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t o be 98% a t 0.001 m and 79% a t 0.03 m a t 25O.” These percentages are undoubtedly conductance ratios and not, as the authors of this book certainly know, measures of t h e degree of ionization. A few typographical errors have been noticed. Thus on page 182, AH for the heat of formation of P401ois negative and not positive; on page 287, AE and AH for the dissociation of 02 should be positive and not negative. Altogether this excellent book can be recommended enthusiastically to the attention of all teachers and students of chemistry. F. H. MACDOUGALL. I n f r a r e d Spfctroscopy: I n d u s t r i a l A p p l i c a t i o n s a n d Biblzography. By R . B . BARNES, R . c. GORE,U. LIDDELL, ASD V. Z. WILLIAJIS.vi 236 pp.; 11 figures; 363 infrared transmission curves. S e w T o r k : Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1944. Price : $2.25. The purpose of this volume, and the limitations of i t , are adequately stated in the preface: “This work is presented as a partial answer t o the increasing demand for information concerning the industrial applications of infrared spectroscopy. It is not claimed t h a t this material represents a complete survey of the field or its literature or the ultimate in infrared techniques. Rather, the applications and the results discussed are based entirely on work done in this laboratory in order that a unified picture of a typical infrared research program could be available t o those who may be interested.” It will surprise no one who is acquainted with Dr. Barnes’s long experience in infrared spectroscopy and in the industrial application of this tool, t o learn that he and his fellow-authors have turned out a n excellent book for this purpose. The volume discusses, rather briefly, the applications of infrared spectroscopy, the experimental equipment and techniques involved, the elementary theory needed t o understand the tool, and its present status in the industrial field. Both the advantages and the limitations of infrared spectroscopy are presented clearly. The book should appeal t o the reader who is ignorant of infrared technique and applications, but who wishes t o gain some knon-ledge of them in order that he may appreciate the possibilities of this research tool. The volume can be heartily recommended t o this group. The infrared spectroscopist who is already fnniiliar with the field viill find no new material in the text; he will, however, profit from, and perhaps find stimuli in, the discussion of the various applications of infrared spectroscopy. The “library of reference curves”363 infrared transmission curves of various organic materials-is of value for preliminary study of the spectra of particular compounds, characteristic bands of particular functional groups, and the like; its value is limited by the fact t h a t the curves cover only the region from 5 t o 12 mu (in many cases only from 8 t o 10 m u ) , by the absence of any numerical values for the band frequencies, and by the fnct that the appearance of a given infrared band does, alas, vary with the instrument used t o study i t . The bibliography of 2701 references is perhaps the most valuable feature of the book t o the specialist in the field. The material in t h e volume, with the important exception of the bibliography, was previously published in I n d u s t r i a l a n d Engzneering Chemtstry ( A n a l y t i c a l E d i t i o n ) ; its publication in book form is a distinct service to those working in and those considering the application of infrared spectroscopy. BRYCEL. CRAWFORD, JR.
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