more advanced chemistry courses. This book assumes no chemistry background. It differs from texts for nonseience majors in that its aim is to present fundamental principles of chemistry rather than to place major emphasis an the relevance of ehemistry to society. Its straightforward presentation leaves little question as to what students are expected to know. Supplementary texts could he used to expand the scope of this text hut if relevance is the major goal in a course, the choice of a nonmajor's text would be more appropriate. One primary aim of the text is to help students gain proficiency in problem solving. Dimensional analysis is firmly emphasized and students are encouraged to estimate the results of their calculations. Many examples whieh have been solved in step by step detail are included. In the study of the periodic table and chemical equations, students are encouraged to make predictions hased on useful generalizations obtainable from the periodic chart. The general topics of the text are: measurement, matter and energy, atomic structure, chemical bonding and equations, gas behavior, solutions, acids and bases, equilibrium concepts, and oxidation and reduction. The extent of topic coverage may he determined by the instructor to fit the needs of his students and of his college. Appendices include a review of the use ifexponents, significant figures, basic algebra, logarithms, and graphing. Answers to all numerical nroblems in the text provided. The up-to-date Systeme International d'unites, SI, is consistently used throughout the text. Energy units such as joules and electron-volts are introduced to make students aware of the variety of ways in which energy can he measured. The basic units of electrical measurement are carefully explained. The reviewer feels this topic is an important addition to a fundamental text because mueh of chemistry and laboratory technology is based on the electrical nature of matter and the use of electronic instrumentation. The author has shown mueh insight into recognizing the problems which beginning chemistry students face. He has chosen topics which are indeed fundamental prerequisites to continuation of the study of chemistry. The text is written in a sincere, readable end enthusiastic manner. Although the book is of typical one-semester length, it contains almost 200 solved examples and 69 tables of data. It could therefore be helpful to students as a reference text. Over 180 explanatory figures and diagrams simplify the concepts being discussed. Technical terms stand out in hold face print. Each chapter is prefaced with an excellent list of behavioral ohjectives which make clear exactly what the student should be able to do (calculate, list, define, sketch, etc.) after mastering the chapter. There is a good supply of questions and problems a t the end of each chapter. The text is given an artistic flavor through facial sketches of famous scientists. Thought-provoking quotations which are related to the nature of science begin each ehapter. I think this text is worthy of serious consideration because of its successful attempt to present in the clearest possible way A300
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the fundamental principles which students who wish to continue their study in college chemistry must know. It is up-to-date (specifically promotes SI Units), tells students what they must learn (lists behavioral objectives for each topic) and clearly portrays Dr. Cherim's sincere desire to help students to understand and appreciate chemistry. Katherine E. Weissrnann C. S. Mott Community College
Flint, Michigan 48503
Chemistry for the Life Sciences
J. G. Dowber and A. T. Moore, North Staffordshire Polytechnic. McGraw-Hill 426 pp. Book Co., London, 1973. xiii Figs. and tables. 23 x 15 cm. $11.95.
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This is a bmk which is designed by its authors for the student who is in a British program that is equivalent to an American Life Science or Paramedical Program. It is a survey text (it covers physical, analytical, organic, and biochemistry in nine chapters) which is designed to give the student s qualitative and quantitative view of chemistry in a one-quarter or onesemester course. It is assumed that the student has had no previous college chem: istry; however, the authors do presume that the student has had a fairly rigorous introductory chemistry course on what would he equivalent to the American high school level. The text is organized into four main areas: physical chemistry (atomic structure, thermodynamics, kinetics, liquids and solutions); analytical chemistry (chromatography and spectroscopy): organic chemistry (structure and reactions); and biochemistry (small molecules, macromolecule structure, and metabolism). There is also a reading list for each ehapter a t the end of the book. Some of the hooks listed occur in newer editions than is shown in the reading list. The index is of proper length. On the positive side it can be said that a great amount of relevant chemistry is covered in very few pages. The text includes sufficient information an the S ~ N C ture of organic molecules; the chapter on thermodynamics and kinetics covers the topics necessary.for s life science student; and the analytical ehapter gives useful information on the separation of marcromolecules. In addition, the biochemistry chapters present an adequate description of the structure and function of macromolecules. This is not to say that the book is without fault for there are many problems with it. First, the hook contains no exercises. This makes a quantitative treatment of chemistry virtually impossible. It is difficult to imagine teaching thermodynamics, kinetics, or any of the other topics without some exercises for the student. The level of the text also seems questionable. For example, it is doubtful that many paramedical students will have had calculus; yet,
the authors use derivatives, integrals, and partial derivatives in one of the chapters. In addition, somewhat difficult topics are covered which might he best left out. Such .topics are partial molar quantities, electrical conductivity, optical rotatory dispersion, circular dichroism, weight versus number average molecular weights, and enzyme kinetics. In some sections topics were treated much too briefly. This is seen in the first chapter where in two and one-half pages the authors cover the electronic structure of the atom by quickly progressing from Rutherford and Bohr to quantum numbers. A vast amount of information is given on organic reactions and metaholism. However, this coverage is spread out aver many subtopics and the authors would have been better off to decrease the number of subtopics and concentrate on a few of the main ideas. The hook seems to have few major errors except for the hint that amylose twists into a helix and the statement that "each is hydrogen-bonded amino-acid residue to residues five positions hack and five positions forward in the chain." In summary it is the reviewer's belief that the hook which .was written for a British audience daes not meet the needs of the American paramedical student. The treatment of the many important topics is t m brief and condensed, the level is too high, and there are no exercises for the student to work on.
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Marvin L. Kientr Calitornia Sfate College, Sonoma, Caiitornia 94928
lnslrumental and Separation Analysls
C. T. Kenner, Southern Methodist University. C. E. Merrill Publishing Com338 pany, Columhus, Ohio. 1973. xii pp. Figs. and tables. 25.5 x 17.5 cm.
