BOOK REVIEWS work in conjunction wit,h a regular text in spectroscopy, this book would be of value. As B source of research informstion, it is of less value since most of the actual information obtained has been published and the papers are more in the nature of reviews. 8. TARR DONALD College qf Wooster Ilrooster. Ohio Chemical Spectroscopy
R. E. Dodd, University of Durham, Neweastle-upon-Tyne, England. American Elsevier Publishing Ca., Inc., New York, 1962. s 340 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 88.75.
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This book and the report of the Hydrocarbon Research Group conferonce edited by 31. J. Wells are, in a sense, complementary, since Dodd's book is designed as a first text and the conference report is designed to rover the areas of spectroscopy presently in use. One's major renetion on reading Dodd is t,hat while the book is quite complete and underst,andahle, it is very brief. Hence i t is sometimes a little more difficult to follow than some of the other fairly recent tex* on spectroscopy where the material is less sbbreviatetl. On several occasions this reviewer a t Erst suspected that Dodd had not included a given item, but on further examination i t was obviously present but had been covered so quickly that i t was passed over an a first reading. The entire range of spedraseapy is covered, beginning with a. chapter on experimental methods including microwave and radio frequency spectrometers, as well as optical. The remaining r h a p ters deal with the theory of spectmsropy: Chapter 2 covers t.he electronic states, Chapter 3, nuclear motion, Chapter 4, interartions and en~pirical correlations, and Chapter 5, intensity. The aver-all impression is t h a t this book is a very useful one, but t h a t it. is mare useful in conjunction with one of the other rerent texts, so that the two will provide complementary treatments and allow for covering the necessary gaps in each of the individual treatments. I t is certainly more difficult for undergraduate self-study than are some of the other spectroscopy books. DaxaLn A. TARR College of Woosler Wooslrr. Ohio Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics
Frnnk C . Anrlrews, University of Wisconsin, Madison. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1963. xii 206 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 85.
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This is s, slim volume, intended ~s I L text for an introdurtory course in statistical mechanics. I t is less than half (Continued on page A970)
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Chemical Education
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BOOK REVIEWS the size of other rerent texts of comparable purpose with which I am familiar (e.g., those by Hill, Ilnvidson, and Eyring, el al.). The small size is only made possible hy severe limit,~tionson the topics covered, since, wit,[, only a. few exceptions, the topics whirh are induded are discussed a t adequnt,e lengt,h, considering the purpose of the hook. The hook is divided into three parts. Part I discusses t,he principles of stntistical mechanics, inrluding ensemble theory, a trief introduction t,o probahilit,y theory, and t,he relat,ionship of statistical merhanies to t,hermodynnmirs. Part I1 treats the ideal gm, hot,h classical and quantnl. Part 111 briefly treat,s several specid topim, among whirh are dense gases, crysti~ls, rhemird equilibria, and flurtustions. Purts I i ~ n dI1 are n good workmsnlike jut) but Part 111 is less satisfactory. Though some of the topics are given :t rermnnahle int,mdurtory treatment, t,he t,rentnlent of others appears to be ton hief to be vet.,\, useful. Reladive to t,he f n d that statist,ied meehmics is inherently a mathem&ical subject,, Andrcws makes only modest. demands on t,he reader's background in mat,hemat,irs and physics. Due emphasis is placed on t,tmse points where sbudents are most likely t,o eneuunter difficulty. An example is the lurid discussion of t,he ditl'erence between Ferrni-1)irnr and Bose-
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Chemicol Educofion
Einstein statistics, m d the conditions under which these may be approximated hy Boltzmann statistics. Much af the argument in the book is phrased in the quanta1 language of states and energy levels: although no specifically qumt,al calrulations are called for, the student, who has not previously been elposed t o quantum meclrsnias will have to take a lot on faith. The problems appear t o have been well prepared. While not, mathematiesllv dillirult. thev usuallv call for rarefh thought.' ~ol;tions m d hints are gwen a t the end of the book. Because of the restricted range of npplieations, I would deem this book suitable for use in a m d e m undergraduate physical chemistry course or n sho1.1 introductory course in s t a t i s t i d mechanics, but not for s thorough graduate eoune in the subject,, even one whirh does not go into the important. and interesting problems of systems of st,n>ngly interarting particles. It. might rtlm be useful to graduate students reviewing for comprehensive examinations. The hook has been well pndured, and I have not notired any t,ypographir:sl errors. The only exception I take to any of the author's statements is to the one in t,he Preface which calls professional stnt,istirnl mechanicians "a singulnt.lg quzrrelsome hunch." I quarrel with the word "singularly."
Solubility and pH Calculations
James S. Butler, Tyro Laboratories, Waltham, Massachusetts. AddisanWesley Publishing Co., Inc., Reading, hlassaehusetts. viii 104 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. Paperbound, $1.75; hard cover, $2.05.
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The goal of this short monograph is provided by the subtitle, "The Mathematics of the Simplest Ionic Equilihrin." The author has correctly observed that, much of the dilficolt,y in equilibrium eslrulstions is due tu reakness of skills in idgehraic mnnipulation. I n the pmress uf treating the cases of simple salts, a d s , hnses, and buffers he presents practical but rather rigorous approaches t o t h e solution of basic types of problems whirh lhegin with a knowledge of equilihrium mnstxnts andlor eaneentrat,ions of speriea. The first chapter give8 strategic advice and reviews some elementary rnxthematirs. Of s p e d intorest i u the wid-hase chapters is the emphasis on logarithmic equilihrium diagrams, x device long fnrniliar to researchers hut only rerently heginning t o appear in testhooks in this country. There is also x good intraduction to ihe mathematirs of buffer capwity, alt,hough this may be beyond the interests of most students using this book. Frwn the nlgebrsie a t a d p o i n t the hook is useful and beyond repr~mrh. Yet one should comment on the chemistry content, for books such ns this are primarily for budding chemists rather than for arithme(Conlin~urlon pop? :l978)
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