8) Most "Problems" are only additional Exercises. 9) The theory of the origin of the elements is not concise and appears to omit the neutron capture process.
he l g e ot the ~ o l e c u l e :chemirtry in the World and Soclety
Frank W. Dobbs, Northeastern Illinois University. Harper and Row, Publishers, New York, 1976.336 pp. Figs. and Tables. 14.9 em X 23.5 cm. $9.95. This book is another attempt t o interpret science and the significance of science on society to the nonscienee majors via some chemistry. It is an ambitious effort to capture the curiosity and imagination of those students with the brain stretching ideas and successes of science and their implications on our social and political life. It will get its share of severe criticism and, as all too often, only gentle praise for the courage to experiment in this important area. T o review such a hook is a tough assignment for us who have been disciplined with indoctrination of the merits of a thorough treatment of chemistry rather than a skimming gesture or a "cut and cover" procedure as good for everyone; but I feel that the authors of sueh booksshould be congratulated for their cowage to explore (in spite of us) the many different approaches t o meet this important opportunity of developing a course for nonscienee majors. The author says that the hook is about chemistry. He does not claim i t t o be a rigorous treatment of chemistry. It comprises only 14 chapters (not all chemistry) and 336 pages. The author has given a quick oveniew of many interesting and exciting topics such as: The evolution of the atom, Atomic structure and the structure of the molecule, Some principles of chemistry, Chemistry of space, Rocks and minerals, Elements of life; DNA, Anaesthetics; Drugs, Some industrial processes, Energy, Chemistry of environment, Pollution, and two chapters on Importance of Technology on Society and Science. It ends with a plea for a scientifically literate cit-
izenry or a t least leadership. This gives a quick hroad sweeping tour-an overview which for many nonscience majors may be more useful than a rigorous treatment of a few topics. But several weaknesses should be recognized 1) The style is "telling" rather than "teaching3'-sometimes this is a fine line. 2) The procedure is skimming and often times too thin a layer is cut t o be understandabl-everal examples: DNA, origin of the elements, the second law, activation energy, equilibrium, molecular orbitals. 3) This short multi-topic text is full of unnecessary "name dropping" t o the extent that a question a t the end of chapter 1 on p. 25 asks students t o identify 27 historical persons a t least four of which 99% of chemistry teachen do not know-and most, for a nonscience major, are of doubtful memarization value. 4) The early chapters are fairly dd-they deal withstructure rather than theexcitement of chemical change. 5) The text is wordy in many places; i t lacks the conciseness that is required for sueh a short text covering such a wide field. 6) Errors are few but some exist: a) p. 163 the sulfanilamide molecule is mislabeled. h) p. 239 the fuel cell reaction is called "some sort of combustion reaction." e) p. 40 the statement that "although electronic change is the basis of all chemical change" rules out nonoxidation-reduction changes. d) Table 5.1 should indicate the units (wt. or volume). 7) The book for its size and format seems to be over priced (hut not the fault of the author).
r
In spite of these serious weaknesses the students may derive an overview from this little hook that is richer in perspective, even if lacking in depth, than he will get from moat books of this kind. And just maybe it will put him on the way to being a better informed citizen and maybe whet his appetite to read and learn mare science. The success of the book will probably depend on the quality of the teacher and the ready availahility of the reference and resource material. With these reservations I recommend more teachers try it; but also that more research and experimentation be encouraged. The hook leaves much roam for further experimenting tomeet the opportunity to help the nonscience major. Alfred B. Garren Ohio Stale University
Columbus, 43210
Andrew Streitwieser, J r . and Clayton
H. Heathcock, University of California. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York, and Collier Macmillian Publishers, London, 1976. avi 1279 pages. Figures and tables. 18 X 26 cm $19.95
+
Brought forth in the last two years have been several textbooks on organic chemistry designed to compete with Morrison and Boyd's widely adopted book. Professors Streitwieser and Heathcock, the former a well-known physical organic chemist and the latter also widely recognized for his work in synthetic and natural products organic chemistry, have joined to produce a new text which is distinctly different from others presently on the market. The book begins in a rather traditional manner with a review of eonceots from eenera1 chemistry, a treatment ot~ynthesirand rractlvns u t h y d r m h m r and a diuc~ssionuf (C'onrinwd ou paye ,42981 ~~~~
