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The Elements of Chemiemitw. wn1.1~~ Porn, A.M., Pn.D., Professor of Chemistry in Princeton University. D. Van Nostrand Co., 8 Warren St., New York City. First edition, 1925. xvii 576 pp. 237 figures 24 full page pictures of eminent chemists. 14.5 X 21.5 em. $2.00.
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"This tert-book is intended for students bcginning the subject. . . .An attempt has be& made to tell the story of chemistry in simple and d i r s t language, and gradually t o blend theory with facts, in order that the student may not become confused. While great stress has been laid upon the numaom important applications of the science, the author is one of those who believes that a thorough course in chemistry is based upon fundamental principles. This is the only way to discipline the mind aod t o lay a broad and solid foundation. It should slway. be borne in.mind that 'science is a method and not a callertion of fact.'. . . .A study of the gas laws, which are somewhat difficult for beginners, in postponed until Chapter XV." after lowering of the vapor tension of a solvent, elevation of boiling point and depression of freezing point have been treated. The preceding quotdionr from the preface p'"ent the author's aims and purposes. Though mpparently intended for high-school use, the text contains the material usually given t o n beginning elars of eollege students. The author har "told the story of chemistry" in an interesting manner and stressed its industrial applications, this being the out.tandinp feature of the book. The order followed in quite unusual yet the author's handling of the earlier chapters leaves one unconvinced of the value of the innovation. Science is organized knowledge: by organization we mean such an orderly arrangement of 1%- that it may be helpful in gaining fmrther knowledge. introducing Chapter VJ, the author says, :'As bases, acids, and salt. are involved in the preparntion oi hydrogen, they will receire brief consideration before the study of t h i element." Then follows a description of bases, their uses, two pager of soap making, then acids, neutralization, salts and salt mining, all in seven pages. One can more readily understand the usefulnesr of soap making and salt mining for the purpose of "relling ehemi~try" to the students than as an introduction to the preparation of hydrogen or es an illustration of the organization of scientific material. To a conriderable extent fundamental principles are presented in chunks by themselua. Little reference ir made later io the book to their
application and there is none of the "rub i t in" element. A great variety of material is prexnted, There are figures of atoms with hooks to illustrhte valence bonds and figures of the Bohr and the Eubieal atom. In the index there is one reference each t o chemical equilibrivm and explosives, each topic being handled in two pages. The author set. forth a varied menu for the e n d e m with little indication of relative vitamin or calorie content or food value. He has in no way shown the student how t o find his own food. prepare it, and use it that he may grow by hi3 own effort. Aside from the ~tatement in the preface. he has not led the student to realize that "science is a method undnot aeollstian of fartr." W. C.
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Laboratory Exercises in General Chemintw. WILLIAMP O ~ ~ B PA.M.. ., Pn.D.. Professor of Chemistry in Princeton University and H m w WILLIS H H A ~Head , of the Science Department, lawrenceville School. D. Van Nostrand Co., 8 Warren Street. New York City. Firnt edition, 1925. vi 186 PI,. 30 figures. 14 X 20.5 cm. $1.25.
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"These Laboratory Exerei- are designed to accompany Foster's Element. of Chemistry.. . . Theaim har been to outline a well rounded laboratory course. . . .for student. who ha". had no previous training in chemistry:' The manual contains a good assortment of the material usvally found in b o o b of thin clars. More is presented than can be covered in one year's work and intelligent choice ir called for on the part of the teacher. Two pages of "Treatment in Case of Accident" are given in the front of the book where it is constantly called t o the attention of students and always available during the ereitement caused by an accident. The h r r f m r rrcrcircr on The l f t t r Syrrem. ~ l)cn\tf).. The D8n;en 13umer .rud Cl.ur Workia;. and .,mC common (mrrlrluns :.re ore.rnted without objective other than their intrinsic value and the -kin% of a wa3h bottlc. Clever pedagogy would incarporhte these point. in some project with more inspiration. ~ e f to~ the text given in the order in which they appear in the manual are t o p a g e 83. 344, 116, 2-5, 2811, 164. A longer series shows the same jumping about. Apparently the arrangement of the text or the manual or both could follow some more natural or logical order. Scattered through the maousl and at the elelse of each exercise are questions, the following being taken from the fint eight groups: "Water has