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$11.95. Those of us that have bad to teach instrumental analysis to nonehemists are well aware of the textbook problem. Existing texts for the traditional courses are t m difficult for nonehemists to comprehend, and to take the instrumental sections from existing quantitative analysis hmks proves to he inadequate. This text by Kenner is an attempt to fullfill this need. The bmk contains 15 chapters, 13 of which are on instrumentation and two on separations. The instrumentation section covers the instruments most likely to be used by nonmajors: uv and visible spectroscopy, ir, fluorescence, flame photometry and A.A., emission spectroscopy, Xray, potentiometry (coulometry, polarography, electrogravimetry), nmr, mass spectrometry, radioactive methods, and a fairly well done chapter on automated analysis. This is followed by a chapter on solid state microelectronics which is a very simple description of transistors, rectifiers, and amplifiers, and haw they work. The find 65 pages of this hook consist of two chapters, one on solvent extraction
and the other on chromatography and ionexchange. Each of the 15 chapters has a section on application to relevancy and 11 of the chapters have problem sets a t the end. This hook is designed for students with no training in =aleulus or physical chemistry who turn out to be premedical, biology, med-techs, food chemists, entomologists, and soil chemists. Having taught students of this type for eight years I can testify that this text is about the right Level academically. The principles are presented without trying to overwhelm them with mathematics and the problems in the problem sets are usually limited to quantitative analysis. This hook is well worth considering if you have to teach instrumentation to nonchemists. C. E. Meloan Kansas State University ManhanmKansas66506
A Concise Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Albert Zlotkis, University of Houston, Eberhord Breitrnaier and Giinther Jung, both of die Universitit Tiibingen. McGraw-Hill Book Ca., New York, 1973. viii 622 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 16 cm. $11.95.
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The authors have designed their text for those students and readers who desire a modem comprehensive survey of the essential principles and practice of organic chemistry. The preface states: "The material is covered in considerable depth, sufficient to provide the basis for graduate work in chemistry and allied fields. The subject matter is presented in terms of earbonium ions, free radicals, carbanions, carhenes, and other reactive intermediates. Aliphatic and aromatic compounds have been integrated whenever feasible." One obtains the impression from reading the preface that the text is probably organized according to the so-called "principle approach," hut in actual fact the arganization of the teat is along traditional topical functional group lines. The chemical bond is covered in Chapter 1 in 16 pages followed by alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and alkyl halides (Chapters 2-5). Stereochemistry is discussed in Chapter 6 followed by eyelie hydrocarbons, aromaticity, benzene and a d halides (Chapters 7-10). Various functional groups are covered in Chapters 11-18 (e.g., carboxylic acids and aromatic diazonium salts) and special topics which include heterocyclic compounds, carbohydrates, and amino acids; peptides are covered in Chapters 19-21. The final chapter deals with the spectroscopic properties of organic molecules. Each chapter ends with a collection of appropriate questions. Answers are given to some of the problems at the hack of the hook. The text is succinct in explanations throughout and one obtains the impression that the subject matter is presented in the form of lecture notes. However, some explanations of mechanisms are clear and concise. The application of spectroscopic principles toward the elucidation of chemical structures and reaction mechanisms is
absent thlouehout the text. a natural consequence of ouvcrmg spectruseopir propertier in the final chapter. No spare is :wen to thc important tnpic of conrrpti of urbital symmetry control of certain organic reactions. Also, natural products involving alkaloids, steroids and terpenes and synthetic polymers are discussed very briefly or not at all. The text has too many typographical or chemical errors. A random sample of some of these errors follows: The alkene on page 77 illustrating the structure determination of an unknown compound should have a methylgroup; the heraalkylbenzeneonpage 93 ismissing an alkyl group; the cycloheaene formed in the first step of the allylic freeradical bromination mechanism on page 99 should be a cyclohexyl free radical; cyclmctene on page 165 in the addition reaction with peroxyformic acid is missing a double bond; the cyclooctatetraenyl dianion listed on page 178 is missing a negative charge; in the explanation under Wittig reactmn on page 309 the authors state that "the triphenyl alkyl phwphonium ion abstracts a proton to the phosphorus" when in fact phenyl lithium does the ahstracting to form the ylide. This reviewer questions the pedagogical value of discussing processes or reactions involving other functional groups before these groups are presented; for example, The Reppe Process involving the ethynylatian of aldehydes is described on page 94 although aldehydes are not presented to the student until page 287. Unfortunately, no suggested related reading assignments are given. This omission i s especially unfortunate in a teat of this type with its succinct style. Overall, I do not think the text, by itself, presents a rigorous enough treatment of material desired for the chemistry major but perhaps combined with other reference material, it can be used successfully. Augustine Silveira. Jr. State University of New York College at Oswego OSWB~O, New York 13126
The Chemical Basis of Life: an Introduction to Molecular and Cell Biology
Introductions by P. C. Hanawolt, Stanford University and R. H. Hqnes, York University, Toronto. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, California, 1973. viii 405 pp. 28.5 x 21.5 em. Cloth $12.. Paper $5.95.
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This hook updates the 1% collection on a similar theme. Seventeen of the previous articles are retained; 21 new ones are added. Papers are grouped under the themes, Energy Flow in Living Systems, Molecular Architecture, Macromolecular Complexes and Their Assembly, and Information Transfer and Control. Users of the previous volume and the individual off-prints will find this a valuable assembly between one set of covers. The reports by authorities in the field, supplemented by -the artful and accurate figures and photographs done in Scientific American style make this an outstanding value far professor and student. W. F. K.
Volume 51, Number 5, May 7974
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