the slightest envy or jealousy of the success of the other. The present editor has added some valuable comments regarding certain now obscure points and personages. The deletion of whole letters or paragraphs occasionallv leaves the reader in the air. hut this is-due to the effort to compress the tremendous mass of material into a hook of average size. The German is not difficult and can he handled by most chemists and students whobe competence in this language is what it should he. Excellent portraits of Liehig and Wdhler are included; i t would have been nice t o see a facsimile of a page written by each of them. The reviewer has read these lettera many times and recommends them to those young chemists who have not had this pleasure. They will learn much from these behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives, activities, and ehsraeters of the Damon and Pythias of chemistry. This advice will probably he heeded by only a few, but here again the phenomenon is not a new one. On August 6, 1841, Wohler wrote to Liebig: "I certainly am not in favor of having every accidental observation that is not followed up being regarded as a discovery and anxiously considered and cited. However, a person must he essentially concerned about the history of his science. The young people nowadays study nothing except the texthooks and the handbooks; the study of sources is neglected more and more. Thus a conceited young man puts into print as an important discovery that palladium is malleable, as though WoUaston had norked palladium by some means other than its malleability-and the editor of the Journal allows this to he printed without uttering a syllable about it. This happens hundreds of times." To which can only he added that this plea for a proper consideration of the history of our science will doubtless continue to he voiced as long as there are old and young chemists. RALPHE. OESPER Uniuersity o j Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio
Elements of Solid S h t e Theory
Gregory H . Wannier, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1959. vi 270 pp. Many figs. 14.5 X 21.5 cm. $6.50.
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In the author's preface he says, "This book represents an attempt to provide s coherent and brief outline of the theory behind present-day solid state physics. I t is aimed a t advanced students or scientists with good all-round knowledge, hut does not assume previous acquaintance with this specialty. An effort wss made to produce a book which can be read from cover to cover and which reveals, if read in this way, some of the main ideas specific t o solid atate nhvsics. I n order t,o achieve this, severe limitations in scope had to be accepted. Some topics of current interest are missing altogether, and ~
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lournol of Chemical Education
others will he found in skeletoni~edform only. To minimize this latter inoonvenience a. bibliography of comprehensive artides is appended to each chapter through whioh the topics discussed in the book may he opened up fully. Also the problems a t the end of the c h a ~ t e r swill helo to round out any particular discussion which may appear too terse t o the reader." This is an admirable description of what the hook aooomplishes; a reader with requisite mathematical background will find reading of the volume profitable, since the exposition is clear and the orgmimtion v e v well done.
Harvey Mudd College Clarernmt, California
Solid Propellmt and Exothermic Compositions J a m s Taylor. Interseienoe Publishers, 153 pp. Inc., New York, 1959. vii 12 plates, 21 figs., and 27 tahles. 14.5 X 22.5 cm. $4.25.
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The author statesin his preface that his objective in writing this book was "to give a picture of the wide range of chemical compositions whioh have been developed as sources of energy for various applicat,ians and also to describe the applications." He also states that "the material is largely derived from work which has been carried out in the Nobel Division Laboratories of Imperial Chemical I n d u e tries over the last thirty y e a r b b u t is ~upplementedby information from other published work." It is therefore to he expected that the hook will be somewhat slanted in the direction of work carried out in I. C. I. Thus we find that twentyfive pagesol th,. test arc givm t o r rhaptrr on Lo\v-'l'rmpwut.~re(;n\-I'rr,Jurhg Rewtions Ih;vd iuro Sitritrs, nndtht 'l[\dn.s' Blasting Device and to one an Power Cartridges, whereas only fourteen pages are given to the chapter on Propellants. Considerable attention is given to the mechanical details associated with the a p plicatian of exothermic compositions and there is a discussion of the principles of rocket motor operation. However, there is little reference to the most recent develnoments. As the title indicates the ~~- ~-~ author~oneernshimselfonlywithreaotions occurring in the condensed state, i.e., as solids or liquids. AB s matter of fact the chapter on rocket motors gives only about a page to liquid propelled rackets and most of tihat i 8 t o liquid manopropellants. Such substances as hydrazine, unsymmetrical dimethyl hydraaine, the hydroborons, for example, are not even mentioned. Thus, it may he observed that t,his volume does not provide a well-balxnced or modern treatment of the field. However, the volume contains some very interesting information and would he a useful addition to the library of the chemist who is interested in the fuel or propellant field.
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HARRYH. SISLER University of Florida Gainesville
Reading German for Scientists
H a m Eichnel and H a m Hein, both of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1959. xi+207 pp. 14.5 X 22 cm. $5.25. Whether used in classrooms or for selfinstruction, this new textbook offers both efficiency and effectiveness. Intentional omission of any instruction aimed specifically toward m'ting or speaking German saves much of the student's mental energy. Those who wish to study or teach scientific German for a ~.eadingacquaintance will find their efforts skilfully, systematically supported here. There are no bombastic claims of "German made easy"; student toil and the need for guiding i t are assumed. Sequence of topics is adapted t o this porpose, not to conformity with conventional German grammars. Any heresy herein mill cause no pain to students, who neither know nor love the convention& Since some concept of pronunciation is needed even in silent reading, the first brief chapter (2 pages) is on pronunciation. Chapter 2 dives directly into the fundamentals of grammar and syntax. Copious use of illu&ative examples and practice passages guides the student in applying the principles as he learns them. Exercises are mainly German-to-English ( ~ t u d e n t providing s the English), with just enough of the reverse to sharpen acquired skills. Analogies with English, and the evolutionary changes underlying them, are pointed out, with due warning that analogies must not be overworked. A cogent example is that Segel evolved into sad, but Regel evolved into rule, not m i l . Part I, in 40 chapters (160 sections), covers the grammatical instruction, with some selected from illustrative contemporary literature. Conscientious study of Part I n-ill prepare students for facile reading of Part I1 (Readings in Chemistry) or Part I11 (Readings in Physics), all selected from modern German literature. Chemists may go on to Part 111, and physicists may dip into Part 11, with benefit to their reading facility. The separation is for convenience, not for segregation. Only faint glimmers of evidence support the authors' statement that their native language is German; none reveal that they live north of the Canadian border. Their English is American, and too well written to give more than an occasionalhint of their linguistic Origin. Printing and binding are praisewort.hy. Layout of chapters and sections is helpful. Twographical changes (bold face, italics, - i s t i r i s k before fieparable verbs, and footnotes) are rung in skilfully to permit maximum concentration on subject matter with minimum effort in following the arrangement. Viewed against the prevailing book market, the price is not excessive. Viewed against the hours saved as compared with acquiring equal reading skill from hooks or courses less concentrated on t h a t goal, the price out-bargains basement sales.
JULIAN F. SMITA Len&? Rhyne College Hickory, N w t h Carolina
