Chemical Education Today edited by
Book & Media Reviews Organic Chemistry, 2nd Edition William H. Brown and Christopher S. Foote. Saunders: Fort Worth, 1997. Figs. and tables. 22 × 26 cm. xxxii + 1135 pp + appendices. ISBN 0-03-020458-5. $70.00.
The two most important changes in this book from the first edition (reviewed in J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, A13) are the inclusion of Christopher Foote as a second author and a major reorganization of the material. Topic sequence is always an issue in the first organic chemistry course. In this edition, Browne and Foote chose to use acid–base chemistry to introduce mechanism and the correlation between structure and reactivity. Electrophilic additions to alkenes are deferred until after a thorough discussion of stereochemistry. Given this, it is surprising that all of the examples that deal with stereochemical analysis for electrophilic addition to acyclic alkenes are left to the very end of the chapter on alkene reactions. One could argue that if the trouble is taken to introduce stereochemistry so early in the text, it should be exploited earlier in the discussion of electrophilic addition. Instrumental techniques for determination are found near the middle of the book. The discussion of 1H NMR spectroscopy precedes that of 13C. Diene and arene chemistry are presented after the examination of carbonyl reactivity (both nucleophilic addition and enolate reactions). I actually preferred the arrangement in the first edition, with alkene addition reactions following directly after acid–base reactions and arene chemistry preceding the carbonyl group reactions. The authors state quite reasonably that they see their audience as consisting of chemistry majors and students of biology and the health sciences. They are quite successful in linking the science of organic chemistry with issues that will resonate with the intended audience. Natural products appear early and often, both in problems and in essays referred to as “Chemistry in Action”. Emphasis is placed on relating molecular structure to biological activity.
Edward J. Walsh Allegheny College Meadville, PA 16335
Students should find the text aesthetically pleasing. In general, good use is made of color (including a nice selection of color photographs). Clearly the authors have made an effort to make this an up-to-date text. I found the discussions of mass spectrometric analysis of the Martian meteorite ALH84001 (pulled from the headlines) and kinetic resolution using esterases to be quite interesting. The chapter problems are thorough and many focus on molecules with biological relevance. I was intrigued to note that problems that incorporate the ChemOffice software package (ChemDraw and Chem3D) are peppered throughout the text. This software is easy and fun to use and would make an excellent supplement. Unfortunately the software package is fairly expensive for individual students ($99 according to the manufacturer; however, the publisher offers a significantly lower price when packaged with the Brown and Foote text) but should be useful in a computer laboratory setting. The four brief interviews with chemists from academic and industrial settings are a nice touch. I found the appendices, which are significantly expanded from the first edition, to be thorough and well written. Appendix 7 is especially noteworthy in that it provides an alphabetical listing and brief description of the major types of reagents used in the text (sort of a miniature Fieser and Fieser’s Reagents for Organic Synthesis). I am always disappointed when a section on answers to selected problems doesn’t find its way into the back of the text. There is, of course, a study guide, which supplies all the answers for the students to purchase. Overall, Browne and Foote have created an excellent text, which should warrant serious consideration for rigorous, twosemester introductory courses in organic chemistry. Chriss McDonald Lycoming College 700 College Place Williamsport, PA 17701
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 75 No. 12 December 1998 • Journal of Chemical Education
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