BOOK REVIEWS book is an enjoyable and instructive introduction.
0.T. BEXFEY Earlham College Rtchmond, Znrlmna Peroxide Reaction Mechanisms Edited by John 0. Edwards, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Interscience Publishers [ a division of John T i l e y & Sons, Inc.), Few York, 1062. ix 245 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 24 cm. .$a.
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This hook contains ten of the pnwrs presented a t the Pcroxide Reaction hlcchanisms Conference a t Brown University in June, 1960, cowring the topics of perester chcmistry (P. 1). Bsrblctt), peroxides as nuclcaphiles (C. A. Bunton), peroxides in ozone reactions (R. Cricgee), peroxydiphosphoric acid (M. >CrutchI. field), noclrophilic displitcement,s on oxygen (J. 0. Edwards), peroxides in autoxidstion (G. A. Russell), physical chemical properties of hydrogen peroxide (E. S Stanley), photolysis of hydrogen peroxide [ h C. R. Symons), dwompositians involving simultaneous fission of several bonds (M. Szwarc), and rnechsnisms of persulfate oxidation (W. Ii. Wlmarth and A. Haim). It must have been a stimulating and inkresting conference, and, even two years lat,er, several of the papers represent the hest short revieass available. Thus, for material not available elsewhere, the papers by Bunton, Wilmarth, and Edwards are particularly recommended, while Bart,iett, Criegee, Russell, and Symons give discussions which are excellent sommaies and provide introductions t o fields in xhich much ~ o r kis in progress. Peroxide chcmistry is a fascinating and active field which has provided many useful synthetic reactions and eontrihuted much t o our understanding of hoth polar and radical reactions. T o workers in the field and others intrrested in the particular prohlems treated, this book is m r m l y recommended. Others desiring a more comprehensive review of the entire chemistry of peroxides, waold be hetter scrved h y A. G. D a v i d "Organic Peroxides,'' published in 1961.
CHEVES\ ~ . \ L L I U C C'oli~rnhinUniversity Xezo Fork, S e w York Introductory Organic Quantum Chemistry Georg Iiarayounis, University of Frriburg, Germmy. Translated by F . C. A'aehod, Sterling-Winthrop Researrh Institute, Rensselaer, New York. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1!162. viii 204 pp. Figs. and tahlrs. 16 X 23.5 em. 86.50.
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This book attempts t o introduce the organic chemist t o the method of application of quantum mechanics t o prob(Continued on page A982)
B O O K REVIEWS lems of chemical interest. I n a project of this sort missionary zeal can easily tempt the :tuthor to overemphasize the "cook-book" aspects of spplieations in order to point up the simplicity and usefulness of the method. Very comrnendahly, the author of the present book does not succumb t o this hut devotes a large part of the slender hook tu a simple exposition of the basic principles of quantum mechanics, .m undprstanding of which is essential hrforr sound and meaningful applications can really be made. Unfortunately, however, the presentation is marred h y a large number of errors, somp trivial, hut many important. For example, (a random selectirm), on page 3 i t is stated that according t o the equipartition principle t,hcrp is an "enrrgy of one calorie per degree of freedom" in a system of oscillators: on page 2i the 8tatistic:d bases of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics are (erroneously) equated; on page 33 it is stated that L'the explanation of homopular. . .bonds has only b ~ e n furnished by quantum mechanics by the introduction of s new stabilizing principle, the sc-called exchangr . . . degeneracy" (most seriously midending). O n page 66: "The value of t,he resonance energy can he determined cxperimentnlly . ." There are many misprints as well as other evidencr r,f careless editing, e . g , t,hc completely erroneous rclation hrtween the Rayleigh-Jeans and Plnnck curves in Rigurr 1, the erroneous initial slopes of the specific heat e u r w s in Figure 2, n = 1 for p states ,In page 32. integration instead of exponentintion on page 129. Thr trsnslstion is somewhat rneky and has a distrevsin~ number of germanicisrns, as well as some incorrect technical terms (e.g., "mnnotonous" function). Some of the errors in the hook arc probably due t o the translat,ion, e.g., the staterncnt (p. 21) t h a t "it is impossible to characterize two interrelated (so-called conjugated) varishles with any dcgrre af sccuraey." I n summary, while the scopel plan and urganization of the bonk make i t a welcome addit,ion t o the mpidly growing texthoak literature in this field, it cennot he recommended for such us? unless and until the mistakes RIP rorrectcd.
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F :. M.LOEBL Polul~chnicInslih~lcgf Brooklljn 13rook1,yn. Y e m York
Synthetic Methods of Organic Chemistry, Volume 15
W . l'hcilhcimer. Interscience Publishers, Inc., Kew York, 1061. rvi FRO PI>. 16.5 X 23.5 em. $46.75.
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Volume 15 is the fifth and last of the third scries of "Synthetic Methods." As such it cont,ains not only 700 monographs in 5.38 pages, but also references t o svntheses in preceding volumes of the third (Continued on page A984)
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Journal o f Chemicol Education
