REVIEWS
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in the initial instructions for this program segment. For the concentration in part B, the student is asked to enteradecimal value between 0.0009 and 1. Values of .0009 and 1.0 are not accepted, but some parts of the program do allow entering the limiting parameters as in the temperature and time values. Using greater than and less than would be less confusing, although this is not a major drawback. All in all this is a very versatile program. I t covers five different topics, so it could he used several times during the year. All students described it as being easy to use. Usually pushing esc will get you back to a menu from any point in the program. There are opportunities t o proceed to whatever level is desired within each of the five sections. A student can go directly to the unknown, t o the practice exercises, or t o the beginning introductory material. Each section cambines animation andlor graphical representations along with the more traditional problems. In each of the practice problem sections there are help screens available with completed calculations. There is positive reinforcement for correct answers and automatic correction of wrong answers in the practice sections. In spite of some minor problems, that could he fixed easily by the author, thisprogram seems a good buy for the money. I can recommend it as being a useful program for freshmen ehemistry students as it stands right now. Carol Wenger llasca Community College 1851 East Highway 169 Grand Rapids. MN 55744 Fundementals of General, Organlc, a n d Blological Chemlstry John R. H o l m Wiley: Somerset, NJ. 1986. xix 743 pp. Figs. and tables. 22 X 26 cm. $32.95.
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Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry contains 29 chapters on 675 pages divided into 10 chapters of general (inorganic) ehemistry, seven chapters of organic chemistry, and 12 chaptersof biochemistry. The text also includes four aooendices: (Mathematical Conceots. Electnm Conf~guratimsuf the Elements. Some Rules fur Naming Inorganic Compoundr, and Answers to Practice Exercisw, a glossary and an index. The format is interesting and includes many valuable illustrations, examples, and tables. In addition the text includes 40 Special Topics (condensed explanations of pertinent topics). Special topics range from alkynes and the earhon-carbon triple bond to diabetes mellitus. At the end of each chapter is a chapter summary, a list of key terms, selected references and review exercises that are answered in the Study Guide. The examples and exercises are essentially health related. Also available from the Wiley Company are a Laboratory Manual, a Studv Guide.. a Teacher's Manual. Trans~~~, p~renries.and a Computer-Aided lnstruc. tionai I'nckage. Two suftware parknaex are
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A50
Journal
of Chemical Education
available. One is a program designed t o assist students in the review of chemistry, and thesecond program is designed toassist students in the preparation for laboratory experiments. The first edition was reviewed by James Ifft in this Journal 1979,56,6. The second edition was reviewed by Michael Doyle in this Journal 1983, 60, 3. The two reviews clearly describe the development of Fundamentals from a traditional general chemistry text to an excellent health science-oriented chemistry text. In fact Doyle stated, "Ifthis text haddirected the topics ofgeneral and organic chemistry to hioehemistry, the result might have heen spectacular." This reviewer believes that the third edition has successfully related general and organic chemistry to biochemistry by greatly increasing the number of medical oriented examples. An example of the fine tuning of the third edition is the removal of the aldo condensation reaction because the time required to develop the concept far exceeded its value in the study of biochemistry. The text is designed to teach the fundamentals of ehemistry to health science students in one year. The general chemistry section is designed to be taught over a period of one semester with the organic and hiochemistry sections being taught in the second semester. Although the author is an organic c h e m i s t , he h a s r e s i s t e d t h e temptation and limited the organic section to materials that are directly related to the health sciences. As an example, aromatic chemistry is developed only to the extent that aromatic compounds relate t o the study of biochemistry. A second example is the inclu~ionof the triple bond in a special topic section. Although many examples are available t o illustrate the nature of Fundamentals only two examples will be cited. In chapter nine Acidity: Detection, Control, Measurement, the concept of pH isdeseribed, hut allealculations of actual pH values are confined to a special topics section. Phosphate and carbonate buffers are introduced and described without the traditional mathematical exercise of calculating ion concentration and pH values. Finally the reviewer finds that Fundamentals is excellent for the state purpose; namely, to teach the fundamentals of chemistrv . t o oersons oreoarine for health seienccr careers in nursing, medical technology, physical therapy a, well as student\ of home economics, and health and physical education to name a few. The one problem with Fundamentals is that it achieves its objective so well that it may be inappropriate for use as a textbook in a traditional liberal arts ehemistry course. The author suggests that the text is suitable for all students, even older students whose preparation is confined to a long past high school chemistry course. The author further suggests that he expects older working students to be motivated by the many practical examples that he feels will excite the students' interests. This reviewer agrees with the author and suggests that Fundomentnb of General.. Oreonic .. and Biolo~rcol C'hurni5try Ire carefull" rev~ewedhy all persons uhu teach chemistry course* desioned lor the health sciences rtudenta. Richard E. Beitzel Bemidii State Universily Bemidji. MN 56601
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Introduction t o Physlcal Chemistry M. F. Laddand W. H. Lee. Cambridge Unlversity Press: New York. NY, 1986. xlx 347 pp. Figs. and tables. 17.6 X 25.4 cm.
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$49.50 HB $19.95 PB.
This is a very good hook for chemistry students with a solid mathematical background. The A-level standard in the U.K., referred to in the introduction, is equal to the college level in the United States. The order of the book indicates that i t could be used in the United States as a reference hook for an honors freshman ehemistry or a single-semester sophomore introduction to physical ehemistry program for the following reasons: 1. The introduction to structure, kinetic%, and energetics requires a sound high school training in chemistry, which some of our better students do have. The same is true for the mathematics requirements. For a sophomorecourse the students could acquire the necessary skills in their freshman year. 2. The chanter on atoms. molecules and bondine is virv,mad and &ves the student a phyairnl insight toqunntum mechanics. 3. The thermm-iynamirs rhnptar requires a good knowledge of high school physics, or some preparation a t the college level. 4. The chapter on the states of matter builds a good foundation for other courses on physical chemistry. 5. The chapter on chemical equilibrium is adequate for a freshman chemistry program. 6. The chapter on physical properties of a system does again a very good job from the freshman ehemistry point of view. 7. The chapter on electrochemistry does an excellent job for the freshman chemistry student. 8. The chapter on chemical kinetics is very goad, and i t can he tackled by the honor student. A sophomore may enjoy it more. The appendices are very well written and can teach a lot to the students. J . V. Acrivos San Jose State University San Jose. CA 95192-0101
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Ab lnltlo Molecular Orbital Theory Hehre. Random, Schleyer and Pople. Wi ey-interscience: New York. NY. 1986. xv'i-548 pp. Figs. and taoles. 17 X 24 cm. 579.95.
The purpose of this book is to give an introduction to the available computational tools for ab initio molecular orbital calculations on small chemical (primarily organic) svstems. The fact that the comouter orograms are available at nmninal mrm t'rom rhrQuantumChemistry Pmgram Ex
