book reviews correctness of significant figures (Hooray!). There are four tables of data a t the end of the book hut for this particular text, the omission of a table of formation constants of metal-EDTA chelates is a serious oversight. The index, in a type-size much too small, is exceedingly complete. At the end of each chapter is a list of recommended references which is as current as 1969 in some eases. The hook is in grave need af tender loving editing. A glaring typo appears on the very first page (p. 3) and there are an excessive number throughout the book. There are inexplicable omissions such as, in many experiments, sample drying temperatures. There are curiosities such as the inclusion of a, warning about air bubbles in the buret tip in the directions for one, and only one, particular experiment (13.2) which is not even the first titration. There is a tendency to casually insert in sentences some rather important words, particularly modifiers and qualifiers. Jargon appears in many instances without any definition, or pages or even chapters prior to definition. Excess conciseness results in loss of clarity, cohesion and logical development in numerous topics; rewriting without restructuring and slightly expanding the treatment of some subjects would remedy these defects. It is hoped that there will be a. second edition of this book soon. I t bas too many novel and goad features to he allowed to languish because of editorial defects. ROGERH. WEISS Humboldt State College Areata, California 96681
Organic Reaction Mechanisms: An Introduction
Edited by Ronald Bmslow, Colombia University. 2nd ed. W. A. Benjamin, 272 pp. Inc., New York, 1969. ix Figs. and tt~bles. 22 X 14.5 em. $15.
+
The first edition of this little book did a remarkshly good job of presenting the basic notions of mechanistic organic chemistry in s. form that was readable, yet fairly sophisticated. The essentials of the subject are stripped of much non-essential jargon and very lucidly presented. The level is considerably beyond that of a typical general organic chemistry text. I have found this hook useful in courses ranging in level from sophomore to first year graduate school. The new edition preserves the spirit and most of the original text, adding about 15% new material. It promises to be s t least as useful as its predecessor. The first edition covered most of the main types of organic reactions, including electropbilic and nucleophilic diphatic and aromatic substitution, reactions of carbanyl compounds (including derivatives of crtrhoxylic acids), iqnic elimination and addition reactions, and free radical re-
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actions. The m a n addition to this is s new chapter on photoohernistry and a special topic on the Woodward-Hoffmann orbital symmetry ideas. The special topics focus attention on particular areas, either because of their special current interest (the orbital symmetry topio) or because they illustrate the methodology of the field particularly well (the sect,ion on r complexes in aromatic substitution). I t is a pity that the latter, dthough it has been rewritten, still lacks reference to the crucial experiments by Christy and Ridd on diheneyl, which appear to cast serious doubt on the conclusion Breslow has drawn. Particularly for beginning students I think i t would have been nice to use this as an illustrrttion of the continuous growth and change, even in the older areas of the field. This book should But this is a be remarkably effective as supplement to standard texts for bringing the spirit and a good deal of the substance of its field to students. M,lunlc~M. KREEVOY University of Minnesola Minneapolis
Problems in Structural Inorganic Chemistry
William E. Hatfield, University of North Caroline, and Richard A. Palmer, Duke University. W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, 1971. xi f 328 pp. Figs. and tables. 15 X 23 em. $4.95. This hook of ten chapters hrts been carefully compiled to provide a. balanced collection of problems (262 in all) in structural inorganic chemistry for senior undergraduate and firsbyear graduate students. The authors prepared the book with the aim of assisting students to develop a. better understanding of the modern quantitative aspects of inorganic chemistry. Chapter 1 cont.ains exercises which review mast of the important aspects of inorganic nomenelatme. Chapter 2 on elementary structure and stereochemistry covers a number of correlative rules (effective atomic number, full hybridization theory, boron hydride styx rules) that are useful for predicting molecular stoicbiometry and geometry. There are a few problems on dipole moments and conductivities. Same common problem arising in the quantum theory of a t o m , particularly as applied to atomic spectra, are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 is designed to give an operational familiarity with aspects of group theory related to molecular symmetry. Chapter 5 on chemical bonding indudes prohlems on ianio bonding, valence bond theory, molecular orbital theory, and ligand field theory. The use of vibrational spectroscopy (infrared and Raman) and electronic spectroscopy to obtain information about (Continued on page A186)