~
Reviewed in this Issue
Fmnk W D ~ b b sT, h r Age uf the Molrculr: Chemiary in the World and Society Andreu, S l r ~ i l t c i ~ < tJ, r ,, and Uo)ton 11. H ~ o l h ~ o clntroductmn k, toorganic Chemistry R. H. Leover and T.R. Thomas, Analysis and Presentation of Experimental Results John G. Pearson, Dennis M. Stone, and Richard F. Swindell, Math Skills for the Sciences Eric C. Conn and P. K. Stumpf, Outlines of Biochemistry, Fourth Edition Robert C. Bohinski, Modern Concepts in Biochemistry, Second Edition Haluor N. Christensen, Biological Transport, Second Edition Howard C. Zimmerman, Quantum Mechanics for Organic Chemists Stuart L. Meyer, Data Analysis for Scientists and Engineers H. J.Emeleus and A. G. Shorpe, Editors, Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radioehemistry, Volume 18 Nathan Sharon, Complex Carhohydrates-Their Chemistry, Biosynthesis, and Functions
A294 / Journal of Chemical Education
Reviewer Alfred B. Garrett Gary 0. Spessard Roland F. Hirsch Edmund C. Shearer Melvin Fried Scott M. Savage Ian S. Longmuir Leland C. Allen Clifford W. Hand Phillip C. Keller Gary D. McGinnis
Although I find this textbook to be a very well-written and conscientious effort, I am somewhnr anry of rrcummcnding i t fi>revery school ofttriny urgdnir r h c m i ~ t r y Thii . is a stereochemistry. However, nmr spectroscopy relatively sophisticatrd book h i w wndmp. including C-13 nmr is introduced as early as it, I must co&ude that a student will proh; ably need to have had a strong course in Chapter 10. Other spectroscopic techniques general chemistry which includes a good are covered later in separate chapters. The remainder of the first half of the hook is coverage of elementary thermodynamics and mnrernrd aith aryrlicnl~phnt~cnrmpounds kinetics before effectively understanding the rxrluiirt. c.i arnincz. Aromatir chemistry is Streitwieser and Heathcock text. However, small classes of able students and those innot even introducrd until Chapter 21. Cyclic compounds, including a discussion of ring terested in chemistry a3 a career will find this conformations are covered in Chapter 23. book a challenging and valuable educational Among the last few chapters are detailed tool. treatments of aromatic chemistry, amines Gary 0.Spessard and heterocyclic molecules. There is a special St. Olaf College topics chapter whieh considers such areas as Noflhfield. Minnesots 55057 photochemistry, the Woodward-Hoffmann rules and biosynthesis of natural products. The book ends with a view of the chemical literature. There is much commendable about Streitwieser and Heathcack's hook. Not onlv is it well written, but it is an interesting hook to Analysls and Presentation of Experlmental read. Although the organization of topics is Results somewhat different from most other comparable textbooks, I find it a workable apR. H. Leaoer and T. R. Thomas, Teesside proach. Many of the reactions presented have Polytechnic. John Wiley & Sons, New percent yields associated with them. MoreYork, 1975, xiii + 127 pp. Figs. and tables. over, experimental details are often given for 15 X 23.5 cm. $7.75. important transformations enabling students t o gain some armchair appreciation for how This brief text in statistical methods is organic reactions are carried out. Useful taintended for students in engineering and bles of spectral data, bond energies and pK.'s science curricula, to be used in conjunction with a laboratory course early in their unias well as a summary of functional group preparations are included in the appendices. versity or college programs. It has some apMany will appreciate the fact that pK, is pealing features, including a set of flow charts used throughout in comparing strengths of for error analvsis and the inclusion of chaoboth acids and bases. Computer graphical ters on dimensional analysis and time-series reoresentations of wave functions and the analysis. A chapter on report writing includes some helpful side-by-side examples of good and had writing, hut would have to he supplemented with an explanation of the styles to picturing these concepts. and formats commonly used in chemical My copy contained virtually no typopublications. A chapter on "Graphicsl Presentation" deals only with regression and graphical errors. I must, however, quarrel with a couple of statements in the text. On correlation and says nothing about the proper ways to draw graphs, a topic implied by the pp. 76-77 catalytic cracking and reforming title and toooften slighted in the training of are seemingly combined when they are aechemists. The simultaneous use of regression tually two distinctly different processes. In and eorrelation in this chapter is unfortutheir discussion of carbohydrates the authors nate. state on p. 696 that erythrose may be reduced On the whole, the book cannot be recomto a meso polyol withR,R or S , S configuramended. It