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General Chemistry. HORACE G. DEMING, Professor of Chemistry, University of Nebraska. Third edition, John Wiley k Sons, Inc , New York City, 1930. is 715 pp. 143 figs. 14 X 22 cm.
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in Figure 1 (page 3); whether the student might not get the impression kom page 606 that radium is a light metal; if nickel forms more useful alloys than iron (page 64). But these are very minor details, and the book shows unmistakable evidence of thought and care in the selection and Presentation of material. I t contains much more than the average student ean learn in a year's course, which the author recognizes: "The instructor ~ ~ t should, select what he Can make interesting, vivid, and of service in teaching the student to reason chemically. and should he content to omit the
Gmat improvement in the appeal made to the student's interest and in themethod f, presentation is apparent in the general chemistry texts today aver those of twenty-five or thirty years ago. D ~ ing's well-known book, the third edition ,f which appeared in ~ ~ 1930, ~ il. lustrates this. According to the title survey empage this is an of funphadzing industrial damental principles." rest. Too many teachers try t o excavate the entire contents of a textbook by the prequent reference is made to matters~ i t h the student is steam-shovel method" (page 4 . In a word the reviewer considers the already familiar; the pictures of industrial processes are unusually good; the book worthy of the rank of "excellent." HARRISONHALE statistics used are recent and well ar;g;gc; ranged. The explanation of the meaning ;;;F of scientific research (page 26) and the description of current research a t the Exercises in General Chemistry. HORdose of many chapters are most valuable. ACE G. DEMING, Professor of Chemistry, That "no inventor or patent attorney can afford to neglect suggestions likely University of and B' ARENSON,Asmiate Professor of Into be contained in the periodic is organic Chemistry, University of Cininteresting. cinnati. Third pdition, John Wiley & Atomic structure is not discussed until Sons, Inc., New York City, 1930. xi\. the book is half complete, as the author 298 pp. 20 figs. 14 X 22 cm. does not wish "to have students building 81.80. models of the chlorine atom before they This manual follows the order used in have learned t o generate chlorine in the laboratory" (page vi). Acids, bases, and the thud edition of Deming's "General Chemistry" to which constant and satissalts are discussed for twelve pages he. fore the word ion is introduced, and a dis- factory reference is made. The authors state its chief aims: cussion of ions is delayed t o a later chapter. "1. T o make the student familiar with The reviewer would prefer more em- a few representative types of matter. phasis upon the persons who have made "2. T o reveal some of the general chemistry that which i t is today. Many principles that govern the transformations are mentioned, hut no photographs are of matter. "3. T o afford same experience with given. Some men are as interesting as a porcelain plant, for example. One the experimental methods by which chemistry has won its advances" (page vii). wonders where physics should he placed 198
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To reach these objectives 74 exercises covering 211 pages are given. This is followed by 77 pages on qualitative analysis. Exercises are adapted for a two-hour laboratory period with additional paragraphs for use if a longer time is available. Space is reserved in the text for the student's record of his work. In each exercise references to t h e "Genrral Chemistry," a general statement of the purpose of the experiment, list of materials and of apparatus, and directions given. Then a series of questions with space for answers or a blank table for results follows. These questions are well chosen and cannot be satisfactorily answered unless the student really has done the work. More special apparatus is required than is ordinarily used in a course in general chemistry, such as gas burets, apparatus for filtering hot Liquids, and for filtering under diminished pressure. The hope is expressed "that the choice of exercises may not too often be determined b y limitations in equipment" (page ix). There will be considerable opportunity for choice as all the work in the manual cannot be given in the time usually available. The authors have achieved the aims set for themselves. The reviewer would question the advisability of giving twentyone physical and chemical . pro~erties in the . &laboratory exercise. Twenty of these are defined while after "transparency" the only statement is "glass and celluloid" (page 4). The cut of the pipet on Figure 5. page 21, is omitted. On page 40 it is stated "1 I. of oxygen, under the given conditions, weighs 1.42 deg." But such mistakes are exceedingly rare and evidently the printer's. The authors have done their work with care. The physical make-up of the hook is attractive and well done. Information of value concerning buffered solutions, indicators, solubility, vapor ~.pressure, and density are given in the appendix. Even the inside of the covers is filled with helpful information.
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Undoubtedly this third edition will prove useful and valuable as have the two earlier editions.
HALE HARXISON U m n s n
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F A F E T ~ B V Z L LAXXANJAS E,
College Chemistry Quiz Book f o r Kendall's Smith's College Chemistry. CECILV. KING, PH.D.. Assistant Professor, and WORTH WADE, PH.D., formerly Instructor, both of Washington Square College, New York University. The Century Co.. New York City, 1980. viii 209 pp. 13 X 20 cm. $1.50.
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This book, one of the Century Chemistry Series, edited by Dr. James Kendall, was prepared for use with Kendall's revised edition (1829) of "Smith's College Chemistry." The questions and exercises follow the text which, as is well known. follows the established historico-systematic procedure. It begins with a few general topics. These are followed by oxygen, hydrogen, and other non-metallic elements, then bv the metal. Thc usual chapters on hydrocarbons, etc., are also included in appropriate places. Appendix .~ B is devoted to oxidation-reduction equations and Appendix C to a four-place logarithm table on pages which face each other. This last feature is a very desirable one as the student has t o do with many problems. The quality of paper, printing, and binding are excellent and the size is a convcnient one. Procedure employed for each chapter consists of one or mare general statements, examples of problems, exercises, review questions, true and false statements, and statements t o be completed by the students. For the last two items, space is provided with dotted lines. I n addition, for t h e last item, the student is directed t o rewrite the false statements making them true without changing the content. The material is well selected and will be of much service t o chemistry students of ~
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