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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
text. The figures are simple, carefully drawn, and should be helpful to the student. There are of course a number of minor points which could be improved, but there are few of sufficient importance to be mentioned here. The reviewer feels that the brief chapter on oxidation-reduction potentials might well have heen incorporated into the chapter one. m. f., and that the section on oxidation-reduction indicators is particularly weak. On the other hand, the brief section an the glass eleotrcde is good. That part of the chapter on radioactivitv and nuclear fission which discusses what nearlv werv . . , student who has Dassed an elementarv " chemistrv course nltwrrdy knows m i ~ h twell hnvr hcexr left our, leaving inor- s p ~ w for dcvclopn~rnt01 tile priuciplcs untlerlying the ~pplirationof tracer techniques and the preparation of artificially radioactive dements. The reviewer likes the book particularly because it does not try to drag in medical or biochemical applications by the heels. It presents an honest, though very elementary, view of physical chemistry; as such it will fill the needs of many more students than just those who go on to medical school, and those who do enter medical school will acquire from i t much that they would not otherwise obtain. It is not, as some of the older books on this subject have been, largely a preview of what the student will encounter later on in medical school. A course based on this text can stand on its own feet as a respected part of the science curriculum of a liberal arts college. ~~~
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WILLIAM E. CADBURY. JR.
Kavmmo~oC o ~ m o n HAVEBFOBD. PENNBTLVAWI&
METHYL ETHYL KETONE Shell Chemioal Corp., 500 Fifth Ave., New Yolk City 18, 1950. 129 pp. 37 figs. 12 tables. 15.5 X Second edition. xi 23 cm. Available on letterhead request.
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Tms little book is "designed to afford chemists and manufacturers a convenient source of information on methyl ethyl ketone. The book eantdns a discussion on the oommercial appliclations of this petroleum-derived chemical with particular emphasis on surface coatings. Nonsurface coatings applications, such as adhesives, cleaning compounds, dyes, and insecticides are described, as well as the function of methyl ethyl ketone in mineral oil refining and solvent extraction.
breadth of the field, however, and the application of biochemical knowledge and tools to all branches of biology and medicine, make it di5cult for a single volume to satisfy all needs. This textbook is more suitable for the student who is seeking either a general understanding of biochemistry or a basis for further study in specialiaed fields of biochemistry. Far these purposes, the volume is well designed. It does not, however, provide the biochemical viewpoints or applications to specialized fields, e. g., medicine or botany. It is apparent that far the applied aspects of biochemistry, specific textbooks and monographs, less broadly oriented than this one, will be required. .%BRAHAM WHITE U ~ m ~ n s l *OF C*~.IIORNI* LOBAN~EIEB.C A ~ ~ O R N I A
PETROLELlM AND ITS PRODUCTS Williom I. Sweeney, Standard Oil Development Co., New York City. Sponsored by Phi Lambda Upsilon and the Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State College, State College, Penn52 pp. 72 figs. 24 tables. 23 X 28.5 sylvania, 1950. vi cm. Sniral bound. 82.25.
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"PETROLEUM AND ITSPRODUCTS,'' was presented as the 24th Annual Priestley Lectures a t Pennsylvania State College, April 24-27, 1950. These lectures were conceived to fulfill a threefold purpose: "(1) to establish a living memorial for Joseph Priestley; (2) to honor a succession of contemporaw American Scientists: and (3) to demonstrate that theoretical chemistry is a vital functional part of modem applied chemistry." The lecturer chosen is expected to be an authority in a broad field and thus the presentation is rather general, covering occurrence, production, resources, composition, analysis, refining,products, and utiliestion of petroleum. The book is highly illustrated with figures and tables and appears to be an interesting survey of the petroleum field as a whole.
CHEMICAL INVENTIONS AND CHEMICAL PATENTS Edword Thomos, Ledurer for Practising Law Institute and Former Member Examining Corps of U. S. Patent Office. First edition. Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., Albany, New York. Clark Broadman Co., Ltd.. New York, 1950. viii 881 pp. 8 figs. 16 X 24 cm. $16.50.