does not adequately explain imtion, whereas threose is converted upon reportant concepts (some, such as confidence duction to chiral forms having R, S or S , R limits, simply appear without definition). configuration. These stereochemical assignExtensive use of calculus, including partial ments should he reversed. Molecules which differentials, will pose a serious harrier t o are meso have theR, S or S , R configuration, comprehension. The line of reasoning is often while optically active compounds such as the hard to follow, partly due to the placement of reduced forms of threose have theR,R or S , topics out of sequence. The procedures for S configuration. Also, with regard t o stereodata analysis are on the whole not clearly set ehemistrv. i t should be noted that the words off in the text, which will limit its usefulness as a reference. No single book would serve as an ideal alternative to this one, using the criteria of rently favored usage. clarity of exposition, brevity appropriate to There are many excellent problems a t the a supplementary textbook, and adequate end of each chapter although I would have breadth of coverage of modern topics and liked to have seen some of the exercises intechniques. Several can be recommended for terspersed within the text. I believe exercises consideration, however, including: E. B. whieh occur a t various points before the end Wilson, Jr., "An Introduction to Scientific of aehapter are useful in helping thestudent Research" (McGraw-Hill), W. J. Youden, to think about the material heor she has just "Statistical Methods for Chemists" (Wiley), read. A solutions manual is available and P. D. Lark, B. R. Craven, and R. C. L. Boscontains rather complete answers to the exworth, "The Handling of Chemical Data" ercises. Because chapter designations are not (Pergamon), H. L. Youmans, "Statistics for given on most pages, it is quite difficult to Chemistry" (Merrill), and, on a higher level, locate specific solutions. Perhaps this is by 0.L. Davies and P. L. Goldsmith, "Statistid design.
book reviews
A298 / Journal of Chemical Education
Methods in Research and Productionn (Longmans). Roland F . Hirsch
Seton b l i University South Orange, New Jersey 07079 Math Skills for the Sciences J o h n G. Pearson, University of Alaska; Dennis M Stone, University of Michigan, and Richard F. Swindell, Mt. Growatt College, Australia. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1976. ia + 147 pp. Figs. and tables. 17 X 25.5 cm. paperback, $4.95. This text is a recent addition to the John Wiley Self-Teaching Guides. The hook is a revision of a text entitled "Math Skills for First Year Science" published under the auspices of the University of Idaho and the Idaho Research Foundation, Incorporated. The book is one of several appearing on the market in the past few years for students who are having difficulty in introductory science courses, not because they lack intelligence, hut because they lack the mathematical techniques required to understand and apply the theoretical concepts and principles being taught. As the authors admit in the introductorv rpmarki, the tamk i i not a irholarlv work. Hnther. ~t IS an infcmnal, practirnl. nnd ureahle s~pplcrnentaryrrxt nrirtrn ro help these students brush up, or even learn, the necessary math tools to successfully complete introductory science courses. Seven chapters with the titles "General Math Operations," "Math Ooerations on Fractions." "Aleehra." . " ~ x ~ o n e k s"Scientific ," ata at ion," "Logarithms," and "Problem Solving and Dimensional Anlaysis" are placed before the student in a traditionalself-study style. To help him locate his math deficiencies, a pretest is offered a t the first of each chapter. Behavioral objectives are specified in the pretest format. Once the student has located his problems in a given ehaoter. he is directed t o what the located. The information in the frames includes terminology, notation, rules, examples, and problems to work. Answers follow immediately after the problems. The information is stated simolv. it is comolete. and it mentions later chapters, are characteristic of those found in the basic science courses. A wide spectrum of disciplines and problem types is offered. While the text is relatively free of errors, it has a few weaknesses. I t does not discuss graphs, slide rules, significant figures, error analysis, error propagation, or hand calculators. The index is too brief. More importantly, some students who need the material in this text may experience difficulty. Unless the student is motivated t o overcame his math deficiencies, he may become discouraged a t the swift progression from simple examples and problems to those that are complex. The book has the advantage of being tested under controlled conditions. The authors claim in the introductory pages that "When the material in this text was studied by students with low math aptitudes, they averaged a whole letter grade higher in chemistry than
