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225
SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR SCIENCE INSTRUCTION
Edited by John S. Richardson. Compiled by a committee of the National Science Teachers Assodation, Washington, D. C., 1954. viii 266 pp. Illustrated. 22 X 28.5 em. $5.50.
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BECA~SE there was no comprehensive and authoritative publication on science teaching facilities available to science teachers and school administrators, the National Science Teachers Association approved a project in 1948 for the preparetion of such a publication. "School Facilities for Science Instruction" is the fullreport of the project. Concerned as i t is with many aspects of science teaching-laboratories, multipurpose science rooms, rooms for developmental soience courses and specialized courses; audio-visual facilities; facilities for elementary schwls; eauinment and sunnlies. storaee and nrenaration: checklists of
sponsible for planning and teaching science. School administrators will welcome such an authoritative report; and architects, science supervisors, school hoards, and state departments of education, as well as those who sell to our schools and colleges, can profitably utilize the information found in this report, brought together by the committee and a large number of contributors from all parts of our country in the puhlio schools and colleges and universities-school plant specialists, members of school hoards and state departments of education, whose names are all listed in Appendix I. A special reviewing committee studied the manuscript with representatives from the National Council of Chief State School Officers, Association of Secondary School Principals, Department of Elementary School Principals, American Institute of Architects, National School Boards Association, National Council of Schoolhouse Construction, and the U. S. Department of Education. I t w profusely illustrated with diagrams and pictures, showing not only the laboratories and olassrooms, but a wide variety of facilities for learning activities. The amount of material aasembled here to show the basic principles concerning facilities for science instruction is amazing. This project of the National Science Teachers represents a tremendous effort to give to those who build the schoolhouses of the nation the facilities for science teaching that can make the lives of our youth more effective through the contributions of effective science teaching. G R E T A OPPE BAG% HIDMSCXDDL GAGYEBTON. T E X ~
The concise style of writing has made it possible to include a large amount of material in each relatively short chapter. Since the book was written by a British subject, the terminology reflects English uswe. Statwtics concerning production and consumption of minerals in Great Britain are given prominence but no more so than those for the United St.ates. I n fact, very Liberal use has been made of publications originating in the Unitedstates in compiling the factual data. The book was written primarily for producers and consumers of mineral materisls. For this reason, much attention is given to the speoifications which mineral materials must meet in order to be marketable. The book is as up to date as is possible in a work of this kind since official statistics are usually a t least a year late in appearing. Although the hook will he of greatest value t o those directly concerned with the mineral industries, it should be a valuable reference for teachers of chemistry, particularly those dealing with heginning courses in secondary schools, colleges, and universities. I n the opinion of this reviewer, it is as much the function of these courses to show the importance of chemistry as a tool of industry as it is to lay a foundation for later courses in chemistry. While the chemistry of processing minerals and canverting them into finished products may lack the glamor of organic syntheses, i t is nonetheless of tremendous importance industrially and deserves more consideration in the general chemistry course. The teacher who holds this point of view could do no better than to use "Minerals for the Chemical and Allied Industries" as a basic reference. The chemical processes used in preparing minerals for use in industry and in converting them into useful products are very well discussed. They provide ercellent examples of the practical importance of chemistry in modern industry.
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NOTIONS EL~MENTAIRES DE CHIME G E N ~ A L E A LA L U M I ~ EDES ~ O R I E MODERNES S
Poul Pascal, Professor, l8$eole Normale, Paris. Masson et Cie, Paris, 1953. mi 550 pp. 243 figs. Tables. 16.5 X 24 Em. 3600 fr. ($10.30). Paper bound.
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THE"Advertissement" states that in a previous 1800-page treatise the author has written a. theoretical and critical exposition of the principal problems of physical chemistry for professional chemists. The present work contains a choice of themes from the preoeding tome, limited to those topics far which the exposition is compatible with mathematical apparatus consisting 0 MINERALS FOR THE CHEMICAL AND ALLIED only of elementary algebra. The text presumes a considerable INDUSTRIES knowledge of analytioal, inorganic, and organic chemistry. 4cSydney I. Johnstone, Ministry of Economic Warfare, London. cording to the reviewer's informant, i t is used by French students John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1954. 692 pp. 174 tables. who have had a n introductory course in these subjects. In subject matter and scope, the book is somewhat more advanced 14.5 X 22 cm. $11.50. than a n American text. for the undergraduate physical chemistry INRECENT yeam, the quantities and varieties of mineral ma- course, but it demands less mathematical howledge from the terials reqnimd by industry have increased greatly. The de- student and, of course, it offers him a less penetrating grasp of pletion of the richest sources af some minerals, coupled with in- the subject. ternational tensions which hsmoer trade. have created severe I n addition to containing an interesting anecdote about N a p prohlrms of supply. a ,r rowrqwnrv, thew is nwunritlj in- leon, the preface states tho author's belief that French science rerret i n inrlurtriul mitar:,ls. Numrnms artirks, rrports, anrl texts have lagged behind those in Anglo-Saxon countries in preImokr have nppvarrd within thc last few yrars +sling with on^ senting a modern treatment of their subjects. The author hopes or another aspect of mineralmaterials of oommercialimportance. that his text will help to overcome this deficiency, and that, in Mr. Johnstone's "Minerals for the Chemical and Allied In- particular, i t will show the student that the main task of modern dustries" is a noteworthy addition to the growing literature on chemistry is the explanation of the properties of matter in terms the subject. of atomic and molecular structure. This hook hrings together in a single volume data concerning TI.? ynwnl firldi; rrf lurlmr vlo)rie~i u d ihmistry, a w m i v wnl the sources, world production; methods of processing, and uses n~ulwuluritrurturv, chtmit.:cl kinrticr, equililrrium, liquids, n r d of all the major industrial minerals, exclusive of fuels and certain colloid.; d l rrrciw m:rjw trt.;tt!nt.nt.i. The numl,rr 2nd \.arivry construction materials. There are 71 chapters, each dealing with of particular topics considered is impressively great. It is pleasa single mineral, or a small group of minerals of similar uses. ing to find a brief mention of shock waves, detonetiona, and flamrs ~
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