ATOM HARVEST Leonard Bertin, Science correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 1957. 253 pp. 14.5 X 22 om. $3.25. Tnrs book will have a twefold interest to Americans. I t is, first of all, an excellent record, by a n experienced science reporter, of development of knowledge of atomic energy in Britain and the application of this both for military and peace time purposes. I t is largely nontechnical, hut nonetheless the author has done what seems to he a thoroughly accurate job of reporting. There are highly readable accounts of bomh tests and of the development of nuclear power plants, plus discussions of such problems as the genetic implications and the possible effects of the bombs on weather. Secondly-and perhaps of more importance for Americans-the book is a frank and forceful presentation of the British side of the controversy over security. It presents a record of oontributions by Europeans before and during the war which are all too often minimized in this country. For example, to quote one comment, "in the matter of the separation of uranium 235 by the process of gaseous diffusion, for which the British teem worked out both scientifie and technological details, no scientist or engineer was ever allowed to enter the plant a t Oak Ridge and our men were not even told whether the ideas that they had developed had worked satisfactorily." The author notes various instances in which the "need-to-know'' principle in security restrictions operated to keep our allies and supporters uninformed a t a time when our rivals were already making rapid strides in the field. H e also reports frankly certain instances which seem t o the British to raise serious questions of ethics with regard to our handling of "secrets." For example, he reports that
Rwsevelt and Churchill concluded an agreement for exchange of information a t Quebec, yet this was not mentioned a t the time of the Smyth report, nor was this mentioned to Senator McMahm and t o Congress when the Atomic Energy Act was under cansideration. None of us can, of course, gauge exwtly the accuracy of such statements. However, the book is not rabidly partisan and i t has the ring of sincerity. I t can, therefore, he highly recommended, both for an interesting report on developments in the application of atomic energy and for its exposition of some d the serious problems, which are of general concern to scientists and nonscientists dike, that must be faced whenever technical data become important in international relations. ROBBIN C. ANDERSON UNIYERBIIT OF T E X ~ A U ~ T I NT. E X * ~
GALILEO AND THE MAGIC NUMBERS S i d n e y Rosen, Assistant Professor of Physical Science and Education, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Little. Brawn and Co., Boston, 1958. 212 pp. 15 X 22 om. $3.50. DR. ROSENha8 drawn upon many books and translations to give us a biography of this remarkable man of science and one of the founders of modern experimental seientificinvestigation. Asked what heparticulady wished to put across to his readers, the author replied: "I would like them to know that mv book is about a eeniua who
century when men endured the tortures of the Inquisition because they dared to threaten the concepts entrenched by authority. The book not only reveals the world's attitude toward science s t the time of Galileo hut introduces the reader to personalities responsible for this attitude and tells of Galileo's struggle against it. "Donot be afraid to challenge authorityat anytime if a search for truth is inquestion," his father had taught him, and Galileo was to remember as he pursued the number magic of Pythagoras and Euclidian geometry and the new system of the world fashioned by Copernious. Thus Galileo made many enemies by differing from the prevdling Aristotelian philosophy. In 1632 we see him brought before the Inquisition by a special commission of Aristotelian professors who had persuaded the Pope that Gslileo was a heretic, condemned for a crime whieh was not crime in his own eyes, far revealing the great truths of nature whieh he had discovered to be true and declaring the mathematical order which governs all things. Older readers as well as young readers will enjoy Galileo and his introduction to the magic of numbers which turned his attention ta the then very imperfectly comprehended laws of bodies in motion and led t o his great contributions to physical science as we know it today. GRETA OPPE BALLHIGHSCXODL G*,,"~sl.on., T E X * ~
THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY DURING THE twistings and turnings of desperate men determined to preserve the status quo." Dr. Rosen has succeeded in doing that and has given us a picture of the sixteenth
REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE Lenard Berlin, Atom Harvest Sidney Rosen, Galileo and the Magic Numbers L. F. Haber, The Chemical Industry During the Nineteenth Century R. H. Atkin, Mathematics and Wave Mechanics K d z and Seabwg, The Chemistry of the Aotinide Element8 S. D. Hamann, Physico-Chemical Effects of Pressure Fisher, Johnston, Thompson, and V ~ e e h n dJr., , Dislocations and Mechanical Properties of Crystals E. F. Caldin, An Introduction to Chemical Thermodynamics Simonson and Ross, The Terpnnes. Volumes 4 and 5 Paul Pascal. editor. Nouveau Trait4 de Chemie Minhrale. Volume 3. E. Rancke ~ d n e nThe : Develo~mentof Titrimetrie Analvsis Till 1806 F . Burriel-Mmtz and J . Ramzrer-Monor, Flame Photometry
