BOOK REVIEWS organic polymer types are enormously many, these two chapters must leave us gasping a t the prospect of the unimaginably more numerous copolymer combina. . tions. The final chapter, by C. X. Kenney, quite briefly discusses some polymer types hmed upon metal chelation-wherein the chain and ladder-type connections are primarily organic. Again one gains a vista of extreme possihle complexity, as the variety of organic patterns eomhines with the versatility of coordination chemistry. On the whole, this hook serves to open minds t o vide areas of chemistry not &ten met in university courses, and demonstrates how important it is for students t o develop a very sound background in inorganic chemistry even though they may int,end to pursue other specialties. The main intent of the book is more descriptive than theoretical, but the authors are people having intimate experience wibh their subjects, and their basia for understanding quite irequently enters the discussion. A w o n B. BCRG Universit~,o j Southern Calijornin Los Angcles
Introduction t o Polymer Chemistry
John If. Stille, University of Iowa, Iowa Ciby. John Wiley and Sons, Inr., New Yark, 196'2. xi 248 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 em. $G.ll5.
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This bookis designed ~s an introductory t,ext in polymer chemistry. Sumerrllls subtopics are included under each major topic, and the table of contents includes these subtopics with page numbers fur convenience of the casual reader, or for use of the book as a ready reference. While the physical chemistry and ehnrarterizstion oi polymers arc discussed briefly, this book treats polymer chemistry from the organic chemist's viewpoint. Numerous referenres are ribed for adequate sourres of rigorous treatment of t,he various physiral aspects of polymer chemistry, however. The teacher of organic or ~ h y s i c acl h e w istry who would liko to give his students a more thorough barkground in the organic rescbions which me capable of leading t,o as well as the physird sshigh perts of polymers could well use this book as a supplementary textbonk. I n nddition, pracbieing chemists r r cllemiclrl engineers beginning n synthetic program in polymer chemistry nwnld find the information supplied by the author on the various polymerization reactions as xell as the reference material quite useful. Use of this hook as a text for a. beginning course in polymer chemistry, either a t the advanced undergraduate level or st the graduat,e level, provided the lecturer supplements the mat,erial from the various specialized sources or from the current literature, is certainly apprnpriate. The excellent treatment of clnssical and mod-
(Codim~edon page ,4898)
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BOOK REVIEWS ern approaches t,o polymerization reactions, and the nature, structure and ehemistry of initiaturs in vinyl polymerization, make the book particularly ndnpteble t o use in organic chemistry courses. Among the topics of recent interest discussed under the conventional condensation polymer systems are the polyimides, polyimidaeoles, and polytrittzoles, structures which possess high thermal stability. The separate discussion of polymerization by ring-opening reactions is 8. particularly novel approach to these systems. While, in general, these reitct,ions can be considered as a special class of addition polymerizations, they are more easily understood by the novice in the field when summarized RS the author has done, and treated as a class. A special cliass of polymerization resetims are discussed separately, predominantly because they do not lend themselves t o easy clilssification among the well-known broad classes. The various types of vinyl addition polymers are discussed mainly from a structural standpoint although the preferred initiator systems for each type are included. Also, as supplementary information for the render of this chapter, information on the various types of initiator systems is presented in the discussion of mechanisms and kinetics of polymerization. The brief treatment of naturally occurring polymers includes some excellent illustrative material. I n general, the format end illustrations are excellent, and the render is given some insight into the threedimensional nature oi polymer systems which is not readily apparent from many other sources of information. An exrellent treatment of stereoregularity in polymers is also included. GEORGEB. BUTLER liniversit~of Florida Gainesuille An Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
W. R. Moore, Bradford Institute of Technology, England. University of London Press, Ltd. (published in U.S.A. by Aldine Puhlishing Co., Chicago), 1963. 270 pp. Figs. and tables. 14.5 X 2 2 5 em. 57.50. In the preface, the author makes the following statement: "There are many textbooks and monographs, often rather expensive, which deal a t an advanced level with the physical and organir chemistry of high polymers and with specialized aapects in these fields. Reasnnah1.v compact and moderately priced books providing an introduction t o the rapidly expanding field of high-polymer chemistry are less common. This teat, based on lectures given by the author and his colleagues a t postgraduate and undergraduate levels.. .is an attempt t o provide such a book." A rather careful examination of the contents lead8 t o the conclusion that the author has accomplished his purpose very well. The topics discussed, fallowing a brief introductory chapter are the iollowing: poly-
(Continued on page A9W)
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