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TEXTBOOK OF BIOCHEMISTRY Benjamin Harrow, Professor of Chemistry, College of the City of New York. Fifth edition. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1950. ir 609 pp. 139 figs. 6S tables. 16 X 24.5 cm. $6.
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LABORATORY MANUAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY Benjamin Hamw, Gilbert C. H. Stone, Harry Wagreic6, Ernest Borek, and Abrohom Mazur, Chemistry Department, College of the City of New York. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1950. Third edition. i s 149 pp. 22 figs. 16 X 23.5 cm. (Spiral bound.) $2.25.
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THEauthor has condensed his many years of patent law experience and writing to pmduce a very practical and readable book. The book bears out his contention thrtt Patent Law is largely judpmade law and should be studied in this light. The general features as well as the fine legal points are extremely well developed from pertinent court decisions. The value of the book is enhanced by the judicious use of the negative approach in which the difficulties, the pitfalls, and the costly mistakes made by others are strikingly sustained. Instead of the usual abstract presentation of the law, a distinct note of ways and means to anticipate and circumvent numeroua difficulties pervades the entire book. The chapter on Claims is exceptionally well written; so also is the one on Assignments, Licenses, Options, Law Suits, m d Secret Rights. The numerous citations are well chosen and thoroughly documented. The Table of Cases and the Index occupy 190 Pages. The book fulfills its miasion and it will return many times its cost to those who are actively engaged in the development and exploitation of chemical inventions.
THEnew edition of this textbook, coming within four years of the previous edition, indicates the awareness of the author of the rapid rate a t which biochemical lmowledge is expanding. An entirely new chapter, "Biological antagonists," has been added, and frequent mention is made of the newer advances in biochemistry. However, by deletion of portions of the appendix, md various less imnortant items. the siee of the volume has been kept approxim~atelywithin its previous limits. The book will continue to ful6ll admirably the needs of moat ,,.,,,F u~~~~ students initiating their study of biochemistry. The growing NEW Yoar C m
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WILLIAM P. O'CONNOR
DECEMBER, 1950 cited. Volcanic action is offered as the most probable origin of the craters on the moon; the action of steam on metallic oarhides is offered as a reasonable origin of petroleum. There are a few rather serious errors that should be pointed out. The "ring around the mwn" is due to cirrus clouds, not high humidity in the earth's atmosphere; sodium chloride crystals consist of a network of ions, not atoms; a substance is colored hecause it absorbs some umve lengths of visible light and reflects others, it does not radiate the color in question. On the positive side, the chapter on rocks and minerals was unusually complete, the fact that an airplane is supported by pressure on the underside of the wings is made clear (most nuthors give the impression that the suction on the upper surface is responsible), the applications of many scientific principles to everyday use stre carefully presented. Many of the illustrations are excellent; the paper, printing, and proofreading are first rate. RICHARD WISTAR
edge of methods for sample preparation, separation of interfering ions, elimination of interferences by chemical and physical means, isolation and concentration of desired constituents, color systems and their development, and the nature of verious reagents and reaction products. From this beginning the treatment develops through chapters on elementary physics applying to radiant energy and its measurement, color comparators, filter photometers, spectrophotomcters, photographic methods of speetrophotometry, applications of spectraphotometric data, infrared spectrophotometers and their applications, and finally, a chapter on the measurement and specification of color. The respective chapters were written by M. L. Moss, M. G. Mellon, W. B. Fortune, R. H. Miiller, K. 9. Gibson, E. R. Holiday, E. I. Stearns, L. J. Bradv. and Deme B. Judd. rtpplications, and instrumentation of colorimetry and spectrophotometry. There can be little doubt that this will become one of the standard references in analytical chemistry,
AN INDEX OF NOMOGRAMS Compiled and edited by Douglas P. Adams, Associate Professor of Graphics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Massachusetts. Technoloav Press and John Wilav and Sans. Inc.. ~ e YOA, w 1950. ix l i 4 pp. 19 x z s cm. $4.
