Oxygen: Elementary Forms and Hydrogen Peroxide
Mielmel A ~ d a ,Hebrew University of Jerusalem. W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New 106 pp. Figs. and York, 1965. x tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $6.75.
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The chemistry of oxygen and its compounds constitutes a. major portion of inorganic chemistry. This brief monograph is limited to a discussion of the allotropic forms of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Additional material which is included in this hook such as electronic structure of the allotropes, hydrogen peroxide, and the simple oxides make it quite interesting to resd. Considerrtble attention is placed on the description of the physical properties of these compounds and emphasis is made primarily on the interrelations between these properties and the experimental methods used in their derivation. A large number of recent experimental results have been cited. Frequent reference is made to the recent literature which should make this monograph a valuable reference as well as mpplemental text for many inorganic courses. The discussion of oxygen, ozone, and the 0,molecule are very well done, particularly in terms of modern theory. A reasonable number of examples of reaction mechanisms which involve oxygen, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide are also presented and carefully discussed. The author makes no claim to have
A164
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Journal of Chemical Education
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com~letelvDresented all of the ohvsieal " ard ehernical pnprriea of oxyEen u ~ itsl cherniusl teudenries but has carefully chosen s serin of exnn~pleswhich i l l ~ r n t e many of its important properties.
The order of presentation of topics is, for the most part, quite good. Theauthor begins with a brief presentation of valence theory and demonstrates the application of resonance theory using s, discussion of acidity and basicity. He next covers GILBERT GORDON nucleaphilio displacements, remangeUniversity of Maryland ments (involving embonium ions and College Park electron deficient nitrogen and oxygen), electrophilio and nueleophilic aromatic substitution, addition to carhon-carbon double bonds and carhon-oxygen double A Guidebook to Mechanism in Orgmic bonds, elimination processes, carhauion Chemistry reactions and finally free radical processes. In the treatment of these topics a rePeter Sykes, University of Cambridge, markable number of speci6c organic England. 2nd ed. Longmans, Green, reactions are discussed. It might have 269 DD. and Ca.. London. 1965. xiii been better to present elimination reFigs. and tables. ' 14 X 21 om: pa;&actions (chapter 8) e d i e r in the sequence. bound. Approx. $3.50. There are two outstanding deficiencies in this work. First, the lack of literature In many bookstores one can find a. references, which does contribute to directseries of "So and SO Made Easy" ness, hut cuts the student from too much hooks. Thus, with a minimum of effort valuable "douht." Second, there is no it is possible to learn to play chess, presentation of or even an introduction speak various languages, write English, to conformational analysis. This is a etc. This "Guidebook" satisfies in a serious omission which one might hope very remarkable manner the requirewill be rectified in future editions. It ments for a "Mechanistic Organic Chemshould be noted that this edition covers istry Made Easy." I t is simply written nitrosation of amines, disza-coupling, with much information presented directly ester formation and hydrolysis, and deand in a. very readable fashion. The hook cwhoxylation, which topics were not is not written for an academician or recovered in the first edition. searcher, but as a working guide for inThis text would be of use to advanced course students and, as a consequence, undergraduates and first year graduate what it may lack in sophistication it (Continued a page A168) compensates for in its directness.
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