B O O K REVIEWS Experimentation: An Introduction to Measurement Theory and Experimenl Design
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D. C . -Roird. Rovsl Militsrv Collem of Canada, Kingston, Ontitrro. PrenticeHall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 10G2. v l!lR pp. Figures. 14.5 X 21 em. $4.50. -
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The classic book for advanced lahorstory studonts is "An Introduction t o Scientific Research" by E. B. Wilson. Dr. Ihird h a s t r i d to write a little booksimilar
t o Wilson's but on a lower level. His purpose has been t o provide the boginning physics student with both a proper viewpoint and a small collection of datahandling techniques. The philosophy is good; a few of the techniques leave something to be desired. In eight chapters the author touches on planning, measurement, evaluation, and reporting. The style is conversational and not a t all formidable. The introduction of the basic ideas underl.ying random error by means of large-~caleconceptual ssmpling (the ghost of C;alileo does the work) is well done. Unfortunately, and in sharp contrast to Wilson's book (to which reference is made by theauthor), thereareanumber of statc-
ments which severely blemish the work. It is not true that "the finest scale division always provides a fundament.al lower limit to the uncertainty" (p. 38). The properties of the standard deviation estimate are given incorrectly (it is neither Gaussian nor unbiased) and the well-known large sample approximation to its standard mror is improperly applied t o small samples. The treatment of fitting straight lines is both faulty and incomplete. And the discussion of experimental design conveys nothing of what this subject has to otfer. The major error of omission is the absence of the central consideration in measurement theory, viz., that unleis the system producing the data is in statistical control, one cannot say that the mean of n observations is more reliahle than a singk observation! I t is said that thisotherwisewell-written, and doubtless much-needed, book is so inadequate with respect to some of the fundamentals i t purports to teach. Professor Pauling's admonition that authors should not consult any reference works while writing their books should not be heeded by physicists who wish to include material on statistics. LLOYD S. NELSON General Electric Lamp Division Cleveland, Ohio
Crystallizalion: Theory and Pmctice
Andrew Van Hook, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts. ACS Monograph No. 152. Reinhold Poblishing Corp., New York, 1961. ix 325 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 em. $12.50.
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Perhaps the author's own statement about this book best shows its scope and emphasis. He says in the Preface, "It was originally intended to review the entire subject of crystal growth in considerable detail in the present work. However, the appearance of Buckley's book [See THIS JOURNAL 28, 452 (1951)], as well a3 that of Matz [G. Mats, "Die Kristallisation in der Verfahrenstechnik," Springer, Berlin, 19541, rendered this unnecessary, 8 0 that the original plan was drastical1.v revised to emphasize recent theories and to describe principal crystallization processes and industries." The book is divided into six chapters. The first three of these are historical review of the field followed by the basic principles and modern theories. The fourth chapter contains a sampling of the literature data. on nucleation and growth. The last two chapters deal with crystallierttion methods and applications. There is an average of well over 200 references in each chapter as well as a two page appendix of gcneral references a t the end of the hook. This vast number of references to the original literature which are included make the textual material read a. good deal more like a telephone directory than a paperback novel. I n short the book is of value primarily (Continued on page A692)
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Journal o f Chemical Education
