What a delightful book! Perhaps this seems a strange way to describe a text, but that is exactly the feeling one emhraces after reading through it. The bits of historical background and general related information at unexpected and unusual places give interest and context to ideas beins develooed. The discussion concernine the sources of me&, the d~scuvenof the nohlr gasrs, and thediscowry of the nlphn particle are raws in point. Fur thiq rmsm, studwts would find 11 d ctr for supplemental helptul as n reference whrn a s s ~ d n ~pnperl reading. While most texts in chemistry use proportionality constants-and many call them just t h a c f e w explain them. The authors of this b w k took the space to define them and give a related example which lends clarity and understanding to a term which is often vague. This and most of the footnotes in the text are trulv beneficial and well worth ~
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Thi.; hook is wry wadable. The format is uncrowded sc, that diagrams, illuslrations, and tnbles sMnd out. 'The organi~at~un and order &e unique but logical and easy to follow. This is especially noticeable with the early introduction of equivalent weight in an early chapter with and the sequence followed in studying organic compounds in a later chapter. The explanations are usually very clear and well illustrated. The approach to a subject is often from a different perspective from that found in many texts. For this reason, this is an excellent book to supplement a class text which might prove difficult for some students. The explanation of bond energy and bond length illustrates the point. These are ideas often hard far students to assimilate, but the vivid discussion given by these authors should clarify the matter for them. The backmound reading which this h w k ~rovideswould he useful " for nnv ~,to aooroach an exolanation (or re-exnla,teacher: new wavs nation,: interesting iniormation to liven up a d~scusr~on: a wealth of reacrwn equations descr~b~ng the activity oftransitiun metals, group IVa elements, and, especially, the nonmetals; an extensive list of questions, problems, and/or equations accompanying each chapter and providing a source of this always needed material. The kev to the use of anv bwk is a ewd index. The index in this text itself to be more than adequate. I t is 13 pages long, and has so again the authors have not been stingy with the space needed for well-documented contents. Accompanying the text is a study guide. In general, its format consists of a brief summary of many sections, lists of vocabulary wards, questions to consider, and answers to the questions for most sections of the hook. If this were to he the text for a Chemistry I1 class (and it well could be), the study guide would be helpful for weaker students. ~
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K. MARSHALL Conroe High School Conroe, TX 77301
JOSEPHINE
Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry John R. Holum, John Wiley 8 Sons, New York. NY. 1978. (Second edition published in 1982).
John R. Holum's text is particularly appropriate far the audience for which it was intended: the first-year college student interested in a health-related career. The accompanying study guide abounds with all kinds of self-testing questions and answers. The text would not be suitable as a main text far a first-year college prep or second-year AP chemistry course, since it purposely does not deal in depth with elementary thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, eouilihrium. oaidation-reduction. or electrochemistrv. Understandsky, it does not emphasize the problem-solving skilis necessary for an AP course. For a teacher of either course, however, it is a great source of practical applications of chemistry to health care. Examples include the function of numerous radioactive isotopes in the treatment of various ailments; buffer systems important in the maintenance of body pH; alloys used in dentistry and skeletal implants; related problems of corrosion; and metal-ion complexes important in living
tissues. The importance of physical properties of gasesto the chemistry of respiration is emphasized. Those who teach their own variety of second-year high school chemistry might find parts or all of this text useful for one semester of such a course. One-half of the experiments in the accompanying lah manual are devoted to experiments in organic and biological chemistrv: these are mainlv aualitative tests. The level at which the few organic syntheses are presented does not require recrystallization of the product or determination of melting point to establish pu-
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.Many oftheerperimentswuuldronvenienrly fir ina ;In-minutelah period. Thc manual cuuld therefure serve as a supplrmenr~rylnh manual tor a fimt-yearhigh school chemistry course. A number of the experiments are consumer oriented and written at a more challenging level than some "consumer kits" on the market. Of consumer interest are the e re oar at ion of oolvrneric fibers and soao: a comnarison of the properties of soap and synthetic detergents; det&minatibn of Vitamin C in food; antacid effectiveness in tablets via titration and analgesic drug analysis by TLC.
M. 0. DAMON Waterford High School Waterford. CT 06385
JUNE
Holum's text isdesigned 89. aone-srmcrtrrsurvry course fur future hralth care ~)rofessiunals.A larger. expandrd text exists with an accompanying lahoratory manual with more experiments, many of them quantitative. Benzene has been omitted from the lab manual and CCL is used only when the author has deemed that no suitable substitute exists. e.g., in a BrdCClr reagent. However, the mixing of potassium dichromate and concentrated sulfuric acid hv students is sanctioned uhen an oxidiring agent is required E:xprrimmts a r t designed to rr~nforcetheory disrussions h m the tcxt. Many are d~monstrations which students do rather than the teacher. Directions for laboratory procedures are very clear and complete. Little laboratory experience is presumed. If, like me, you are eonstantly revising and updating your "safety lecture"at the beginning of each course, you may find the student-oriented safety rule list and the very practical safety quiz at the beginning of the lab manual of use. ~
Cornmm lab operatimx are (ltarly and iirnply prrrentrd The significant figures disruision is particularly clear and ran he used at many ahility leveli. 'I'hr experiment on recognizing chemical 2nd physical changes is psrtieularly good as it leads to equation writing along with observations. Lab report forms are provided for each experiment. These include prelab questions as well as thought-provoking questions during and after the experiment is performed. Many experiments required quantitative treatment of data and can he adapted for various ahility levels in high school chemistry. Experiments on the behavior of different types of organic compounds, relative rates of reaction of alcohols, etc., are included. These might be of particular interest to teachers using the IAC organic or biochemistry modules as supplementary work. For example, the saponification experiment in which methyl benzoate is used could follow directly after making soap in the IAC organic module. With a more advanced class, the nylon experiment might be substituted for that in IAC. Emphasis throughout is on careful observation with the senses followed by equation writing to describe what happened chemically. In the text, the mole concept is defined and then used, in the interest of time constraints, rather than "discovered" by the students. Discussion of orbitals is kept to a minimum. Kinetic theory is treated from ametabolic point ofview. The treatment ofhuffers, particularly the carhnnate svstem. would he of use in an AP class. The lab which .-~. ~,~~~ reinforces this topic&!a makes this often difficult suhject much more comprehensible. Particular treatment and emphasis is given the chemistry of respiration. Differences between colloids and solutions are made more dramatic as osmosis and dialysis are discussed with practical application in the kidney machine. Each chapter has a summary, reading list and questions, in-chapter lanswers .~~~ included in student text) and end-of-cha~terexercises. Fulls onr-third ( s f the trxt conwrns Iri~whemictryand it* appliratiuns of intrrr3t 1,) students n,ntcnmpletingcareers in thr health acirnccs. The tcrt cuuld he a line rrfrr~mt.for trachrr and AP student or thr stmnc first-year student. The accompanying study guide provides performance objectives, ~
Volume 59
Number 8
August 1982
707
