book reviews The only criticism of the book is its structuring of the Self-Evaluation Quizzes. First, they would be more useful if placed at the end of the section to which they refer. Answers might still be placed at the end of the text, hut questions must follow the material on which they ate based. Second, the true-false question format used is too restrictive. Students ate often convinced that they understand material hetter t h i n they do after true-false questianing. Use of a mix of types of questions might have beena better approach. Aside fmm the self-evaluation section, the Hutton Study Guide is an extremely well-written text, and should be cansidered for use in many general chemistry courses where supplementary material is deemed necessary. Michael A. Wartell
Mslrooo.8lm Srale Colleqe Den. er Co,oraoo 80264
Fundamentals of Chemistry-A Approach
Learning
Rod O'Connor. Texas A & M University. Harper &Row, New York, 1974. xii + 752 pp. Figs. & tshles:17.7 X 28.5 em. Paperbound. $11.95. The title of the book is remindful of a story told me by a favorite great uncle.
The town bully, in a small western cow community in the 1890's, made a practice of entering the largest saloon with guns blazing and shouting a t the tap of his lungs, "All you sons o f . . . (expletive deleted, hut, I believe obvious) git out!" One bleary-eyed town sot remained, head on the table, after-the rest had conformed to the request. After a second admonition the sat looked u p and around, flopped hack with the comment, "Sure was a lot of 'em!" I get the same feeling reviewing, editing, etc., the curtent introductory texts-there sure are a lot of fundamental principles as well as books. To understand, and indeed appreciate, the job O'Connor has done, you almost have to know the author. The user (and teacher) looks now for something truly different in a new hoak. I think you will find something quite different in this book. As is so often the case, there is something good and something not so goad about most things in this world. At the risk of the review being interpreted as a "score sheet" lets take the "good" first, of which thereis much. 1) The unitizing is wisely approached. There are a large number (42) of them eliminating an undesirable feature too often found of chapters composed of 80 to a hundred pages. 2) A bit "gimmicky" hut interesting is the inclusion of a number of "excursions" which are diversions into such areas a s "Crystal Defects" and ''Structural Determination and Synthesis." 3) One of several acceptances of the "mod approach" is each chapter being in-
troduced by "objectives," fortunately not a regurgitation of paragraph headings. 4) There are interestine tboueh .. at times ntrr especially relevant birr; of folkfore our of the author'* rxperienres mrluded as pan of chaprcr introductions. I rake lriue with one not so much from the stand point of interest as veracity. It involves a World War II story of separating gasoline sabotaged by a sugar syrup by aqueous extraction. This to me seems to be a proper use of "solution" and "salubility" chemistry rather than "colloids" (where it is found). We even disagree on the origin. My source was a P. T. boat commander whom I knew in the South Pacific-not in the desert as claimed, but then truth and fiction often get confused. 5) As previously stated, I think O'Connor has the audience bracketed. He is not talking to the tap 1% of the high school graduating class. 6) The material comes in small doses with limited supply (hut adequate) of problems and questions. In addition, there is a self-test to he performed by each student. 7) The artistry is excellent even if, at times, overdone in the copious quantity of figures in the margins. 8) The problems and examples within the manuscript are well done and in the detail needed far most students. For example, the transitions of numbers to logs and logs to numbers are routinely carried out-unfortunately, a necessity. 9) Terms ate well defined (with hut a few exceptions) and the nomenclature is consistent at least in the inorganic field. 10) There is a space saving in consolidating a great deal of information by the use of well constructed tahles. 11) The spectroscopy section is painted to the proper audiences. As I recall, the approach was first used by Professor Bryce Crawford. Unfortunately, the labeling of certain of the spectra is improper since to the best of my knowledge, a nanometer is not 10-4 cm. 12) The appendices, of which there are a number (A-K), include good and often sought material. 13) Not many authors try to do much with symmetry and point groups. O'Connor makes a start. 14) Some of the environmental implications and applications are well woven into the body of the text without making a big deal of special sections devoted to the demise of mankind. The "bad" is probably more a matter of point of view than major criticisms. I always try to consider the literally millions of "bits" that could involve errors hut do not in a hoak. The same relative earlier referred to related a great truth: "Everyone makes mistakes, that's why they put rubher mats under spitoons!" The mistakes are few in this hook. 1) The size (it might be better to say altitude) (28.5 em versus 24.5 cm a s usual) is inconvenient. 2) The color combinations used as both print and background will affect different ueonle different wavs. Switching " back and iorth from shades df green to black takes a bit of getting used to. 3) The margin format allows footnotes ~~~~~
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Journal of Chemical Education