PHILIP W. WEST Lourar*~&STAVEU R ~ E R ~ I T T BATONR O D ~ EL.O ~ S I A N A
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Tms is an index to over 1700 nomogram published in 21 selected fields of science and engineering. The section on chemistry and chemical engineering is largest by far, with 379 nomograms. Some of the other divisions would be classified as chernical technology, as oil and gas and by-products, waterworks and sewage, paper, and food. Mathematics (117 nomograms) and physics (36) are the two other sciences included. The index is divided into an Index A which lists key words and refers to Index B whieh is subdivided into the 21 divisions. For each nomogram is given a title, the variables plotted, and the reference to the original journal. The list of journals shorn 97 titles. All of the common chemical and chemical engineering journals, other than Chemical Enginewing Progress, are listed. Although the index is stated to start with nomograms published in 1923, the stopping date is not mentioned. No mention is made of books containing collections of nomograms, as D. S. Davis, "Chemiml Engineering Namographs," all of which are not abstracted. A blank page between divisions would have been useful to allow the user to record new nomograms in which he was interested. KENNETH A. KOBE U ~ m e n s r r vop TBXAS A u s r r ~ .TEXAS
ANALYTICAL ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY Edited by M. G. Mellon, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. b h n Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 19%. vii 618 pp. 281 figs. 48 tables. 16 X 24 cm. $9.00.
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THISis an authoritative and comprehensive discussion embracing the general field of absorption spectroscopy. The spectral ranee considered includes the ultraviolet. visible. and infrared
color compaximeters, filter photometers, and spectrophotometers are described and their operational characteristics discussed. There has been no attempt to present a. comprehensive review of ahsorptimetric procedures, although many applications me disc u m d in considerable detail. Instead. the authors have directed their efforts touerd the development of chemical and physical principles of impoltsnee in absorptimetry.
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY FOR PREMEDICAL STUDENTS
H. D. CmcWord and Samuel B. Knight, Professors of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 1950. xi + 366 pp. 68 figs. 37 tables. 14 X 22 cm. 84.25.
INMANY institutions, one-semestercourses in physical chemistry are being offered, primarily for students who plan to enter the medical profession. These courses are also taken by students who wish to go further into chemistry but who either do not h w e the mathematical preparation or do not feel that they can afford the time to take the usual full-year course in physical chemistry. Several books suited for such courses have been published recently, of which the present text is the latest. In writing a text for a oneaemester course in physical chemistry authors are faced with two alternatives, or a compromise between them: on the one hand, they may treat thoroughly a very limited number of topics; on the other, they may treat many topics but compress each severely. The authors of the present text have tried to strike a sensible balance, and in the reviewer's opinion they have been quite successful. Chapters on gases and liquids follow the usual brief, and probably nearly useless, introductory chapter. Very sensibly, the authors have omitted solids (except for about six lines and one figure), presumably an the assumption that they are adequately covered in physics courses. (But why not make the same assumption regarding liquids, particularly surface tension and viscosity?) Then come three chapters on solutions, then conductr rtnce, chemical equilibrium, and ionic equilibrium and buffer action; then electromotive force, pH by e. m. f., p,H by indicators, and oxidation-reduction potentials. Reactmn kinetics, adsorption, and colloids follow, and the book ends with a brief chapter on rt~diaactivityand nuclear fission. I t is evident from the above that the choice of topics is thoroughly conventional, but this is not necessarily adrawbmk. The method of appromh is pretty consistently up to date (those who still dislike HaO+will be very unhappy) and the presentation is clear and generally straightforward. I t seems quite possible that many students will find the explanations helpful in straightening out the muddle in whieh the lecturer has left them At the end of emh chapter are references, review questions, and. where ~ossihle.a verv " eeneraus numher of moblems. to about half of which ansu-ers tLre given in an appendix. A large number of relevant examples are worked out m the body of the
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