ium Chemicals in the Tanning Industry, Chromium Chemicals in Wood Preservation, Chromium Chemicals in Corrosion Prevention, The Manufacture and P r o p erties of Chromium Pigments, Chromium Chemicals in the Graphic Arts, Chromium Chemicals in the Oil and Gas Industries. This and its companion volume provide the chemist with extensive reviews on virtually all of the significant topics relating t o chromium chemistry, metallurgy, and technology. Some of the topics are treated with impressive thoroughness, although this cannot he said of all of the subjects. I t is probably a consequence of the joint authorship that the style, organization, and, t o some extent, the quality vary from chapter t o chapter. This is reflected particularly in the frequency of occurrence of minor errors of the kind easily eliminated in proof. In this eonneotion, i t is noted that the names of two of the cantrihntors are incorrectly spelled on page iii. The ohapter on Physical and Chemical Properties, which represents 32% of the pagination of the volume, oontains a fantastic accumulation of information, and should be invaluable as a reference, although its compactness detracts eonsiderably from the ease with which i t may be read. It appears that some of the information is based on relatively old sources, such ss the earlier reference books. For example, the nomenclature recommended for chromium complexes is not modern, while the seven pages devoted to coordination compounds cite only one reference to the original literature, relying almost entirely on two eleven-and twelve year-old texts. The bibliography for this chapter contains no citations later than 1952. A number of the other chapters are limited t o the literature prior to 1953, although this is not general. The chapters in the introductory section and those on industrial applications provide an effective orientation for the reader on the position of chromium in a. nature and societv. ~,. . . as well as offerine WPRI deal 01 I I W L I ~informil~iox~111 a few I:HPCI, m ~ n eIwk of l i & m among the ituthorti is indicnted 1," mpclition of dwussion in mare than one place. This volume will serve those concerned with either the chemistry of chromium or with one of the several aspects of chromium technology discussed. ~
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DARYLE H. BUSCH TREO A ~ O ST*TEUNIVERBITT cornmoas. Onlo
VAPOUR PHASE CHROMATOGRAPHY Proceedings of the Symposium sponsored by the Hydrocarbon Research Group of the Iastitute of Petroleum, London, May 30, 1956. D. H.Desty, Editor. Academic 436 Press, Inc., New York, 1957. xv pp. 244 figs. 16.5 X 25.5 cm. $12.
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THIShook is an important and valuable addition to the literature of gas-liquid chromatography for two reasons: the hook is composed of articles by active workers in the field, and of discussions of the ttrt,icles by the workers. I t contains a
brief section on recommended nomenclature which should help to stabilize this important tool of communication. This is followed by a brief address of welcome and then 36 articles with interspersed discuesion. The articles deal with general theory; theory of more specialized kinds, such as that of detectors; techniques of operation; apparatus; applications. These are full of valuable ideas and data, and will he of great assistance and inspiration to the gas chrvmatographer. The discussions are fully as important. In some ways, these set this book apart, because here one comes across the kinds of insightful comments that seldom survive the editorial pencil to appear in journal articles. For this reason, the discussions make particularly valuable reading. Considering that an apparatus for gas chromatography may cost in the neighborhood of 100 times the price of this book, the additional investment represented by this book is not excessive, and indeed is recommended as a good one. HAROLD G. CASSIDY Y * L ~U ~ , v e n s , ~ r NEWH*VSN. CONNECT~CUT
THE MiCROBIAL WORLD Roger Y. Stonier, Michael Doudoroff, Edward A. Adelberg, Department d Bacteriology, University of California. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Eglewood Cliffs, N. 1.. 1957. u i i 682 pp. Many figures. 16 X 23.5 cm. $6.
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WRITTENby three University of California bacteriologists, this 682-page text presents all the principles of bacteriology on a level suitable for the beginning student. It is divided into three parts: Part I, "The Properties of Microorgauisms," explains how microorganisms were discovered. how they are studied, and what they are. Part 11, "The Ecology of Microorganisms," describes their distribution in nature, their influence on the living and nonliving environment of the earth's surface, and their exploitation by man for his own ends. Part 111, "The Biological Background," provides the reader with a. brief survey or review of general biological facts and theories. OF CHEMICAL Readers of the JOURNAL EDUCATION who are interested in keeping abreast of recent developments in the fields of biology ttnd biochemistry will find Part 111 particuldy useful. It consists of Chapter A, The Composition, Strueture and Reproduction of Living Organisms; Chapter B, Genetics, Evolution and Classification; and Chapter C, Physiology, Biochemistry and Nutrition. The last chapter provides an excellent source of background material to enrich clessroom discussion of biochemical topics in the general chemistry course. The text has numerous chaxts and tables and is well illustrated with line drawings and original illustrations. LLOYD E. MALM
UNIVEBBITP 0 s UT*H SALTLASE CITY. UTAB
THE DEFECT SOLID STATE
T. 1. Gray, D. P. Detwiler, D. E. Rose, W. G. Lawrence, R. R. West, and T. J. Jennings, College of Ceramics, Alfred University. Intersoience Publishers. Inc., New York, 1957. vii 511 pp. 16 X 23.5 a.$11.
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TEE dustcover presents this hook as "a challenging coherent presentation of the relationship between the defect natures of solids and their physical and chemical properties"; the reviewer does not share this opinion. A coherent and thoughtful account of the rapidly developing field of d i d imperfections would he very welcome a t present, but this is not what the authors have produced. The book can be criticized on several grounds, both general and detailed. The presentation of much of the fundamental information about defects is quite inadequate; there are numerous misleading and even wrong statements; about one-quarter of the book has virtually nothing to do with defects in solids. The first eight chapters are concerned with topics suoh as semiconductivity, diffusion, sintering, corrosion, magnetic properties and catalysis, all of which are relevant t o the subject of solid imperfeetious. On the other hand, Chapter 9 is an account of phase equilibria suoh as one would expeot t o find in intermediate textbooks on physical chemistry, and its connection with the defect solid state is not apparent. Chapter 10, on ceramic mate~ials for high temperatures, also seems irrelevant. I n addition, one must deprecate the journalistic jargon used in this chapter. There is no place in s scientific book for such statements as: "Since Carnot developed his now famous principle governing heat engines the race has been a n . . ."; "This advance up the temperature scale. . ." Chapter 11, on intermetdic compounds, is so brief that i t does not fairly reflect the wide range of research heine done on these comoounds.
ances. These are not, however, comprehensive discussions; far example, the extensive contributions of C. Eyraud t o the development of both techniques are not mentioned. The book cannot he recommended to the uninitiated because of serious shortcomings in the early chapters. I t should surely he stated on page 1 that there are sound thermodynamic reasons for the occurrence of imperfections in solids. This is inferred in a few places (for example, on pages 8-9 and 78) but is uw where explicitly stated or given any emphasis. Yet more confusing is the astonishing statement on page 93: " . .the thermodynamic requirement for an equilibrium system that it shall achieve the mazimum slate order and the minimum of free energy." The discussion of the phonou (page 2) as "the most fundamental imperfection" lacks clarity. A reader may he easily misled by the description of Schottky defects in ionic lattices (pages 7 to 9). The process indioated in Figure 4 (page 7) is correct for, say, metal but (Continzud on pore A494)
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
