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scverc niathcmatical s t y l r , with very few illustrations of practical applications of the topics discussed. Now i t seems t o US t h a t i n teaching q u a n t u m niechanics t o chemistry students t h e dilernma has for one horn the deep p r n c t r a t i o n i n t o t h e subject required t o reach t h e chemical applications, which lie in an advanced rcgioii, and for t h e o t h e r horn the' step-by-step introduction rcquircd b y most chemistry s t u d c n t s , \rho conic t o t h c subject n i t h o u t much helpful background in mathematical physics. JVe believe t h a t t h e nvcragc graduate s t u d c n t in chcmistry a-ould profit from this t e s t only in connection with n coursc of lectures designed t o expand and illiistrstc t h c material s t u d i c d . Hon.cvcr, once .‘led i n t o ” t h e subject i n such fashion, the studcnt would, wc belicvc, find this book most vnluable, for i t wvould provide h i m with an introduction t o almost 311 t h e quaiitum applications of interest t o chemists-a thorough introduction from n h i c h hc could Y O on i n t c ~ ~ i g e i i t l y . In this respect we might compare the I)oolc t o Joos’s a.t~ll-hiioir-n?’heoretical I’h!jsics, escept for the omission of a n y problems. T o commcnt on a feiv particulars: JVc JTcrc plcascd t o fiud a11 carly introduction and f r w use of group theory. T h i s mathematical tool is of great v d u e in ~ n o l c c u l a problems: r nntl gives generous dividends on l h c little effort required to master i t s applicatioii. A h ~ t u a l l y i t is less s u b t l r t,han the calculus-and, likc t h a t tool, can l ) ~ ,easily npplicd t o physical problems even without an undcrstnriding of tlic mat ticmatical f o u n d ~ t i o n s . T h c chapter on reaction r a t r theory is not, conccrnetl u i t h the application of tlic tlicory OF absolute reaction ratcis to c o t i ~ r r t creactions; ~ i t prescnts a r a t h c r cnrcful dcrivation of t h c esprcssiori for the rcaction m t r togcther ivith qualituni-lllechniliea~invcstigntioli o i i t s validity, particularly \\.itti regard t o tlic, transniissioii coc,fiic-icnt. The saiiir a1)pro:ivli i; t o he found iii t h e ch:iptcr 011 ,statistical mrrhnnic,?. It is, of coursr, cOfisiStcnt with t h e gcncral purpose of the volume 0 1 1 t h e ot.hcr Iiand, t h c t.rr:itinciits of niolc.cular c,iirrgicis (hy both tlic nio1ccul:ir orLital and t h c Heitlrr-I,oiidori nicthods) and C J f InCJlrCU~alRprctl’:I! li-hilc eomp:ict arc quitc con1pletc. T o suminarizc,, n’o f r e l that t l i :iiitliors ~ 1i:ive ~ I Y J J U:IC1)ook ~ ~ I n.liic.Ii \r.i]I 1 ) a~ valuablcb and welcome addition t o tlic boolishrlvcs of physical chcniists, and ~vliich,when supp1enienteti hy illustrative l w t u r c s :ind p r o \ ) l c . i i ~s~l ,i ~ i i l t lninlic~a sound t c s t for L: thorough coursc in q u a n t u m clic~mistry. I~RTCI: T,. CRAWFOHD. JR.
H?/rli,ogenI o n s , ?‘heir lA?te?niinal?‘on n ? d f t n p u , ~ l a r i c ei7i Pui c uftd I?idusli.ial C h e m i s t r y . By 11. T. S.BRITTON.T h i r d cditioli. Tn-o volumcs (420 ant1443 p p . ) . S c w T o r k : I). 1-311 Sostrand Company, Inc., cui point OF vie\\- JV. 31. Clark’s clarbic F r o m t h e therniodynamic treatise, ?‘he I)efe?mz’nation 0.f H?jdioge?i Tons, is still tlic most rxact onc among thc m a n y ~ v nis of a s o m e ~ r ~ l l n t texts which ha^^ l ~ c rvriltcii n on the s u h j w t . 13rittori’s t ~ r l l - l ~ ~ i ohook diflercnt nature. Although the first volunia ( l e a k mainly n i t h the thcory and methods of detcrmining hydrogen-ion roncc~iitration,t h c main cnipllasis is placed on t h c p a r t playetl by hydrogcn ions in chemistry a n d i n numerous tcchnirnl processes ( ~ o l u ~ n11). c ~ The author’s viewpoint is reflected in t h e Preface : “25s niuch of thcx fundamental ir-ork on hydrogen ions was carried o u t beforc the activity thcory of clcctrolytes h a d gained n i d c ncccprnnce, a n d as the clcctroinctric dcfcrminations of p I I a r c usu:illy niadc with cells in n-hich 11 t h e modern theory is not strictly a p p l i c a b l c ~t h ~ e theoliquid junctions exist a n d t o .F.of such cells, given ill thc cnrlicr editions, h a s Lreli retical interpretatioii of‘ the retained. To some, this proccdurc niight appear unjustifiablc, b u t the fact m u s t not be lost sight of t h a t t h e activity theory c a n only he rigidly applied t o cells without t r a n s p o r t , i.?., vi t,hout a liquid junction, which typc of rcll is scarcely evcr used for ordinary pH tlcterminntions. Whatever may h r t h e true meaning of t h c pII value, there is no doubt t h a t p H values will remain a n invaluable means of accurately assrssing t h e extent of the acidity or t h e alknlinity of a solution.” G r a n t i n g t h a t t h e exact value of t h e hydrogcn-ion activity of a solution \rill be f(Jr(’Vrr rinknon-ii, it may be stressed t h a t in many instanccs this value cnn