book reviews to footnotes to footnotes. It may causr schizophrenia. 4) I can find no other text on my shelves where the author's name is in isrger type than the title of the hook. 5) The beautifully colored representation of "odd shaped glassware" is not consistent with the statement in the unit on "spectmscopy" that foretells the d w m of "odd shaped glassware." 6) An author after devoting as much time as he must to produce a usable hook should not skimp on the last item of his production, the index. There are, in the index, many items missing or difficult to find. 7) A couple of figures have been excluded according to the numbering system in Unit 2. Speaking of figures, there is a reluctance, at times, to show plots and graphs when such would have been useful to the student. 8) The idea that "a paramagnetic suhstance weighs more" in a magnetic field is just not correct. The field gradient needs explaining. 9) Resonance configurations or struetures aren't "required." MO concepts do reasonably well without resonance canfignrations. 10) The first few times a rate expression is used, the student is left confident that the concentration's exponents come from a balanced equation. Too late in my opinion, the importance of experimental data is mentioned. 11) The author is a bit quick to belabor the United States' policies, for instance, in ABC warfare. A statement is made to the effect that we produce certain quantities of nerve gases an an "overkill" basis. There is another world power that did the ground work. 12) One of the really first class contributors to science will take issue with the spelling of his name, Schrodinger not Shrodinger. 13) I am suspicious h a t the "tetraamine" of cohalt(II1) was not used by Werner in establishing certain kinds of isomerism. 14) If in a hook of this size and comprehensiveness, it is possible to shortchange the audience in any area, it might he in the chemistry of industrial macromolecules. In conclusion, the hook is written for the student. I think he and she (students) will learn from it large chunks of chemistry and enjoy themselves doing it.
However, most courses in organic chemistry are designed for those planning to hecome chemists and most organic chemistry textbwks are designed to meet the needs of such students. In recent years, several hwks have been prepared which present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in a more concise form, designed to meet the needs of those who are not primarily chemistry students. A major difficulty in prepiring these hooks is deciding which material to include. In preparing this text, Dr. Linstramherg has decided to limit the use of electron theory in discussing organic chemical behavior and has restricted the use of reaction mechanisms to a minimum, presenting them only when they clearly aid the student's learning. The body of the text includes 17 chapters which can he divided into three groups. The first gmup includes 11 chapters dealing with hasic organic chemistry topics such as: General Principles, Saturated Hydrocarbons or Alkanes; Unsaturated Hydrocarbons-Olefins and Acetylenes; Aromatic Hydrocarbons or Arenes; Stereoisomerism; Organic Halogen Compounds; Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers; Aldehydes and Ketones; Carhoxylic Acids and their derivatives; Bifunctional Acids; and Amines and other Nitrogen Compounds. The second group includes three chapters introducing some fundamental concepts of biochemistry entitled: Carbohydrates; Amino Acids, Peptides and Pro. teins; and Nucleic Acids. The third group includes four chapters on practical aspects of -organic chemistry, wiih chapter; on: Natural Gas, Petmleum and Petrochemicals; Fats, Oils, Waxes, Soap and Detergents; Heterocyclic Compounds-Natural Products; and Color in Compounds, Dyes. The text is packed with illusttations which greatly increase the value of the hook. An especially valuable feature is the use of blue circles and arrows to show clearly the parts of an organic molecule involved in a specific reaction. Numerous practical exercises are scattered throughout the text, and supplementary exercises and pmhlema are included at the end of each chapter. A useful subject index is provided as well as a brief glossary of terms important to the study of organic chemistry. Dr. Linstromberg has prepared an excellent textbook which should certainly he considered by those presenting courses in organic chemistry for nonchemistry majors. Donald F. Lagsdan Jr. U s ~ ~ ~ c a d e rColorado ny, 80840
R. C. Brasted University 01 Minnesota Minneapolis, 55455
Organic Chemistry: A Brief Course
Walter W. Linstromberg, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Edited by Jacob Kleinberg, Univ. of Kansas. 2nd Ed. D. C. Heath & Co., 125 Spring St., Lexington, Mass. 02173. 1974. xii + 500 pp. Figs. and Tables. 16.5 X 24cm. $10.95. A knowledge of the fundamentals of organic chemistry is essential far those planning to enter a wide variety of professions.
Organic Experiments: For a Brief Course
Wdter W. Limtromberg, and H. E. B a u m g a r t e ~University of Nebraska at Omaha. 3rd Ed., D. C. Heath & Co., 125 Spring St., Lexington, Mass. 02173. 1974. 265 pp. Figs. and Tables. 16 x 23.5 em. $4.95. A course in organic chemistry, even a shortened course for nonchemistry students, would be incomplete without the inclusion of experiments applying the cancepts of organic chemistry. Dr. Linstmm(Continued onpageA215) Volume 52, Number 3, March 1975
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