book reviews bance is wed in Fig. 1-14 wibhout definition. This is a. minor omission slid is certainly not typical of the book. Brief chapters oon rotation and vibration-rotation follow. The author has elected to omit the centrifugal stretching D constant from a section on Exact Treatment of u Vibration-ratation Band so that this heading is not correct,. Fig. 3-3 showing vibration and rotation energy levels is misleading because it, implies t,hat energy of a molecule with quantum numbers u = 0 and J = 6 may exceed the energy of v = 1. This situation is certainly not characturist,icof most molecdes. The chapter on electronic spectra inclndes a beautiful and lucid discassion of molecular potential energy curves. The discussion of band spectra, vector models of aboms and molecules, and molecular orbitals constitutes the heart of the text. Chapters an selection rules and spectral effects of spin complete the choice of material. Each chapter includes a number of problems for the student which are appropriate to the material covered. Many of the problems are single concept, or otherwise simplified, so that the student is not overwhelmed by the complexity of the citlculations, and yet learns to apply the theory of that chapter. Only one error was noted in the problems. The DCI" vibration-rotation band center is stated to be at 2011 em-', hut it is actually a t
2091 em-'. The t,ext.is esaentirtlly free of typographical and fact,ualerrors. Unless the student keeps in mind that the book is about diatomic moleculei, he may gaiu misimpressions. The st,atements that "all vibrational degeneracies = 1," and, "all vibrational wavefunctions are symmetric to reflection" are indeed true for diatomic molecules, but not necmsarily so for polyatomic species. A good list for further reading is pravided. A complete table defining symbols and the page oo whieh each is first introduced should bevery useful. Unfortunately, due to the need for brevity in a small book, key steps in some derivations are merely stated as "quantum mechanics tells us.. !' or "it turns out t h a t . . ." Hopefully this lack of eompleteneis is compensated in the physical chemistry course by an enthr~siast,icand well informed teacher, as well as by solid parallel training in physics.
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J . LELAND HOLLENRERG Universily of Redlands Redlands, California
Molecular Complexes
J. Rose, College of Technology and Design, Blackbum. Pergamon Press, New York, 1967. x 177 pp. Figa. and tables. 14..5 X 22..5 cm. $8.
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This short,, at.tractively composed volume serves well the purpose of intro-
ducing the subject of donor-acceptor, or, es d s o known, moleculitr complexes. For the worker in the field, the book would serve primarily as reference. To the general reader, it provides a quick view of the pest work and indication of the future directions and problems; the numerous references provide starting points for the interested reader to further pursue the subject. The volume would serve as a supplement,al text in a fint coorse in molecular structure a t a senior or first year graduate level. To be more specific, the volume is primarily a lecture or intrnduct,ion by example. Precise details are omit,ted in deference to the original liberabure. Chapters begin with summary generahations of the chapter's main points whieh are then detailed by specific examples. As in a review the author remains neutral in of examples. I n chapter two, the section on Mulliken charge transfer theory presumes, a t s. minimum, a fundamental knowledge of quantum mechanics, far many terms are introduced without explanation. This would be confusing to the general reader, especially the student who probably has no idea of what a Hamiltonian or the llitz variation principle is. Probably the best and most useful chapter is the third. This chapter o u b lines the experimental techniques used to
(Conlinued on page A704)
Volume 45, Number 9, September 7 968
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A703
book reviews study donor-acceptor complexes. The survey of techniques is quite inclusive, ranging from the almost classic optical methods to the newest magnetic resonance methods. This is the most valuable chapter if the book is used as a supplemental text for a. molecular structure course. Misprints are rare in the volume bllt the errors on page 36 in the line above equation 3.2 should he noted. Chapter six, Molecular Complexes of Group 111, is almost entirely concerned with boron acceptor-nitrogen donor compounds with very little said about the important aluminum compounds. The volume ends with interesting prajections for where next for the donor-acceptor complexes, mentioning examples of molecular complexes in organic semi-conductors and important biological donoracceptor complexes. The husband-wife team of A. and B. Pullman would be amused a t their appellation of brothers on page 168. This generally readable little volume certainly has a. place on the shelf of the worker in the field for its references. The general reader will find i t a good introduction to the over all field and the student will find it interesting a~pplementalreading in a molecular structure course.
GERALD R. VANHECKE Shell Developmenl Company E m e r ~ i l l eCalifornia ,
Energy Changer in Biocharnieal Reactions
Iruing M . Klotz, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., Academic Press, 108 pp. Figs. New York, 1067. x and tables. 14.5 X 21 cm. $5.95.
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I n his preface the author states that "I can only hope that my selection (of topics) will prove suitable for some students interested in acquiring an illsight into the fundamentd concepts and simple calallntions of biochemical energetics." This hope has been admirably accomplished in this small text designed to supplement advanced freshman chemistry and biology and first year biochemistry courses. The level of presentation of t,he topics-the laws of thermodynamics, computations of standard free energy changes, the dependence of chemical potential a n eoncentration, changes in chemical potential when g r o u p (e.g. phosphate) are transferred from one molecule to another, stabistical thermodynamics-is certainly suitable for better students a t the freshman level and the text will provide some interestine exam~lesof ~ h v s i c dchemisters are supplemented with prohlem sets.
REEDM. I Z ~ T T Brigham Young University Provo, Utah A704 / Journal of Chemical Education
