book reviews tories across potential surfaces and molec-ular beam scattering. This fundamental material is then skillfully interwoven with the mare traditional subject matter of chemical kinetics. There are three ehspters on thermodynamics. Only in the last of these chapters, after the concept of free energy is introduced and defined, is the subject of equilibrium calculations brought up. This, of course, is the only proper way to handle this material. The last part of the hook is a very good section on descriptive chemistry including a survey of organic chemistry beginning with methane and ending with DNA. Speaking of DNA, this book does resist the currently fashionable trend of bringing up biological applications a t every possible opportunity. I would think that after a two-semester course using this text, students should be quite ready to go on to a physical ehemistry course using, for example, Moore's textbook. I would tend to prefer Porterfield's text even to the phenomenally successful book by Mahan, and most certainly to the often glih superficialities inflicted on freshman chemistry students by some colorful, highly publicized texts. Jeffrey I. Steinfeld MassachusetCi instifute of Technoiogy Cambridge, Mass. 02139
General and Inorganic Chemistry
PhClr with the help of the lucid deseription given of lead compounds, or chromium (II) acetate, or Ag2F. This descriptive section is packed with information which is made more palatable by frequent mention of modern uses of the compounds described, and by interesting uses, e.g., the hottest flame produced by combustion of cyanogen, how to make blueprint paper, or "explosive antimony." The only flaws noted are very minor ones indeed: the role of the kinetic energy of the electrons in bond formation is not mentioned nor is the reason explained why an outer s electron is lost more easily even though i t takes precedence in the order of filline.. (as in transition metals). The verv . simple and useid b'nuling-Slnter ruler arc not n w n t i m c d in a hnli-page d l i r u i o u of the screening of nuclear charge. The occasional reader will value the excellent index. This reviewer has been exasperated by some current texts whose index says "See group IV" when one is looking for titanium. Haggh index lists hoth titanium trichloride and its hexahydrate! There is also an index of chemists' names with dates and country of origin. This book may not suit the American freshman hecause it does not contain the usual number of glih oversimplifications such as ligand field theory, nor is it cancerned with "the environment" (although there is a short chapter on the distribution of the elements). It does succeed, however, in covering a great deal of chemistry in 775 pages, and it is hoth readable and authoritative. Teachers who want their students to know the facts of chemistry will enjoy teaching from this text. They will need a companion prohlem-book however. ~
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Thomas R. P. Gibb, Jr. Tufts UOiverSiiy Medford. Mass.
Gunnor Hogg, University of Uppsala, Sweden. Translated by Howard T. Euans, JT., U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1969. 814 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 16 cm. $23. The author's preface notes that this is a translation from the fourth (1966) Swedish edition, and acknowledges the excellent translation by Howard T. Evans. The first half is devoted to fundamental theory, including a thirty page very elementary introduction to quantum mechanics followed hy a conventional treatment of the sequence of electrons in atoms and its relation to the periodic table. The rest of this first part of the hook is typical of standard freshman texts, e.g., bonding, structure, various kinds of equilibria, kinetics, electrochemistry, etc.. but there are also two chapters whieh are not standard, one on the solid state which is extremely well handled (as might be expected from the predilections of both author and translator) and a brief chapter on surface chemistry and colloids. Part I1 is good old-fashioned descriptive chemistry, with a modern twist and frequent reference back to the principles of part I. In the latter respect this hook is superior t o many competitors. It is also authoritative and a t a slightly more advanced level than most American freshman texts. For instance, one can make
Analytical Chemistry of the Elements
A. P Vinogradou, editor. Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Ann Arbor, London. Available from International Scholarly Book Services, Inc., Box 4347, Portland, Oregon 97208. 150-450 pp. Figs, and tables. 24.5 X 17.5 cm. Each volume $20. This series is being compiled by the Vernadskii Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, USSR Academy of Sciences. The English translations are done by the Israel Program for Scientific Translations in Jerusalem. Each monograph contains a brief survey of general information and extensive examination of the reactions suitable for analytical purposes. These include procedures involving all aspects of the element's chemistry, from analysis of ores to trace impurities in the refined material. Extensive bibliographies, especially citing the Russian literature are valuable. (Continued on page A1 10)
