book reviews for fifteen experiments in addition to enercises on the Bunsen burner and glassware manipulation. Its five major sections are headed (1) gravimetric analysis, (2) volumetric analysis, (3) speetrophotometric analysis, (4) ion exchange analysis, and (5) electroanalytical procedures. The immediate objectives in most of the experiments are an introduction to a quantitative technique and the determination of some species hut some of the experiments have a broader scope. Under gravimetry are experiments involving the synthesis of silver chloride and finding its empirical formula and the determination of K,,, AH" and A S ' for lead chloride from solubility measurements a t different temperatures. Spectrophatometric experiments include determinations of formulas of complexes by Job's method and a n extractive oroeedure for determinine mercuequipment. A well done, brief, historical and theoretical section precedes each experiment; these introductions give some feeling not only for the significance of each prototype experiment hut also for the excitement of lahoratory work. Each experiment is also preceded hy a series of questions intended to focus student attention on important concepts involved in the experiment. However, in practice, the bulk of the prequestions are addressed t o necessary hut trivial experimental details. Each experiment requires several lahoratory periods; the directions clearly indicate numerous acceptable stopping points. Since the content of all experiments except the first two includes (for a freshman) sophisticated concepts, there may he problems of articulation between lecture and laboratory. All the experiments appear to be labaratory-tested hut a few may require unusual experimental skills to ohtain satisfactoryresults despite equipment compromises. The manual suffers from numerous shortcomings. Some are trivial hut disconcerting, e.g., two of the first three solveil examples have incorrect answers. Others are more serious. There are man" in-
ures and errors but no statistics) contains misleading examples and is too confusing and abridged to educate the ignorant. There is much material that, no doubt, fits the authors' course perfectly but detracts from the manual's general utility. The authors suggest that the manual could also be used in a one semester quantitative analysis course. The inclusion in each experiment of a tabular notebook format listing each data item and each run is sufficient to rule out usage in any advanced course. Over 200 of the manual's 372 pages are quadrille-ruled blanks; many of the text pages are largely white space or consumed by photographs. Roger H . Weiss California State University. Humboldt Arcata, Caiifornia 95521
A188 / Journaiot Chemical Education
Organic Chemistry. A Concise Approach Frederie M. Menger. Douid J. Goldsmith, and Leon Mandell, all of Emory University. W. A. Benjamin, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif., 1972. xii 450 pp. Figs. and tables. 24 x 16.5 em. $9.95.
+
The authors have designed their text for a short course in organic chemistry. The preface states: "a text for a,short course in chemistry frequently brings to mind a book which sacrifices theory for the sake of brevity. The authors of 'Organic Chemistry' were determined not to make this sacrifice." The authors wish to give the student a hroad appreciation of the subject by combining modern physical organic chemistry with synthetically useful reactions. The text is organized along lines of theory. Bonding, inductive and resonance effects are discussed first (Chapters 1 and 2) followed by the introduction of functionality of classes of organic compounds. Equilibria and reaction rates are discussed in Chapter 4 and an early introduction of stereochemistry (Chapter 5) allows these concepts to he used throughout the diseussion of reactions. Chapter 6 provides an excellent presentation of structure elucidation and molecular spectroscopy. The main section on chemical reactions (Chapt e n 7-13, 183 pages) deals with suhstitution, elimination, addition, aromatic substitution, carbonyl, rearrangement and oxidatian-reduction reactions. Emphasis in these broad classes of reactions is mainly on mechanisms. The final chapter (31 pages) is on special topics. These include carbohydrate chemistry, amino acids, peptides and proteins, with emphasis an structure, praperties and synthesis, natural products including the terpenoids, steroids and alkaloids and laboratory and hiosynthesis. An appendix is given on nomenclature and each chapter ends with a good callectian of related, appropriate questions which range from easy to challenging. Answers are given to most of these problems a t the back of the book. The printing of the text is goad; the two-color presentation follows no particular pattern but is useful in drawing attention to the central feature of the illustration or reaction; the text is nearly free of typographical errors. Unfortunately, no suggested further reading assignments a t the end of each chapter are given to stimulatestudent interest. This reviewer questions the pedagogical value of discussing the nmr spectrum of cyclohexane a t different temperatures in illustrating various conformers before nmr spectroscopy has been discussed and of listing various compounds of the same class (e. g., Fig. 3.3, p. 48 "some amines") without any explanation of their importance, differences or uses. Also, it is surprising because of the orientation of this text and the authors' statement in the preface that concepts of orbital symmetry control of certain organic reactions are not discussed. Overall, students enrolled in an organic short course should find this text intellectually exciting and gratifying; however, it may he beyond the ability of some students, especially those who take organic
chemistry without a strong inclination for a background in science. Students who successfully use this text should be well prepared for an additional course in organicor a short course in biochemistry. Augwtine Silveira. Jr. SUNY O s w e p , New York 13126
Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry: Theory and Application
George B. Butler, University of Florida, and K. Damell Berlin, Oklahoma State University. The Ronald Press Company, New York, N.Y., 1972. x + 1113 pp. Figs. and tables. 24 X 16.5 cm. $16.50. This text approximates that of Hendrickson, Cram and Hammond in organization hut, in contrast to the latter, spends more time (303 pages out of 1024) on the presentation of basic material. In this respect i t is more like the classic text by Fuson and Snyder. This basic material is presented as Part I, Basic Concepts of Organic Chemistry, and Part 11, The Vocabulary of Organic Chemistry and The Intereonversion of Organic Compounds, and, as the authors suggest, could be covered within a normal semester. The material in this section is well written and avoids the introduction of too many new concept. Such nn nppronch \hmld appeal more to srudcnrs than to in. structors., The chapters beyond the elementary material are subdivided into Part 111, Energetics, Reaction Rates and Stereochemistry; Part IV, Identification and Structure Determination; Part V, The Mechanism of Oreanic Reactions: and Part VI, ~pplications'of Fundament'al Principles to Some Complex Structures. This material is well written and complete in its presentation. All the chapters have suggested readings and prohlems. The latter not only summarize the material presented hut also deal with synthesis and presentation of concepts and reactions which have not been developed in the chapter itself hut which may appear later. Assignments of problems by the instructor will be therefore necessary if the student is to become aware of this material. The synthesis prohlems are especially important since the text stresses mechanisms over syntheses and applications. Criticism of the organization is minor. The presentation of nitriles with nitro compounds and amines instead of with acids, amides, etc., deemphasizes the relationship of the nitriles t o the acids. The number of errors and omissions is small. The formulas for resorcinol, p. 278, 8-2,3,4,6-tetra-0-methyl-o-glucose, p. 959, and B, problem 14 (p. 660) are incomplete, Benedict's solution, the preferred reagent in sugar chemistry, is never mentioned. The conversion of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid to ascorbic acid, p. 968, can he accomplished thermally. The strength of this text is the excellent presentation of basic material with a min(Continued on page AJ90)
