book reviews I admire the work mwtly far its value as a reference hook for analytical chemists and for courses in chemical instrumentation. No other book in the field contains so much material presented in such a logical manner under one cover. Roben W. Schaefer unlon C 0 l k p
Schenecfady,New York 12308
Experimental Organic Chemistry Arnold J. Krubsack, University of Southern Mississippi. Allyn and Bacon, Inc., Boston, Mars., 1973. xvi + 445 pp. Figs. and tables. 19.5 X 25 em. $9.95. This laboratory text aims a t a middle ground between the "cookbook" approach and the "honors" approach. The idea is to start the student with a modified cookbook approach, showing him how the procedure is developed as well as presenting a detailed procedure. The text will then "wean" him from this until he is confident enough to perform at the honors level. The initial experiment (after a standard melting point experiment) involves the separation, purification, determination of purity, and identification of the components in a ternary mixture. This experiment takes the student through extraction, recrystallization, distillation, chromatography (vapor phase and thin layer), and (optionally) spectroscopy (ir, uv, nmr, mass) in a logical set of operations, rather than the trivial, isolated exercises of the usual laboratory manual. Each topic is discussed thoroughly in theory and in nraetice. ineludine aooaratus used. how it is handfed. and the operations performed with it. These five chapters form a sound reference section for the ahove experiment as well as for funhpr lahoratory work. The reference information in this text compares favorably with that which the old Fieser laboratory text (Heath, 1941) provided for its day. Following a brief chapter on the organic chemical literature, a number of synthesis experiments exemplify various organic reactions. Only the first has a detailed procedure, development of which from the properties of reagents and products, reaction parameters, and the available apparatus and materials is fully discussed. Subsequent experiments give the possible reagents, solvents, special handling problems, possible separation procedures, and the characteristics of the possible reactions. Enough discussion is provided to allow the student to develop his own procedure with some guidance. In Later experiments, the student is expected to refer to the literature far some information. In every case, the text discusses the mechenism and related theory of each reaction. The appendices give details for scientific report (or paper) writing and solvent purification.
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/ Journal of Chemkal Educafion
It is difficult for a chemistry teacher to give an unbiased evaluation of a labmatory text or manual as he would always prefer a different organization, a different type of experiment, ete. For example, this reviewer finds the poverty of chemical identification or classification experiments (with their rapid and effective illustration of functional group reactions) distasteful. Similarly, this reviewer would prefer more emphasis on physical organic experiments, less on synthesis for syntbesis'sake. Some quantitative and qualitative studies are provided, such as determination of the equilibrium constant of an esterification, analysis of the organametallic reagent content of a solution, and determination of the ratio and structures of products of a reaction by chromatography and nmr. It is readily apparent that this is a text capable of huilding independent thought, technical competence, and faeilitv for ulannine in oreanic - chemistrv student*, prnwded'that the laboratory teacher works hard to make thc srudenta read. mterpret, and look our for prtfalls There are some weaknesses, such as the inclusion of same questionable reaction mechanisms. Nevertheless, on the whale, Kruhsack has provided a worthwhile and original contribution to laboratory teaching methodology, if not to the secondary reference literature of organic chemistry. L. Oliver Smith Valparabo University Yalparaiso, Indiana 46383
only the methods described in the particular section hut also require the application of synthetic methods considered ~reviously. The organization of the subject matter will be very helpful to the student who has used a textbook based upon the functional group approach since he will now see grouped together a variety of methods for synthesis of carhon-carbon bonds, the many applications of displacement reactions and so on. A section on the planning of multistep syntheses serves to illustrate how many of the type reactions in the previous sections can he used and in what order to affect a desired transformation, The next to last section presents problems in interpretation of experimental data. The data in these pmhlems are primarily chemical. Some spectral data are given but the student will have to rely primarily on his understanding of chemical reactions to solve the problems. The last section is entitled special problems in synthesis and structure analysis. As the title suggests, these are problems of a more advanced level. The student who faithfully and systematically uses this workbook should develop an appreciation of organic synthesis and the skills necessary for the solving of many problems in organic synthesis. L. W. Haynes The College of Wooster Woosfer. Ohio 44691
Advances In Linear Free Energy Relationships Workbook In Organic Chemistry. Exercises in the Properties, Behavior, and Synthesis 01 Organic Compounds
T. A. Geissman, University of California, 1972. xii 245 pages. 17.5 X 24.5 em. Paperbound, $4.95.
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This book's subtitle, "Exercises in the Properties, Behavior, and Synthesis of Organic Compounds," accurately describes the scope of the workbook. Dr. Geissman, drawing on his experiences as a teacher of organic chemistry a t the undergraduate level, has designed exercises which will greatly aid the student in understanding the chemistry and preparation of organic compounds. After three brief introductory sections on establishing the constitution of an organic compound, bonding and the shapes of organic molecules, and stereochemistry, there follow seven sections on type syntheses: carbon-carbon hond formation by reactions of the aldol type, carhon-carbon hond formation by the use of Grignard reagents and other organometallic compounds, earbon-carbon bond formation by C-alkylation and C-acylation of carbon anions, the Wittig Syntheses, nucleophilic displacement, aromatic suhstitution reactions, and midation reactions. Each section contains a well-illustrated intmduction to the synthetic method(s1 plus numerous exercises for which answers are provided, either within the section or at the end of the hook. The exercises use not
Edited by N. B. Chapman and J. Shorter, The University, Hull. Plenum Press, New York, 1972. xiv + 486 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 15.5 cm. $28.W. Despite the word "advances" in the title, this hook is not necessarily intended to he the forerunner of a series nor are the discussions of various topics by the various authors necessarily limited only to the most recent material. On the other hand, the discussions tend to he highly condensed and controversial points are identified rather than resolved. The hook will therefore be useful as an anotated hihliography and for its 37 tables rather than as a text. The critical and scholarly chapter on the present status of the Hammett equation by 0. Exner (802 ref!) contains some authoritative comments on the statistical analysis of LFER's as well as useful tables of parameters. A well written chapter on reagent structural effects by R. G. Pearson (71 ref) s w e y s the factors affecting the behavior of generalized acids and bases. Chapters on optical spectroscopy by A. R. Katritzky and R. A. Topsom (155 ref) and on nmr suhstituent effects by M. T. Trihhle and J. G . Traynham (595 ref) should pmve useful in the mowing application of LFER's to spectroscopy. The chapter by I. A. Koppel and V. A. Palm on solvent effects (230 ref) discusses four independent variables characteristic of solvents: dielec(Continued onpageA48)
