book reviews purchase key parts of equipment or how to construct them is invaluable. He describes in some detail vacuum fractional distillation, recrystallization, and chromatographic methods. The book will be most useful to beginning graduate students. Some of the equipment is not available or would not be sufficiently used in colleges to justify the expense. Even the more knowledgeable research worker, however, will find many suggestions that will supplement his awn experience and give assistance in areas less familiar to him. As a manual for teaching a laboratory course, the book will have limited use since few universities have such courses for graduate students. It should he a part of a student's library and will enable him to have greater confidence in exploring new methods than when he must depend on his peers for advice. Whether the student would learn enough to justify the amount of time spent on known experiments must be judged by his thesis adviser. Professor Newman has made available t o all chemists his knowledge and his invaluable experience in the organic chemistry laboratory. This alone justifies the acquisition of the book by practicing research chemists. Gloria G . Lyle University of New Hampshire Durham. N . H . 03824
Heterocyclic Chemistry
J A. Joule, and G. F. Smith, both of University of Manchester. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1972. viii 362 pp. Figs. and tables. 23 X 15.5 cm. f 2.75, paper; t6.25, cloth.
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This rs a new mrruductun textbook in a held where textk,wks are scarce dnd good ones rnrpr still. ' f h ~ chemical properties of the numerous heterocyclic systems are so diverse that any textbook of this type must he e compromise. At this point relevance and emphasis become important. The authors of this book have clearly given much consideration to this problem, and as a result the hook is very well balanced. It is evident from the text that i t is the result of an exhaustive literature survey. The opening two chapters are devoted to the structures (valence-bond description) and key synthetic approaches t o heteroaromatic systems. The main text then deals with the chemistry of sixteen systems fully and eight systems more briefly. At the end of the book lists of eneyclopaedic reference works, pertinent review articles, and monographs are included to aid the student in further elaborative reading. The subject index is fairly comprehensive. For each of the main systems there is a general discussion and comparison with the appropriate aromatic or heteroaromatic system; this is followed by a discussion of the essential reactions and synthetic methods. A brief introduction describes the content of the chapter, and a t the end of the treatment of each system specific A380
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Journal of C h e m i c a l Education
Dauid J Williams,The City College of the City University of New York. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New York, 1971. xiii + 401 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 15.5 cm. $17.
thetic polymers-the subject of this book --enter virtually every aspect of our lives; mast of the objects that surround us are, if not entirely, a t least partially polymeric in constitution." He also reemphasizes the following important points, "In spite of our longstanding dependence on polymers, their intensive study as a class of materials distinct from their low molecular weight counterparts is a recent phenomenon. One can fix the birth of modern polymer science in the 1920's with the pianeering work of Hermann Staudinger . . . For the championship of this viewpoint (macromaleeular hypothesis), as well as other elements of his work, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1953." "The polymer industry has grown a t nearly four times the annual growth rate of the national economy. Today, thousands of polymer products are manufactured, and over 50% of all chemists and chemical engineers are associated with the polymer industry. Finally, when the American Institute of Chemical Engineers posed the question to a pajlel of chemical engineering authorities: What are chemical engineers' ten biggest alltime feats?'; three of the choices were: establishment of the plastics, synthetic fiber, and synthetic rubber industries." In addition to the brief (I) Introduction t o the nature of synthetic high polymers and the more common methods of (11) Synthesis, the text includes the following major topics of discussion: ( I n ) Physics of the Solid State and (IV) Polymer Rhealagy. As subheadings under one or more of the major topics the following subjects, among others, are discussed: definitions and concepts, intermolecular forces of attraction in high polymers, molecular architecture, steric factors, molecular packing, step-reaction and chain polymerization, addition polymerization, random and alternating copolymerization, block and graft copolymerization, morphology and order in crystalline polymers, transitional phenomena, copolymers and polyblend systems, polymer chain conformation in random systems, rubber elasticity, polymer rheology, simple linear viscoelastic models, retardation and relaxation spectra, the elastic modulus, phenomenolagical aspects of dynamic mechanical testing, and a n introduction t o polymer melt rheology. While each of these topics is covered more completely in separate treatises elsewhere, a text of this nature which introduces these topics to the reader in a logical sequential manner certainly has this aspect in its favor. This is particularly the ease since the text was planned for physical chemists, chemical engineers, and materials engineers a t the senior or first or second year graduate school level. The subject matter should prove valuable and stimulating to the practicing polymer scientist and engineer as well. The text is adequate for a two-semester or three-quarter program, either a t the senior or graduate level. Problem and discussion sets have been included and references are cited in an appended hibliography. Even though the topics are discussed in a sequential manner and cross references are supplied where appropriate, the several parts may be read and studied independently.
The author introduces his subject with the following significant statement: "Syn-
George B. Butler University 01 Florida Galnesviile. Florida 32601
general references and additional references to books and reviews are given. In the general discussion, section emphasis is on the occurrence of the system naturally or in therapeutically important compounds. Similarly the major synthetic examples are of natural products or pharmaceuticals incorporating the ring system. Uniquely, for almost every reaction, fairly precise conditions and a yield are given, affording the student a clear concept of the comparative reactivities of the various systems and of the reactions mast useful in synthesis. Reaction mechanisms are given profusely. But as with more general areas, where there are imperfections in knowledge these are clearly stated and not by-passed, as is often the case a t this level. (Indeed, there are a large number of potential research projects clearly brought to light.) The structures and numbering of aver fifty heterocycles are given in the front and back inside covers. The printing and layout are very good and the section headings well placed. The large number of diagrams are easy to read, and the whole book is relatively error free for a first printing. The organization of material is very good and clearly comes from considerable experience in teaching this complex area of chemistry, where the names of systems, their numbering, and their reactions can be very confusing. The overall result is a concise, highly readable textbook, eminently suitable for a single term course, where the price makes i t one of the cheapest of the available texts. In most universities throughout the world, heterocyclic chemistry is an essential, compulsory course, taught t o the experienced undergraduate. Sadly, in many American universities it is rarely a compulsory course even a t the graduate level for the organic chemist. This book may influence the thinking of those who consider heterocyclic chemistry too difficult or too specialized for the average chemist either a t the graduate or undergraduate level. In the opinion of the reviewer, this book will become the textbook of choice for those involved in the teaching of heterocyclic chemistry, especially a t the undergraduate level. The organic chemist needing to refresh his ideas on heterocyclic reactions will find this book invaluable. For those workine with heterocvcles it is a necessity. It has rhc particular advnntnyc of clarity, current, wide-ranging content tog~therwith emphasrs m the mwhanirtir aspects and the comparative chemistry of heteraaromatic systems. Geoffrey A. Cordell College of Pharmacy University of Illinois af the Medical Center Chicago, Illinois 60680
Polymer Science and Engineering
