book reviews Editor: W. F. KIEFFER College of Wooster Wowter, Ohio
lnlrodurtion to Chemislry
Arthur L. Williams; Harland D . Embree; and Harold J . DeHey, all of San Jose State College, California. Addison-Weslev Publishine Cnmnnnv. ~ ~ ~Rend~ = ing, M a ~ s . ,1968. xx 712 pp. Figs. and tables. 20 X 24 em. $9.96.
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This book was written primarily for a one-year terminal course in chemistry for non-science majors. However, just as other books before on this snbject have done, it was written with the view t,hat the non-science student can be made to nnderstand the facts and principles on which chemistry is based. The book provides a. very detailed and comprehensive picture of chemistry. The first section (261 pages) is concerned with inorganic chemistry, although most of it, is devabed to those topics which are usually covered in a. general chemistry course. The second section (173 pages) d e s k with organic and the third seelion (219 pages) considers biochemistry. Both of these sections contain much, much more material than is normally found in an introductory text, even one written for students majoring in chemistry. I n the organic chemistry section, the material is present,ed according to classes of compounds. The relationship between structure and properties is emphasized. Topics such as stereoisomers and polymers are also eonsidered. A very good connection between compounds already introduced in the organio section and those discussed in the biochemistry section is made. The m$+rial is presented in a. logical fashion with, an abundant number of examples, which s h o u l d b e familiar t,o the non-science student, and serve to amplify the principles. There are a few points whieh should he clarified. however. In
discussing the periodic law in Chapter 5, the periodicity of the properties of the elements according to their atomic numbers rather than bheir ntamic weights should have been emphasized. In Chapter 6,~ the~ terms and electra~ ~electropositivity " , negativity are used in connection with t,he sign of the ionio charge. In this context these terms have 8, meaning whieh is diiferent than that normally nssociated with them. In most figwes showing the electronic shell configurations of stoms and ions, only the mtmber of protous in the nucleus, is indicated. No diffcreniiatian is made bet,ween valence and anidatiarr number. In the discussion of pH (Chapter 13) the authors make a good attempt to give the student some understanding of logarit,hms. However., t,hey carefully avoid explicitly defining a logarithm and teaching the student how this function operates on products and ratios of numbers. Wilhout this understanding he will not he able to reconcile two statements made later on in this chapter. In anestat,ementtheproduct of the concentration of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions is said to be constant. This is followed by the equabiorl pH pOH = 14. Most chapters contain a summary, a list of important terms mentioned in the chapter, work exercises and x bibliography which is not merely confined to popular references such as Scientific American. A glossary, which should prove an invaluz b k aid to the student and the answers t,o
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text in not using mathematics beyond elementary algebra. Even though the hook is well-written and the mater~allr~cidlypresented, it corn tains too much material for a. one-year course of thls type. Two of the sections,
Arthur L. Williams, Harland D. Embrrr, and Harold J . DcBry, Intmduetkm to Chemistry . . .12> I M i n Datlino and Scoll E. Wood, Thormodymmics, An I n t m d n c i i o ~ ~ . . .12: Sidney A . Hmharrl, The Structure and Function of Enzymes . . ,126 William Fay l,urler, The Electron-llepulsiot~Theory of the Chemical Bond . . ,126 Francis J . Ilcithcl, Concepts in Biochemistry . . .A114 Hmr?, R. illahler and Eugcnc H . Cordrs, Basic Biulogieal Chemistry ...All8 J . R. Edisbary, Practical Hints ~1 Absorptia8~Speat~.mneIry(Ullmvinlet and Visible3 . . .A122 Waller J . Moore, Seven Solid States . .A126 Kaauo Nakamolo and P a d J . AIcCwthg, Specttv~wpyand St,ruct,ttre of >fetal Chelate Compounds . . A130 E. H. E . Pi~lsehand t,he Gmdin Instilulr, editor*, Gmelins Handhuch der Anorganischerl Chemie. 8. Auflage, System Nummer 6, Chlo~.. Teil A, ])as Element (ausschliesalich Nachweir und Destimmnng) . . .A132 Edmard and Eliraklh Hutchlngs, oditors, Seicntifie Pr.ogrw.j and Humau Values . . .A132 New Volumw in Continuing Series . . .A132
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organic and biochemistry, are so closely dependent on one another that it would be necessary to consider the former in a detailed fashion before proceeding to the latter. This could only be done rtt the expense of omitting a large part of the inorganic section. Such xn approach wallld require 8. careful selectivity of topics. Any attempt to cover the contents of this book in a. one-year course for non-science st,udents would necessarily require a dilution of subject matter, which in turn would leave the student with loo many gaps in his knowledge of chemistry. Thus, the snbjecl may be more of R mystery to him after taking such a course bhan it was bbefore. R . A Y M ~ P. N DBonam\sm King's Collcgc Wilkes-Harrc, Pmnsylvanza 18708 Thermodynamics, A n lnlroduction
Rubin Rallino, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, and Scott E. Wood, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Academic Press, New Yark, Jan. 1968. xv 330 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 em. 96.5.95.
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Any new elementary text in thermodynamics such as this one needs a specific rationale. Recognizing this, the authors assert that their book was written to aid students who are confused by the many texts that only superficially treat the fundamental concepts of temperature, heat, work, energy, and entropy before plunging into detailed applicat,ions of thermodynamics. In particular tho book was writt,en for a sophomore course taken by engineering and hiology majors a? well as chemistry students. However, almost all stress is on the usual topics of chemical thermodynamics with emphasis on a, careful presentation of the above fundamental concepts and with exre also given in presenting the necessary mat,hematical techniques of partial and total differentials, line integrals, etc. The approach is strictly classical and operational. The chemical potential enters in the last quarter of the book and thus this part can cover only briefly general conditions of equilibrium, electrochemical cells, and the phase rule applied almost exclusively to one component, systems. There is nothiug a n solutions except a, page on osmot,ic pressure and nothing on nctivities. Some 180 problems are included with answers given to about one third of them. In my opinion the authors' aim has been achieved with regard to the concepts of temperrtturo (which t,hey base on the Zeroth Law) and work, hut not redly with the rest. The treatment of t,he content of the First Law is quite ordinary and not rigorously based on Joule t,ype experiments on temperalure changes effected by work inputs on systems inside adiabatic walls. The ent,ropy function is derived from tho Carnot cycle approach which I consider irrelevant for chemistry students-a verit,able historical red herring. However the treatment is a good one of its type. Two topics especially well handled are basic thermaehemistry and Lhe relation between standard and arbitrary Gibbs free energy changes (reaction isalherm).
Volume 46, Number 2, February 1969
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