BOOK
REVIEWS
The Essentials of Chemistry
R. P. Craham and L. H. Cragg, Professors of Chemistry, Hamilton Collew, McMaster University, Cansdtt. Reinhart & Co., Inc., New York, 1959. 579 pp. Figs. and tables. xi 16.5 X 24 cm. $6.50.
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In considering a book which is being introduced into a field as well populated ss that of textbooks far beginning chemistry courses, one must, of course, take into account the type of group for which it may have been written. In this case the purpose of the hook is stated simply, and broadly, by the authors to be: (1) This is stextbaok carefullyplanned and written for those who wish to learn (or teach) the essentials of chemistry. (2) This is meant t o he a teztboolcnot a laboratory manual, not a handbook of facts and figures, not a wonder book of chemistry whose msin purpose is to make students exclaim, "Isn't science marvellous!" The phyeical features of the book binding, type, printimg, etc. are good. The illustrations are in general, also, of good quality. The choice of photographs is occasionally rather weak in so far as illustrating any feature of chemistry is concerned; but there are numerous diagrams and drawings which are well drawn. A real effort has been made to provide aids for study, in the form of questions, exercises, and problems a t the ends of
chapters, in the appendixes, and in crossreferencing of topics in the text. The "exercises" are questions designed "to stimulate clear thinking" and are in general fairly well chosen, although on occasion they lapse into mere repetition of definitions, etc. The style is somewhat spotty, partly because there is some predilection for footnotes and parenthetical or side remarks. These often interrupt the reader's chain of thought in an exposition and are on oocasion quite poorly chosen-far example, when the very important concepts of atoms and molecules are introduced via a. footnote. There are occasional errors or weaknesses in wording far which the teacher must wateh, such as the definition of combustion as the chemical union of some substance with oxygen, or the statement that o, housewife is "surrounded by colloidal ehenistrz,." but these are not
cal nomenclature and equations, chemical calculations, and the periodic tahle. The exposition of the use of various units and quantitative relations in problems is one ol the best features. The choice and presentation of materials on the chemical properties of the various elements and oompounds are also quite good. In some instances the authors have rather rigidly limited the scope of the book, some in areas of major importance in chemistry. There is, for example, no reference to any deviations from the Gas Laws and the liquid state is covered simply b y the statement that the kinetic theory "can easily be extended" to include
this. There is also an unqualified statement that "electrons move rapidly around the nucleus of the atom in orbits, much as planets move about the sun." The arrangement of electrons is discussed in terms of K,L, M shells, etc. and it is noted that the M shell can hold "only" 18 electrons. This is followed shortly without comment by a tahle showing the 2, 8, 8 arrangement for argon. One instance was noted, with regard to the periodic table and multiple valence, in which the authors stated that the explanation was rather too eomplicatcd for this book. The usual approsoh is simply to ignore such questions. This approach undoubtedly has its origin in the problem of keeping the amount of material within reasonable limits and i t has certain advantages in keeping materials fairly neatly packaged for classroom work. However, very little additional space would be required to bring out some of the limitations inpresent knowledre and ideas. Moreover, the tendency to avoid mentioning such complications results in a book which in its whole fails to bring out one of the major essentials of chemistry: that i t is an active and growing field of study and investigation. Such a book covers the nomenclature and facts but not the science of chemistry. The authors' explaostion, in the I'reface, is that they have kept t,he book relatively short and "have left out nothing that is eseential at this stage of one's study of chemistry." On this basis the book is suitable only for those students who will have opportunity in later years to learn something of research and the questions ahead in chemistry as well as an outline of present knowledge of elements and compounds. The book is difficult to evaluate, for it has some very strong features and some quite weak ones. I t cannot be given unqualified recommendation for "those who wish to learn (or teach) chemistry." I t is not a laboratory manual, a handbook, or a "wonder book" of chemistry; but it still has limitations as a textbook. I t is not to be recommended for students for whom this would be the only experience with the study of chemistry. It could be used effectively in the beginning course for groups who will be taking further work in chemistry. ROBBINC. AN~ERSON The University of Tezas Austin General Chemistry Workbook
Conway Pierce, University of California, Riverside, and R. Nelson Smith, Pomona College. 2nd ed. W. H. Freeman & Co., San Francisco, 1958. vi 243 pp. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. Paper hound. $1.75.
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This is the second edition of a problemexercise book for general chemistry which first appeared in 1955. The work covers all of the important types of problems considered in the first year college course. Each chapter contains a discussion of the principles involved in various calculations followed by one or more solved Volume 36, Number 8, August 1959
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