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its greatest denrity a t 4'C.; d o a l l other substances behave in a similar way?. .Did you notice a change of color in the (Bunsen) fiame as the glass tube became hot! Explain. . Would oxygen burn in any other gas? Do all orides give up oxygen when heated? w h a t part doen water play in the rusting of iron?. W h y will certain metals dinplace hydrogen from .IS hard w4ter acids when others will not?. injlxrious *a a bevemge? If "students who have had no previour training in chemistry" can answer such qvertions in the first few week. of thin c0ur.e. it is a wonder-worker. Prom b ~ c i e n t i hstandpoint this text and manual are ereditablr; fmm the standpoint of good teaching they leave much to be desired. W. C. M o a o * ~
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The Story of Copper. Wwfsoa DAVIS, C.E. The centcomoanv. New York and London. 1924. xix 385 pp. 56 fimres and illustration^. 14 X 20.5 em. S.00. ~
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The anther has witten the story of copper 1rom the days before recorded history t o the present time. I" the first chapter hisimagination han painted a beautiful picture of the probable disovery of the use of copper by Neolithic man. I" each eucceeding chapter the history of copper is further developed. Its occurrence in nature. methods of mioing and of winning the metal from its eombinntions are well described in terms that are not too technical. Itn placeamong the metals and alloyed with other metals is explained and it9 many uses are enumerated. The alloys and eompouods of copper are dipcurred in detail and their U S P I in peace and war in the home and in the industries pointed out. The purpose of the author is evidently t o point out how elosely copper and modern civilization areconnected. Infaetheshowrthatan man ha. discovered new ways and means of utilizing eopper so ha. civilization advanced until finally our modern eivilir~rionis controlled by copper. The book eontainn much valuable information but the author has included entirely too much detail t o make the book interesting reading except for thme who are particularly interested in the subject. I t 611s a gap in the popular chemktry of the metals and on the whole mmt he con3idered a. a valuable eootribution in the field of papular chemistry. K. S. TBSH States of Aggregation. Pnomssoa G. TAM. X A N N (Guttingen). Translated by RoaBRT F. MHaL, PH.D.. from the Second German edition. D. Van Nostrand co., New York. XI 297 pp. 128 figures. 13.5 X 21.5 em. $5.00.
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Professor Tammann presents in this book a thorough dircussion of the changes in the state of matter in their dependence upon pressure and temperature. I t embodier the ripe experience of this author an a result of a dozen years of active experimentation in this field, of the co-
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operation of numerons students in the work and of the important contributions of others, notably P. W. Bridgman of Harvard. The book is, in reality, an intensive treatment of one component system not only in their stable states but also in the unstable staten which precede. T h i book is a cla.~icboth in the s t ~ l eof its prerentation and the fullness with which the subject is presented. The seriovs student of physical chemistry, having made himself acquainted with what an ordinary phy.ica1 "hemktry text can teach him concerning one component system. can profitably turn to this book and see the extent of fundamental knowledge that is included under this title. He would rise from the task thorovghly exercised in thermodynnmies, malecular theory, structure of liquids and crystab. transition pheoomena betwein stater of aggregatian and the velocity with which such proce~ses occur. I n this last respect, reference might have been made t o the recent work on the veloeity of ~ o w t hof crystals from vapors, which work is very informing concerning the nature of rvrfaee forces and the mech&nism of crystal growth. The book would serve, too, as a model of the varied resources available far the solution of any problems As mch alone it ha. a great value. Dr. Mehl ha. given a good rendering of the German text although in certain spots the original "shows through." The book is well printed and published. The diagrams are, in the main, dear and well reproduced. HUGH S. T ~ u r o n General Chemistry. Hon*ce G. Dssmrc. SR. ond edition, thoroughly revised. John Wiley & Sons. Inc.. New York. 1925. xvi 650 pp. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. $3.50. The author ha. retained the general plan of development of the subjmt used h the 6rst edition (for review see Tars J o o n m ~ ,2. 226, 1925). The opming chapters have been entirely rewritten, the material in them simplified, and the order of presentation of topics changed. more especially to meet the needs of students who have had no previous training in chemistry. T o the main body of the book has been added a fairly full direursion of the elementary principlu of electrochemistry, The treatment of organic chemistry has been somewhat curtailed, although some of the very recent development^ in industrial organic chemistry receive eonsideration. The firat edition of fh. book wa. reprinted three times within a period of less than two years. I n its revired form the book has lost none of the qualities that were responsible for it* favorable reception, and it seems to have gained in clearness and smaathnesn of approach in the introductory portion. H. H. LLOYD
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Physiological and Clinical Chemistry. WIWIA. P a m s o ~AND JOSBPB S. H B P B ~ P N .Lea & Pebiger, Philadelphia and New York. First edition. 1925. xpi 306 pp. 30 illuru a t i m . 14 X 20.5 em. $4.00.
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