RECENT BOOKS I N ~ R G A N I C C o l L . 0 ~ CKeMlsmY:
Volume 111. The Colloidal Salts. Harry Boyer Weircr, Professor of Chemistry a t The Rice Institute. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York City, 1938. viii 473 pp. 74 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $6.00 net. This book concludes a three-volume treatise on inorganic colloid chemistry written by Dr. Weiser. Volume I (1933) deals with the colloidal elements and Volume I1 (1935) with the hydrous oxides and hydroxides. Volume I I I i s concernedprimarily with the theories and applications of colloidal phenomena of inorganic salts. An introductory chapter outlines briefly the general methods of formation of gels and sols of the salts. The remainder of the book is divided into five parts: Part I contains four chapters on the colloidal sulfates, carbonates, phosphates, chromates, and arsenates; Part I1 consists of three chapters on the colloidal halides; Part I11 devotes seven chapters t o the colloidal sulfides of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, tin, lead, copper, silver, gold, the platinum family, zinc, cadmium, mercury, manganese, nickel, cobalt, iron, and the rarer elements in the order named; Part IV contains four chapters on the colloidal ferrocyanides and ferricyanides; and Part V devotes four chapters t o the colloidal silicates. The first portion of each section presents a critical survey of the conditions of formation and the general characteristics of the individual salts and the second portion deals with the principles underlying their applications. "Among the examples of colloid chemical behavior that have received special consideration in this volume are: the velocity of precipitation and the physical character of precipitates; the stability of sols and the mechanism of the electrolyte coagulation orocess: ~. ion antaronism in colloid svstems: the mutual coamlation prorew; nd5orption on ion latlices; adsorplion indicators; thc color of colloids; thc permeability of membmner; and the phenomena of thixotropy and rheopexy.
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"The principles underlying the tcchnicnl applications of the colloidal salrs art. illustrated by chapters on: plastur of Paris; lithopone and other sulfide piymcnts; Pmssian blur; the colloidal halides in photography; the hase-exchange phenomenon in silicate gels; the inorganic colloids of the soil; and Portland and aluminous cements." This volume, together with the two preceding books, represents one of the most extensive critical surveys of the colloidal behavior of the elements and their inorganic compounds. The author presents a wealth of information in a clear manner and numerous citations to the original literature are given. These books will serve bath as reference works and as textbooks for the study of inorganic colloid chemistry and in them will be found many suggestions for further research. JOHN H. YOE 0. VIROIN.* UNIYBLSITY, VIBDINIA
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AN ORIENTATION I N SCIENCE. Ten Members of the University of Rochester Faculty. C. W , Watkcys, Editor. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York City, 1938. x 560 pp. 281 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $3.50.
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This is a text based on a survey course in natural science. which bas been taught a t the freshman level in the University of Rochester for the past ten years. Slightly less than fifty percent. of the space is devoted to the physical sciences, with one section each on astronomy and physics, and two sections each on chemistry and geology; about forty per cent. to the biological sciences, with one section each on biology, paleontology, physiology,
