysis and interpretation of kinetic data. In discussing the classical mechanisms of reactions involving coenzymes, the prime focus is upon the coenzyme chemistry, but attention is paid to the role of the enzvme molecule in the catalytic procrss. The penultimate chnpter treats several enzyme3 whose mrrhnnisms have been studied extensively. Here detniied consideration is given to the role played by the amino acid side-chain assemblies a t the active center. ~
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Nuclear and Radiochemistry Gerhart Friedlander, Joseph W. Kennedy, Edward S. Macias, and Julian Malcolm Miller, John Wiley & Sons. Inc.. New York. NY, 1981. xiii 684 pp. Figs. and tables. 17 X 24 cm. $42.00.
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The third edition of "Nuclear and Radiochemistry" has been updated t o reflect the vast changes in nuclear science since puhli-
(Continued on page A372) Number 11
November 1982
A371
