Basic Chemistry. General, Organic, Biological Denis M. Callewaert and Jullen Genyea. Worth Publishers. Inc., New Yo*, 1980. xxii 837 pp. Figs. and tables. 18.5 X 28.5 cm. $19.95.
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"Basic Chemistry" is an attractive survey of general, organic, and biological chemistry written far a one-year course for students in nursing and the health-related sciences. Every chapter reflects the authors' fundamental eoal-to develoo an understandine" of human bioehemistrv. Conceots from eeneml
mathematical demands on the student. Organic chemistry is presented without reference to reactive intermediates or the electrophilic/nucleophilie properties of molecules. Each potential user will have to judge the appropriateness of their decisions. The material in "Basic Chemistry" is available in both the single volume and two separate volumes: "Fundamentals of College Chemistry" (Chapters 1-12 plus Essential Skills) and "Fundamentals of Organic and Biological Chemistry" (Chapters 13-29). "Colleee Chemistrv" would be a verv interch;mistn, esting Look to use & a ore-eeneral .. course, although it would probnhly need to be tivr cupplemented w ~ t hsome q ~ ~ a n r ~ t n proh-
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are emphasized. The integration and careful development throughout are impressive. The book is organized into five sections: General Chemistry (12 chapters), Organic Molecules (7 chapters), Biomolecules (4 chapters), Metabolism (5 chapters), and Essential Skills (9 sections dealing with quantitative skills and chemical nomenclature). The chapters are designed to promote effective study. Each begins with a list of ohjectives. Chapter sections are short and include worked example problems and exercises t o test student comprehension. Optional sections within several chapters, e.g., Predicting Relative Streneths of Acids and Bases. Determmntiun 01 Amino Acid Srquence, are clenrlg marked. Pn,bltms at rhr end of each chapter are aaequate in numhpr. Answers 18, chapter exercises are given a t the end of each chapter. Answers to problems are collected in an Appendix. In writing a survey textbook, the authors have had to make decisions about level and emohasis. Their emohasis on the estimation of rather than on precise calculation is consistent with their desire t o limit the
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The authors nre to bt.mng~ntulatedfor the care and irnngination with whirh they haw uritrm rhw h o k . I t is well-rllurtrated, consistent, interesting, and timely. Instructors should find it an effective h w k from which to ereat deal teach. and students will learn a " from it. Thomas A. Evans Denison University
Granville. OH 43023 T h e Vocabulary of Organic Chemistry Milton Orchln, Fred Kaplan. Roger S.Macomber. R. Marshall Wilson. and Hans Zimmer, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1980. ix 609 pp. Figs. and tables. 15 X 21.5 cm.
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This is an unusual hook whose purpose is to define by word and example the basic terms and concepts, i.e., vocabulary, of organic chemistry. As such it should be useful to students a t all levels, teachers, and researchers alike. The hook is divided into fifteen chapters,
each of which discusses what the authors perceive as being an important subject area of organic chemistry. One can find, for example, chapters on symmetry, quantum mechanics, stereochemistry and conformational analysis, thermodynamics and kinetics, and seoaration teehnioues and ohvsieal pn8pniei. One ran also tind sweral chapters m the funuti