NINETEENTH CENTURY
L. F. Haber. Oxford University Press, New York. 1958. vii 292 pp. 16 X 24 cm. 57.20.
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"THEREare many histories of ehemis try, few of the chemical industry." Dr. Haber thus starts his unique and welcome effort to remedy this situation. Hie book is unique in selecting a few key industries, mainly sulfuric acid, soda and coal-tar-dye-stuffs, and i t is welcome in its ~ource-basedthoroughness. He describes the consequences of technical developments in production rates, prices and markets, with due emphasis on the human foroes responsible for these achievements. Thus he points out the economical side of scientifie research a t the academic institutions in the several leading countries. The dramatic changes in industrial leadership are clearly presented, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century when Britain and JOURNAL -OF CHEMICAL EDUCATlON
France in succession found themselves surpassed by Germany in fields they had believed naturally their own. Portraits of leading personalities are given in concise strokes, and in writing about Justus Liebig, the author refers to the biography written by Fritz Haber, his father. Chapter 10, Big Business in the Making, contains the fascinating story about the organization of the large companies and the formation of the Interessen-Gemeinschaften. The next chapter deals with the problems in ownership and management, patent law, taritfs and other government regulations. The last chapter gives revealing insight into the pw sition of the workers a t various times and in different countries. The statistical tables, of whieh there are many, show the almost explosive rise of the chemical industry in the later part of the century. In the United States, production of sulfuric acid was 53,600 tons in 1865, and 700,000 tons 24 years later, In Germany, for example, about four times as much tonnage of potash salts was produced in one day in 1900 as in the entire year 1861. Further details on sulfuric acid, soda, bleaches and dyestuffs are given in the Appendix, with graphs far prices and exports. In all, this is a rich source of materiale to enliven many a lecture on chemical industry and to appreciate our present situation through its historical ppreeedents. There is only one statement in the h w k that is wrong. Describing the new synthetic dyestuffs, Haber refers to fuchsine, developed by the manufacturer Renard, as "the German for renard" (page 82). Renard's French patent No. 22,706 of 1859 states thst the name fuehsine was to allude to the color of the fuchsia flower! I mention this mainly so that my high praise for Haher's book may not be suspected of resnlting from uncritical reading! The bibliography of 16 closely printed pages does not really contradict the quoted opening sentence. EDUARD FARBER W*snwo~or*,D. C.
MATHEhfATICS AND WAVE MECHANICS
R. H. Atkin, Lecturer in Mathematics, Northern Polytechnic, London. John Wiley & Sons, Ino., New York, 1957. xv 348 pp. 14.5 X 22.5 cm. $6.
