RECENT BOOKS LABORATORY STUDIESIN GENERALCHEMISTRY.William F. Ehret, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, Washington Square College, New York University. The Century Company, New York City, 1933. viii 312 pp. 21 Figs. 17 X 23 cm. $1.50.
+
emphasis on the desirability of students noting processes which are t o appear many times in the course. Part I1 contains the instructions for "Preparation and Properties of Typical Aliphatic Organic Compounds." The preparations are of the usual variety to illustrate typical classes of compounds. The wording is definite and the illustrations are sufficient. Part 111, "Preparation and Properties of Typical Aromatic and Heterocyclic Organic Compounds," includes an experiment on the distillation of coal and another on the proximate analysis of coal. Logically, some question might be raised as to the necessity of the proximate analysis experiment. Otherwise. the preparation and discussions follow the usual list. Special sections are given a t the end of the book on "The Calculation of Theoretical and Percentage Yields for Laboratory Preparations." "Materials and Reagents Required in Each Experiment," and "Notes on the Preparation of Certain Reagents Used in Organic Chemistry," which will prove of distinct advantage for teachers and laboratory assistants. Instructions are offered for proper use of the manual for a one-semester course and for a two-semester course. The book is recommended as a satisfactory laboratory manual. Approval will be general, the reviewer believes. Differences in - --opinion may arise as to the effectiveness of student record sheets with each experiment. FRIENDE. CLARK
The manual is bound in Bristol hoard. The pages are perforated so that they may be removed to he turned in for approval after the experiments have been written up in the blank spaces provided for the purpose. Not much writing is required of the student. The pages have two large holes punched in them so that the student may fasten the returned pages in a loose-leaf notebook cover. The manual is not designed to follow any particular text. It may beused withany text. Enoughinformatiou is included so that reference to a text in the laboratory should be seldom necessary. The book is designed for a one-year course in elementary general chemistry with six hours a week devoted to laboratory work. Fifty-three experiments are offered; many of them are of quantitative or semiquantitative nature. About fifteen might be classified as inorganic preparations, about three deal with carhon or its compounds, one with colloids, two or three deal with qualitative analysis, several represent industrial processes or are experiments of everyday importance. Most of the rest of the experiments have been designed to serve as examples of fundamental generalizations. The experiments chosen offer training in a greater number of kinds of lahoratory technic than is generally found in a manual of this type. WST VIWINIAUNIVSRSITY MOBGANIOWN, W. V*. The author sought t o avoid the monotony of repeated test-tube experiments, and has included several opportunities for the working of "unknowns." The majority of the experiments probably WITH HOUSEHOLD APPLICATIONS. can he completed in a satisfactory manner by beginning students. INTRODUCTORY CHEM~STRV Nellie M . Naylor, Ph.D.. Associate Professor, Chemistry The reviewer wonders if the students, and if chemists, will Department Iowa State College. Ames, Iowa, and Amy Le agree with the statement an p. 114, that pH is a simple way of Vesesconte, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Baylor College. expressing hydrogen-ion concentration that chemists have agreed Belton, Texas. The Century Co., New York City, 1933. upon. The experiments on molecular properties of solutions x f 367 pp., 41 Figs., 8 Illus. 13.5 X 20 cm. $2.60. may he difficult for the beginner to understand even though he may follow directions and obtain correct results. The student This hook is one of the Century Chemistry Series. It was who tries some other salt than N H C I in the equilibrium experi- written a t the suggestion of the editor of this series, Professor ment involving FeClr and NH'CNS, p. 109, may be puzzled by James Kendall. The authors present the subject matter in such the results. a manner as, in their judgment, will appeal t o the interest and Some teachers of general chemistry will feel that more experi- imagination of the home economics student. Not unmindful ments in organic chemistry shortld be included. Some will miss of the difficulties involved in planning a middle course between the orthodox outlines for the qualitative analysis of the groups making a subject too practical and making i t too theoretical. of cations. Many will welcome the experiments on inorganic and realizing that home economics curricula include advanced svnthesis which are included. courses in chemistry and foundation work in bacteriology, The reviewer btlicves that the manual will be found useful by zoology, and other sciences, they have chosen, so they state. some teachers of general chcmislry and that those jtudcnts who the subject matter of this text so as to provide a knowledge of surceisfully prrfurm the txperimenta ou~linrdrn it will be well the principles of chemistry for later courses. Numerous illusprepared for the advanced courses in chemistry. trations, with descriptive matter, have been introduced in the E . R ~ G E R W A S H B U R Ntext. Wherever it has been possible to do so, illustrations from home life were selected. UN~YBRSITYOF NBBBASR* LINEOI-N.N B B R ~ S K * By way of following through the development of a principle of chemistry and correlating i t with problems of current interest, the student is introduced to practical home economics by discussionson thecolloidal state, leavening agents, water and its uses, bert, A,rlsrant 1+of&sor of Chmmistry. L.nivcrsity of Oklahoma The Crntury Company. Ncw Vurk City, I9S:I. Tlucc I'arts in chemistry in the laundry and the silicate industries. All of which, by way of preparation, is preceded by chapters, in the one volume, 341 pp.. 28 Figs. 21 X 27 rm. W 3 ) . order named, on the language of chemistry; the chemistry of The author has developed a laboratory manual for organic water; oxygen; hydrogen; characteristics of gases, liquids chemistry with perforated sheets in duplicate for student reports. and solids; molecular structure; the atmosphere; atomic This plan explains the number of pages: 221 pages are devoted structure and valence; acids, salts, and bases; the theory of t o introduction, preface and text, with 120 for student records. ionization; carbon, oxides of carbon, acids of carbon; oxidation The quality of the paper is fair, requiring careful attention during and reduction; nitrogen; sulfur; the periodic table and structure laboratory practice if the book is to come through whole. of the atom; the chlorine family; the phosphorus family; the Part I deals with general methods and processes (technic metals; the alloys of metals; preparation of compounds of the experiments) such as melting points, boiling points, qualitative metals; analytical chemistry; the work of Madame Curie; and quantitative analysis, distillation, crystallization, and dis- carbon compounds; and the chemistry of artificial heat and light. sociation. The experiments are well chosen with satisfactory At the end of each chapter, there have been included, for the
