But aside from the extraneous material, the book does contain a summary of Willard Gibbs' antecedents, his work, the appreciation in Europe of the importance of his work, the tardy recognition of his greatness in America, and a compilation of commentary on the influence of Willard Gibbs on modern chemical theory. ELBERTC. WEAVER B U L X B L ~ YHrCESCHoOL CONNBETlEUT
H*PT.OYD,
MAN'SPHYSICALUNIVERSE. Arthur Talbot Bawden, President of the Stockton Junior College. Revised edition. The Macmillan Company, New York. 1943. xv 4- 832 pp. 321 figs. 15 X 23 cms. $4.00. Teachers of physical science will welcome the revised edition of this well-known book which was first published in 1937. I t is intended t o be used as a text for survey course in physical science . . "in a program of general or liberal education." The purpose of the b w k is "to survey the phenomena of the physical universe with particular reference t o man's immediate environment, t o present a knowledge of the vast and only partially explored setting of our civilization, t o envisage the great problems of the origin and evolution of the universe, . . t o review briefly the present status of the nature and distribution of the resources which suoolv human needs and man's abilitv to utilize them. and to show how man is .. eainine - control over Lheforctjof natureand hilrnr,hg thmm todo h k r o r k . " Thc book i* dividrd inro am units. 1:nir I is wbdivided tnro six srcriort-; the orhrr nine units into nioc icctionscnch. '1:aclt section is intended to be used as the assignment for one lesson and constitutes a complete topic in itself." Each section is accompanied bv a number of "study questions." A rather ext;nsive bibliography, corresponding t o the various "units" is found in the appendix. The author stresses the practical importance of this bibliography as supplementary reading material t o the text. This is one of the best texts in physics1 science that has come to the reviewer's attention. I t is well written in clear English. The choice of subject matter is excellent, modern, and practical. Althoueh the organization of units follows in general the conventional subdidsions of physical science, the author achieves a considerable amount of integration with a minimum amount of duplication of subject material common t o the various subdivisions of physical science. The social implications of physical science are stressed throughout. The subjects are as professionally treated as an elementary approach permits. The book has been well edited and few errors were noted. One criticism that may be launched awinst the book is that the treatment of subject material is essentially descriptive. The book is practically devoid of arithmetical problems and formulas. Unit I is particularly well treated. It deals with the importance of the problem-solving ability, scientific attitude, and scientific method. Unit V stresses the practical applications and the social and economic implications of modern machines, engines, the automobile, and the airplane. Units VIII, IX, and X (279 pages) are devoted t o the contributions of chemistry t o modern living. These units give an excellent review of the more modern aspects of chemistry. However, section 8, Unit X, entitled "Protoplasmic and Cellular Organization Is Essential to Life" seems irrelevant. C. S. ADAMS
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beginning to specialize in these subjects. Unless one knows the meaning of all of the terms, it is often necessary to make a search for information; and this, in the literature on explosives. i~ a time-consuming procedure." Except for some omissions which, the author says, were best left unpublished under the present war conditions, this manual of references and cross references fulfils the author's aim and is very timely. Chemical names, trade names, and abbreviations are alphabetically arranged. Information listed includes for_most substances composition (the structural formulas should prove very useful to students with chemical training), properties, and uses.
A bibliography of books, bulletins and manual?, catalogs, articles in periodic&, and patents is conveniently grouped in nine pages a t the end of the manual, and since practically all of the references cited there are of the last decade, this hibliography should serve as an excellent list far student readings As a ready handbook, this manual should be placed high on the list of books to be awned by every technical library and aerious student of the subjects treated. A. T. BURTSELL CorLScs 0 s rns CITYO.NBW YOII N s w Yoea, N e w Yon=
APPL~EDNUCLEARPHYSICS. Erncrt Pollard, Assistant Professor of Physics, Yale University; William L. Dowidson, Jr., Research Physicist, The B. F. Goodrich Company. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1942. vii 249 pp. 4 plates, 62 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $3.00. The success'which has attended the use of the products of transmutation reactions in research in many branches of science has been so striking, and indeed so sudden, that many a scientist has read of important results in his field without having been able to understand clearly how they were obtained. This book has been written to help such scientists. I t s authors "aim a t presenting the essential facts and methods of artificial radioactivity and transmutation in such a way as to be of service to the growing army of chemists, biologists, physicians, and engineers, who, though not necesarily versed in the language of physics, are using the products of nudear physics to further their ends in their own spheres." They have succeeded admirably. The nature of atom nuclei, of their trammutation, and of their radioactive disintegration is discussed thoroughly enough to be of value to scientists in other fields, and yet without the use of the newer quantum mechanics which might have placed the treatment beyond their mathematical grasp. The technical aspects of nuclear physics are emphasized. Such topics as the detection of subatomic particles, methods by which they may be accelerated, and the detection of the products of transmutation are discussed in detail with many practical bits of advice as to the choice and operation of apparatus. The appendix contains tables of atomic species, of commonly used radiaelements, of absorption of beta and gamma rays of the masses of the stable isotopes, and of the energy-range. relations of protons, deuterons. Ha, Hea, and a-particles. The style is informal and the obvious enthusiasm of the authors contagious. They close their book with the following paragraph: "To leave an this rather unsatisfactory note giver us genuine pleasure. This is an age of vanishing frontiers, and A ~ r r o c aCOLLEGE it adds a touch of vigor t o consider that here the frontier is YELLOW SPRINOS. 0=0 very much present. We doubt whether the complete understanding of the atomic nucleus will be attained in our lifetime, MANUAL oa EXPLOSIVES, MILITARY PYROTECRN~CS, AND CHEM- and this adds considerable zest t o existence. The feeling of zest is shared by workers in lab coats awaiting the 100-meter ICAL WARPAREAGENTS. Jdm Bcbie, Consulting Chemical Engineer, Professor of Chemical Technology, Washington beam of the supercyclotron, by workers patiently amassing University. The Macmillan Company, 1943. xi f 171 pp. data about cosmic rays, by workers operating calculating machines and wearing down pencils. A little of it should have 14.6 X 22.0 cm. $2.50. I n the preface, the author states, "It is the chief aim of this reached the reader." JOHNA. TIMM b w k to be of senice to scientific and technical workers in the s.rarons C O L L ~ G ~ field of explosives and war chemicals and t o students who are BOSTON, MAJBACAYSETTP ~
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