book reviews General Chemistry: Prlnclples and Structure
James E. Bmdy, St. John's Universir ty, and Gerard E. Humiston, formerly af Englewood Cliffs College. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1975. xv 733 pp. 19 X 24 cm. $14.95.
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"Why add this one to the list?" That has been the approach t o general ehemistry manuscripts submitted to this reviewer for evaluation. Considered on this basis, only a small minority of the offerings have been recommended for publication. An initial look a t the Brady and Humiston text produced an unusually favorable reanonse. - -= ~ The ~ use~ of stereo ~ illustrations (a viewer is provided in a pocket on the inside hack cover) was a very pleasant surprise to one who has spent several years on a project to develop and employ stereo slides for chemistry instruction. The stereo diagrams in this book are of excellent quality and significant quantity. But experience generated caution. (Who has not been dazzled by a new text into a hasty summer "marriage" regretted a t leisure through a long winter of student discontent?) Even this stereo enthusiast wodd not adapt a book just because of the illustrations and planar-professors might label them gimics. The pictures are great hut remember some students read the text. With a proper critical attitude restored the text was examined in detail. The format of the hook is pleasing, but includes considerable margin space. (These aging eyes would prefer larger print to the free space provided by this new trend.) T h e print is clear and legible with much less strike-through than is common today. New terms are in bold faced type and important ~
definitions in italics. The two color (nonstereo) illustrations are well executed and useful. The book is accessible to a wider student audience because calculus notation is not employed. The decision not to switch t o exclusive use of SI units will he controversial but is probably the best choice a t this time. The five appendices (including answers to odd numhered problems) should prove quite useful t o students. Two paperback supplements to this teat are available. The instructor's manual (with problem solutions) will he a valuable time saver for the teacher. The study guide may he optional or required for students but should not he ignored by the instructor since it should prove very helpful for hoth planning and lecture preparation. The teat is well organized and apparently designed to provide considerable flexibilitv for the instructor who mieht wish to u i e :,n #llernrlivr scqurnrs of topic.^. In srvrml cnsrs imp,,rtimr topics nrr prrscnred in a sequence of two chapters, spaced apart in the text. The general concept of chemical bonding is presented in chapter 4, while a more detailed look a t covalent bonding and molecular structure is found in 16. Chemical reactions in aoueous solutit." $51and chrm~calequilihr~um 12, precede a c h and hare-. , I 4 1 and wnic equilibria (14). A modern course which emphasizes principles cannot include all of the reaction chemistry formerly presented to freshman (freshpersons?). T o fit into a modern course the reaction ehemistry must be streamlined, organized, and presented in the form of examples and applications of the principles which constitute the framework of the course. Brady and Humiston present the ehemistry of the representative elements in chapter 17 and 18, the transi-
tion elements in 19, and organic and biochemistry in 20 and 21. The reservation of nuclear chemistry to the final chapter (22) will not he approved by some who may prefer to treat this topic earlier in the course, possibly along with the overall eonsideration of atomic sttrueture in 3. A very favorable overall impression was created by the special approaches, examples, and analogies which make this book outstanding. Many of these hore a flattering resemblance to those developed by this reviewer in more than 20 years of teaching freshman. Reading this hook was a pleasant experience like a reunion with good friends of long standing. Does the Brady and Humiston book f i t the needs of a freshman course? Which one? There is a general feeling that the first course far science majors should he oriented towards the fundamental theories of modern chemical science; yet the student audience often cannot cope with an all-out principles type text but are not well served by the available general audience hooks. The Brady and Humiston t e r t seems to he just right, an almost ideal campromise between readability for the average science major and a decent level of sophistication on modern theory. This hook stood up very well to detailed scrutiny. It represents a significant eontrihution, worthy of serious consideration for freshman ehemistry courses designed for science majors. T . W . Sonery Univemity of Maine P-G Pmtland. Maine 04 10 1
An introduction to Chemical Principles
Jack E. Fernnnder and Robert D.Whitoker, University of South Florida. Macmillan Publishers, New York, 1975. axv 589 pp. Figs. and tables. 26 X 18 cm. $12.95.
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"An Introduction to Chemical Principles" was specifically designed to introduce fundamental chemical concepts to students (Continued on page A1841
REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE Reviewed by 'omes E. Brady and Gerard
E. Humiston, General Chemistrv: Princioles and Structure lack E Fernonder and Robert D. Whitoker, An Introduction to Chemical Principles lndrew L. Terney, Jr., ,Contemporary Organic Chemistry Aurroy Goodman and Frank Morehouse, Organic Molecules in Action &nard K . Nosh, Review of Elements of Statistical Thermodynamics 1. A. Arown, Quantum Chemistry 'omes K. Foreman and Peter B. Stockwell, Automatic Chemical Analysis lack Hine, Structural Effects on Equilibria in Organic Chemistry lolnnd S. Young, Chemical Phase Analysis
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T. W. Sottery Robert S. MeQuate Kenneth K. Andersen Loren L. Braun Douglas Poland Daniel Zeroka
J. M. Fitzgerald Maurice M. Kreevoy DAB
Volume 53, Number 3. March 1976 1 A183