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THISbook contains a fantastic amount of material in 334 pages: analysis, vectors, determinants, matrices, differential equations, classical mechanics, vector field theory, wave motion, electromagnetio field, matrix mechanics, wave mechanics, perturbation theory, electron spin, quantum chemistry, stati&ical mechanics, and quantum theory of radiation. The main purpose of the hook is to cover the principles and some applications of quantum mechanics (145 pages) but it also includes the necessary background material in mathematics and theoretied VOLUME 35, NO. 8, AUGUST, 1958
physics (199 pages). I t is remarhble how much detail and advanced coverage can he included in the amount of spaee used. The hook represents a masterful piece of condensation and organization. It is hard to see how this excellent mechanics, because of the terse style. Most students will need additional detail and much more extensive discussion, in words, of the physical significance of the various concepts treated. Also, the point af view is definitely that of a physicist; this is another serious ohstdele to the use of this book ss a. text far a. quantum chemistry course. I t does not seem possible to separate out the kind of material (especially thst concerned with basic principles) usually presented to chemists. The main use of "Mathematics and Wave Mechanics" would appear to be as a reference work or suoolementmv text. The problems a t ?he end of chapters deserve special commendation. They are numerous and excellent. TERRELL L. HILL
UN~VERB OF~OAEOON T~ Euame. O n ~ a o x
THE CHEMISTRY OF THE ACTINIDE ELEMENTS Joseph J. Katz, Argonne National Laboratory, and Glenn T. Seaborg, University of California, Berkeley. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1957. xv 508 pp. 16 X 24 em. $14.
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INVIEW of the tremendous interest in uranium and the elements which follow it in the periodic system, this is a timely book. The authors have set out to provide "a comprehensive and unified treatment of the chemistry of the actinide elements for both the nuclear ttechnogolist and the inorganic and physical chemist." It is the reviewer's opinion that the authors have been highly successful in fulfilling their objective. A chapter is devoted to each of the actinide elements, the lengths of the various chapters reflecting the state of current knowledge of these elements. Thus, whereas the chemistry of d l the elements (actinium through nobelium) is described in about 400 pages, 290 of these deal with thorium (50 pages), uranium (110 pages!, plutonium (90 pages), and amenmum (43 pages). Among the topics discussed far each element are: history, isotopes, occurrence and isolation, properties of the element, solid comoounds, and solution chemistrv. The chapters are well organbed and written, with the quantitative aspects of the chemistry of the elements heing emphasized. The important literature through 1956 is cited. The material on the various elements is followed by a superb chapter entitled "Summary and Correlation of Properties." Included in this section are discussions of chemical and physical properties, crystal structure, absorption
and fluorescence spectra, electronic configuration from magnetic dsta, spectroscopic data, and the position of the actinides in the periodic system. The section ends with a consideration of future possibilities for elements beyond 102 (nobelium). The book contains appendixes on atomic weights of the actinide nuclides, X-ray energies, and nuclear spins. In all regards (organbation, content, clarity of miting, ete.), the hook is excellent and is recommended without reservation.
PHYSICO-CHFMICAL EFFECTS OF PRESSURE
S. D. Hamann, Division of Industrial Chemisky, High Pressure Laboratory, Sydney University, Australia. Academic 246 Press, Inc., New York, 1957. ix pp. 15 X 22 cm. $8.50.
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THE little volume before us presents an excellent survey of a field which extends over all physical chemistry from physics on the one hand to chemical engineering on the other. Its excellence arises from the author's ability to compress into small compass information from every area in this broad field and at the same time present the information in a very readable, authoritative, and interesting way. There is hardly a topic in pressure physics and chemistry that is not touched on, and even to enumerate them all wodd not only he tedious but would oonsl~memore spaee than is allowed for a review. After summarizing the empirical methods for conducting quantitative experiments under high pressures, including a short hut good account of transient high pressure phenomena such as those observable in explosions and shock waves, the author describes volumetric effects of pressure, giving examples of the experimental results and the theories used t,o interpret them. Indeed a very satisfying feature of the hook is the mixture of theoretical studies and experimental results which the author introduces into his discussion of every major topic. As the book proceeds, the author describes the effects of pressure on phase equilibria in systems of one and two oomponents, on transport properties such as viscosity, diffusion and heat conditions, on dielectric and optical properties including optical and infrared spectra, F-Center absorption, nuclear magnetic resonance, on electrolylic conduction, and polarogmphy. Two ~ubstantial chapters are devoted respectively to the effects of pressure on equilibria in chemical systems and to the kinetics of chemical reactions under pressure. In both of these, especially in the latter, the experimental results are systematized by reference to the current theoretical knowledge. The chapter on reaction kinetics is particularly interesting.
