BOOK REVIEWS reet explanation of the mechanism of the disproportionation of alkylbenzenes. On p. 191 i t is strongly implied that tertiary alkyl halides do not undergo E2 elimination when in actual fact theso halides undergo such rliminat,ions much more readily t,han secondary or primary halides. On p. 20i in see. 7.12 and p. 275 in sec. 10.20 occur two of the many ( a t lmst 20) examples of the application of the unusual postulate, r r f e r r d t o earlier, about renetions involving the most unstable canonical forms of n resonance hybrid. On p. 2i4 the failure of most ketones t o form bisulfite addition compounds is ascribed t o n rate phenomonon rather than t o the fact the over-all equilibrium is unfavorable. A further general criticism of the book's treatment of mechanism is t h a t i t gives much too little emphaais to the very considerable role which strric effectsplay in a wide range of organic reactions. It i s a p i t y that the treatmentof reaction mechanisms comes off so poorly, for the treatment of descriptive organic rhemistry is generally good, and the baok as a rholo is quite readably written. I t also has the feature of providing unusually detailed coverage of heteroeycks, and quite rxtensive coverage of other binlogically or pharmaceuticrtlly important compounds. Treatment of stereochemistry varies from excellent in the chapter dcaling with ring strain and geometrical isomerism (Chap. 4) t o acceptable in t h a t (Chap. 9 ) dealing with optical isomerism. However, because of the shortcomings oi the book's treatment of mechanisms and because this material iis so extensive, and so interwoven with the rest of the text that i t cannot be overlooked or omitted, this reviewer regretfully cannot recommend adoption of Gero's baok as an elementary organic text.
JOHNL. KICE Oregon Slate University Corvallis Semimicro Experiments in Chemistry
John W. Sulcoski, Dallas Senior High School, Dallas, Pennsylvania. Burgess Publishing Co., Minneapolis, lOfi3. viii 128 pp. Figs. and tables. 21.5 X 27.5 cm. Paperbound. 52.90.
+
"Semimicro Experiments in Chemistry" has been written for those chemistry instructors who like the coneopt t h a t rxperiments in the student manual should contain no fill-in blanks, but rather should require an essay-typo student report. The general format for this report is included in the teacher's manual and, if iallowed, should ease the problem of grading and improve the laborstory instruction. There are 51 experiments in the manual, more than half of which are quantitative in scope, requiring measurement., graphing, and interpretation of data. The experiments follow the "open-ended" idea pioneered by the Manufacturing Chemists Association. The directions are brief but sufficient. Questions are posed for good (Continued on page A827) Volume
40, Number 10, October 1963
/
A825
observation. The student report includes a serieli of essay questions which require careful obsemation and interpretation of data. It is also suggested that the student report include equations for all the reactions involved. The experiments are a little more sophisticated than thhse found in the usual high school laboratory manual. Excellent suggestions are contained in the teacher's manual. These include a general commentary on each oxperirnent, lists of chemicals for each experiment, a quantitative list of chemicals needed for the entire course, apparatus list for the student locker and additional equipment needed in the laboratory. A list of stock solutions and their DreDaration is also included.
t o teach&
of ~hvsicrtlchemistrv a a.
forward problems.
JAMES H. LOEALIN College of W m t e r Wooster, Ohio PhysicochemiralHydrodynamics
Vaiomin G. Larich, Academy of Sciences, USSR. Translated by Seripta. Technica, Inc. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1962. xvi 700 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 em. $15.
+
This is the translation into English of the second edition of a book which was first published in the U.S.S.R. in 1952. The translation was prepared by Scripta Technica, Inc. and edited by L. E. Scriven assisted by A. Acrivos, J. Newman, T. J. ductory experiment on laboratory techHanratty, S. Bmckenstein, and W. E. niques appears to be very well written and Rana. I t should prove to he s. veritable easily followed by the beginner. gold mine of information for chemists and The author should be complimented far chemical engineers who deal with small his effort to improve upon the laboratory scale hydrodynamics including especidly instruction in the high school. the motion of drops, bubbles, and pt~rticles WILLIAMSCAEE~NER in fluid media, wave motion on s liquid surface, and motion in thin films. AlParma City Schools though the title of the book stresses hydroParma, Ohio dynamics, the other transport phenomena are not neglected. For instance, there are Calculations in Physieal Chemistry sections on convective diffusion to the surface of a rotating disk, diffusion in the B. W . V . Hawes and N . H. Dauies. concentration range near a critical solution John Wiley and Sans, Inc., New York, point, the passage of current through an 1062. xiv 203 pp. Tables. 14 X electrolytic solution, and the effect o 21 em. 54.50. surface active agents on the motion of This little book covers the areas of bubbles, dmps and waves. Many of these classical physical chemistry as well as topics ilre just beginning to attract attenhaving chapters an Atomic Physics and tion in the United States, and i t ia quite Nuclear Chemistry and Molecular S t n w surprising to find that Professor Levich ture. Each chapter consists of a series and his colleagues have been working of prnhlems with notes given to guide intensively on such problems for a period of 20 years during which the theory has the student in solving them. The result been developed to the point where an will give the studont practice in the authoritative monograph could be premanipulation of chemical calculation8 pared. but does not serve too well in giving The material has been presented in an him a better insight into the theory hehind the problem, so that he can later eaaily understood manner. Although the tackle the non-standard problems he may development of each topic eventually results in a mathematical analysis, the face. Answers for all problems are given sctuel calculations are usually accoma t the end of the book. panied by a good narrative discussion in The problcms a t r e for t h r most part fairly straightforward and routine, and which the salient points are clearly pre3ented. Within a. given broad area, the do not involve extensive calculations, zuthor frequently discusses s. series of graphicel integrations, etc., which are related problems of increasing complexity often encountered in practice. The book md physical reality. The methods of was designed to give British students higher mathematics are used whenever practice for the various examinations that they ilre required. However, one never are a part of the British educational :ets the feeling that the author is solving a system. Many of the problems are actually taken from previous examinations. mathematical exercise as an end in itself. In many cases, appropriate approximaRegretably the authors have not recalculated data to conform to the '*C = tions are used in order to reduce the eomolcxity of the analysis. As one would 12.W00 atomic mass scale. They also :rpcct, this means that most of the dishave not been consistent in their eonxssions of such phenomena. as diffusion to ventions of cell patentids and use bath Srope and particles are framed within the oxidation and reduction half-cell poten:ontext of boundary layer theory. tials rather than changing them to conThere may be a few advanced underform to recommendations of the Stockholm convention. (Continued on pare A829) equipment. All the laboratory equipment is pictured.
+
Volume 40, Number 10, October 1963
/
A827
