book reviews the other hiwd, the more swioos reader will find the short reviews inadequate and wonld be better served by one of the more extensive texts devoted specifically t o plasma physics, chemisbry, or diagnostics. CHESTERE. GIZIT North CaroIina State Universit?,
of quantum mechanics had become well established. Neither Einstein nor SchrBdingcr had any use for this interpretation, and the co~.resooadeneein ouestion elearlv
t,t~nately these are poorly reproduced. IIistorims of twentieth eent,my physics will find this small volume profitable reading.
R. BRUCELINDSAY
Raleigh
Bvown University Prouidenee, Rbode Island 09912 Letters on Wave Mechanics. Schroedinger, Planck, Einstein, and Lorentr
Edited by K. Przibran~for iho Austriau Academy of Sciences. Translated and with all i n t m d ~ ~ c l i oby u Marlin J. Klcin. Philosophical Library, New York, 1967. rv 73 pp. l,5 X 22 cm. $6.
+
During the eighteenth and niwdee~clh centuries i t was cwstomary for physicist.; to writ,e long letters t o each other, deseribing their latest research resrdls and crilicizing t,he work of "thew. This eonespoltdence forms a n impoltant part of the history of seieuee. Some have felt t,hat in o w fast moving l.weutiet,h eentllry, speed of publicat,iotr in the accepted journal medin a- well as scient,ific conferences of increasing frequency have rendcred such e c w respoudmce nnnecessnry Lo the pmgreia of science or at any rate of uegligihle vnhle i u the historical record. This, however, is a dislorled viow. An interesting illustration of how wrong i t is is provided by t,he hook under review, which contains English translations of twenty onc letters concerning tho development and fate of
. .
Einstein, and Lorunts. The collection brought together by the desire of Professor Schrodinger's widow, and first prtblished in German in 1963 under the editorship of Professor K. Przibram for the Austrian Academy of Science, now appears in English t,ranslabion through the efforts of Professor Martin J. Kleiu of the History of Science Deparment of Case Western Reserve University. I n t h e spring of 1926 Scbrodinger sent reprints of his first paper on wave mechanics t o Planck, Einstein, and Lorentz and must have awaited t,heir comment,^ with keen interest. He had no reason Lo he disappointed a t the results for all three responded with helpful comments, especially Lorcnlz. Planek expressed himself very pleased with the idea that i t had proved possible t o do something with the q n a n t ~ mtheory of atomic stntct,ure along what looked like familiar classical lines. Einstein was also sympathetic. I t was Lorenta who evidenlly made the most careful study of Sehrodinger's papers and provided the most searching criticism. H e p u t his finger on some of the obvious difficulties with wave mechanics, such as the di3persion of t h e wave packet. Most of t h e correspondence between Schrodinger and Einstein incltlded in the volume relates t o the post-1930 period, afler the conventionnl Copenhagen interpretation
A908 / lournal o f Chemical Educafion
Sourcebook on Atomic Energy
Samuel Glasstone, Cansultanl, University of Califon~ia,Lus Alamos Scientific Lahorstory. 3d ed. 11. Van Xustrand Co., Inc., Princeton, New Jersey, 1967. vii 883 pp. Figs. 16 X 23.5 cm. $4.40.
+
tions would be improved by shorter, more "crisp" t,reat,ment. GLENE . GORDON Massachusetts Institute of TeehnoIogy Cambridge, 09139 Silica and Me. The Industrial Chemist
Career of
an
C i ~ yAlczandcr, E. I. drt Font de Ncmonm & Co., Wilmiugl,
