REGENT BOOKS THE CONDENSED CHEMICALDICTLONARY. Compiled and edited by the editorial staff of the Chemical Engineering Catalog (Francis M. Turner, Editorial Director). Third Edition, completely revised and enlarged under the supervision of Thomas C. Gregory, Editor. Reinhold Publishing Corporation, New York City, 1942. 756 pp. 15 X 23 cm. 512.00. This third edition of a standard work which has already found a n important place in the chemical Literature contains a number of new features. Among these is the inclusion of a large numher of chemical specialties which are sold under trade or brand names. I n many cases there are also "typical specifications" which describe the product as marketed and sold commercially. Over 6000 new items have been added in this edition. Anyone not already familiar with the DICTIONARY wU find in it a surprising amount of useful information about many substances or products with which he may have t o deal. I n a few cases this information is m i t e extensive and encvclooedic. More . . than four pagcs are dcvored. for rsample, to the suhjcrt of vilamins An intcrrsring table shows t he CRI.C~of wartime on chemical prices. The sixty-page appendix contains miscellaneous tahles which will prove useful, but which will scarcely be a substitute for a gwd handbook. The DICTIONARY should be on the reference shelf of every well-equipped laboratory. NORRIS W. RAKESTRAW BROWNUNIYB%SITY P.OYIDBNEB,
RHODB I S L A N D
WORKINO WITH THE MICROSCOPE. J u k n D. Cmington, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Washington College. Chestertown, Maryland; Editor. Microscope Department, Nature Magazine; Permanent Secretary, American Society of Amateur Microscopists. Whittlesey House (McGraw-Hill Book Company. Inc.. New York City and London, 1941). xi 418pp. 121 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $3.50. "Designed as a complctc y i d c and reference work for those who wish to learn microscopy and micro-technic, this bouk not only tells the hc~inncrhow to use the instrument itself but gives complete instructions on the preparation of slides, or specimens, of every degree of difficulty from the simplest to the highly technical." Practically every type of subject and field of interest is treated; every process i s explained in clear, simple language. B v followine these Dractical directions. the amateur can learn microwope technic by himsell. ~ t e by p step, wit hout outside help In ndcfition t o the material on the preparation of slider, the book contains w.elt~l information about the mirrowupt. and its accessories, new methods in microscopy, short cuts, and special problems. The material is well organized and attractively put together. Full directions on the preparation and use of reagents. a list of sources of supplies, a bibliography, and reference tables are included. The hook will be of interest t o every amateur, hobbyist, and .studentanyone except the advanced professional-who wants to learn something of the science of microscopy.
The present volume presents the practical side of pulp and paper manufacture much more adequately than the usual t a t books on the subject. This is especially true of the chapters on the saw mill and the wood room. I t is also reflected in the series of specifications which are given for various types of machinery used by the industry, in the lists of equipment for a groundwood mill and a sulfite mill, the table of power requirements for the various units, the discussion of personnel and records, etc. However, many tables of data have been omitted hecause they can be found in the Paper and Pulp Mill Catalog. The scope of the hook is indicated by the chapter headings: Processes by Which Pulp Is Produced; Materials of Pulp; Varieties of Paper; The Saw Mill; The Wood Room; Snlphite Mill; The Acid Plant; The Alkaline Processes; The Groundwood Mill; Screening and Refining of Pulp; Bleaching; The Beater Room; The Machine Room; The Finishing Room; Converting and Coating; Paper Defects: Their Cause and Cure; General Design of Pulp and Paper Plants; Personnel and Records; The Power Plant; Testing of Paper and Paper Materials. Unlike many books which are now produced as the result of the codperstive efforts of a number of experts, this work is the product of one man's time and thought. Therefore, i t may be expected that certain subiects mav not he comoletelv covered. but the au. t h d hroad ~ crpcrience would suggest that, in genernl, wc have a reliable, practical guide tothe induirry. From the viewpoint of education, this book should be considered as a very valuable supplement to the ordinary textbouks in that, as mentioned ahove, i t supplies the practical aspect of the industry. It will be of particular interest to the young technicians and operators, because it gives them a comprehensive insight into the industry in which they are engaged or which they may cantemolate as a future source of emolovment.
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MODERNPULP AND PAPERMAKING. A PRAmUL TREATISE. G. S. Witham, Sr. Second Edition. Reinhold Publishing Corporation, New York City, 1942. 705 pp. 319 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $6.75. This volume is intended as a practical treatise rather than a scholarly work, and as such has a more direct appeal t o the man working in mills located far from any reference library. The first edition was published in 1920 and represented thirty-seven years' experience on the part of the author; the revision brings an additional fifteen yean of active work in mills in various parts .of the United States and Canada. After the author's death, this revision was published from his manuscript with the collaboration .of his son, George S. Witham, Jr.
MODERNPLYWOOD.Thomas D. Perry. First Edition. Pitman Publishing Corporation. New York City, 1942. xiii 366 pp. 129 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $4.50. A complete manual of plywood from its early history in ancient Egypt to the modern technics making use of synthetic resin adhesives. The book discusses all the uses of plywood, the various adhesives, the methods of manufacture, and the machinery involved. The first section is a glossary of terms and the last is a reasonably complete bibliography. Three sections before the last one present valuable tabular data of a technical sort, grading rules, and methods of testing for adhesive strength. The treatment is authoritative. the mesentation is loeical. and ~-the text is rcadahle. The hook will he valuable to individuals in many ficlds and perhaps suggedve to those in non-wwd-using industries, but i t willconvibt~tevery little tochemical educarmn.
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GENERALCHEXISTRY EXPERIMENTS. R. D. Billingm, Ph.D., and Hilton A. Smdnith. Ph.D., Lehigh University. Second Edition. Times Publishing Company, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1941. ix 307 pp. 28 figs. 14.5 X 22.5 cm, 52.25. For each experiment, this laboratory manual gives a short discussion of the theoretical background, directions for procedure, and illustrations where advisable. Detachable data sheets provide spaces for the date, name of student, and desk number; observations are t o he filled in, and equations for reactions are to be written. Each experiment has a number of related questions to be answered in the blank spaces provided. The laboratory manual is thus compact, uniform, and well organized throughout. The69 experiments offer a variety from which the instructor can choose those suited t o his purpose.
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