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JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION
recovery, rare earth and radioisotope separations, organic chemicals purification, and biochemical and pharmaceutical applications. As could be expected, not all chapters are equally lucid nor equally well documented. Some of the data are presented without references, so that more complete explen&ms in the original papers cannot easily be obtained. This lack is somewhat offset by a twelve-page comprehensive author index, in addition to a thorough subject index and references a t the end of each chapter. The hook contains considerable duplication of material. For instance, Chapter 10, Ion Exchange Technology in Water Treatment, covers much of the ground of Chapter 5, Principles of Deionization with Ion Exchange Resins. Several chapters begin with nearly identical brief histories of ion exchange. The duplications, together with some awkward phraseology, particularly in a c h a p ter by a Germsn contributor, suggest that the hook did not receive the careful editorial attention which it deserves. However, these shortcomings esnnat detract from the usefulness of the work as a. reference to present and potential applications of ion exchangers. STEPHEN S. WINTER N o s m m s ~ e n i rU N I T E R ~ ~ T ~ Bos~on.M*ss*cxnse~~s
For example, procedure 5 3 , page 91, outlines the determination of salts of organic acids. A typical undergraduate with the information given could run the determination without diffioulty, but he probably would not understand what he had done unless the instructor explained the theory a t length or assigned additional readings. It seems appropriate that a text for juniors and seniors should include sufficient theory so that out-of-class study is facilitated. Aside from this objection, the "Determination of Organic Compounds" strikes me ss an excellent and muoh-needed work. I found only one glaring error (p. 144, problem 6-20) and no evidence of weakness in binding or printing. The paper is somewhat of a change from the usual McGraw-Hill standard, but the change seems reflected in a very modest price on the book.
STUDIES IN ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY. VOLUME 111
R. I. Forbes, University of Amsterdam, E. 1. Brill, Lsiden, 1955. 268 pp. 56 figs. 2 4 tahles. 1 6 X 25 cm.
DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
K. G. Stone, Associate Professor of Chemisby, Michigan State University. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 233 pp. Figs. and tables. 1956. v 16 X 23.5 om. $5.
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PROFESSOR STONE'Sbook on quantitative organic analysis based on functional groups should he a worthwhile addition to any college or university Library as well as a. distinct asset to the personal library of any chemist who deals with snaly~isof organic materials. Complete and specific directions are given for the determination of all common types of organic oampounds as well as a thorough documenting of all procedures. The limitation of sample size to the macro and semimicro range is a boon to the laboratory that does not have micro equipment or experience uith micro techniques. I n addition, Stone has included a number of problems which are thought-provoking and based on reality. The student will find them most helpful in checking his own knowledge of the field. This volume should find its greatest usefulness as a manual and secondary reference work on organic analysis and as a graduate text. I have examined it carefully with its use in undergraduate courses in mind. Although the theory of each determination is indicated, there is, in m n y cases, insufficient depth and detail:
PROFESSOR Forbes, in his latest book, has made a welcome addition to the growing literature on the history of ancient and classical ohemistry. I n this work, the author has concentrated largely on Egyptian, Greek, and R o m n technology with minor attention paid to ancient Mesopotamian chemical technology. The volume may be considered to be divided into five major sections; (1) cosmetics and perfumes, including their preparation, recipes, and uses; (2) food, alcoholic heverages and vinegar, fermentation and preparation of beer and wine; (3) salts, preservation processes and mummification with discussions of early sodium chloride, natron, soap, saltpetre, sal ammoniac, alum and other preservatives; (4) paints, pigments, inks, and varnishes with a history of media, grounds and their uses; (5) techniques of crushing and grinding with elaboration of the various types of querns, the donkey, ratmy and roller mills and the kinds of ancient presses in use as well sa their evolution. Each chapter is well provided with documentation and bibliography for the interested historian of chemistry. The final index to the volume is fairly full. Attention should be drawn to the author's excellent collection of figures and tables which aid materially in making the hook a very read%hleand satisfying one. MARTIN LEYEY TEYPLB UN~YERBTTY P " , L * ~ ~ L P ~P , *B. N X ~ T ~ " * N ~ *
LUDWIG BOLTZMANN: MENSCH. PHYSIKER. PHILOSOPH Engelbert Brodo, Professor at the Chemi. cal Laboratory, University of Wien. Introduction by Hans Thirring. Published by Frane Deuticke, Vienna, 1955. 152 pp. Figs. 15.5 X 21.5 em. viii About $2.30. paper bound; $2.75, cloth bound.
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TEEbiography of Ludwig Boltzmann, by Engelhert Broda, starts with the sentence, "The Life of Ludwig Boltzmsnn, obviously the most outstanding thinker Austria has produced. . . ."; and in the introduction, Hans Thirring calls Boltamann, "not only an outstanding physicist, but also one of the most eminent thinkers of his country, Austria." These two statements are given to show the very high reputation that Boltzmann had in his own country. Boltzmann born in Vienna. 1844 grew up in a well-to-do family and had the mast careful education. The reviewer noted with interest that he had pisno lessons from one of the most famous composers of the time, A. Bruckner. He made a brilliant ~cientificcareer and became the Professor of Mathematical Physics in Graa a t the age of twenty-five. He was visiting in Heidelberg as a guest of Bunsen and in Berlin with Kirchhaff and Helmholtz from 1869 to 1871. From 1873 to 1876 he was Professor of Mathematics a t Vienna. and then returned to Graz. He was sb famous a t this time, though only in his early thirties, that the young Wdther Nernst and Svante Arrhenius went to G r a ~ to study under him. I t is interesting to notice that Boltzmann did not accept the Professorship in 1888 to Berlin on the chair of the late Kirehhoff, but preferred to stay in Austria. Boltemann may have regretted this decision because this chair afterward was occupied by Max Planck and became the most outstanding chair a theoretical physicist of the German language could obtain. He went to Munich in 1890 as Professor of Theoretical Physics, and in 1894 followed Stefan on the chair for Theoretical Physics a t Vienna with a short intermission t o Leipaig till his death on the fifth of September, 1906. Boltzmann was very gifted, not only in physics and mathematics but also in music, and philosophy. Nevertheless, in personal relations he was very kind and congenial. He liked society and was very outspoken; sometimes humorous, sometimes sarcastic. I t illustrates the very high cultural level of Vienna of those days, since the names of not only Boltzmann and his oallesgues, but also most of his friends, are still remembered today in Austria and elsewhere. His immortal works, to mention only entropy and probability, Boltzmann distribution, and statistical mechanics, place him with the most outstanding men of (Continued on page A660)
the end of the nineteenth century. Boltzmann was an extraordinary teacher, gave lectures in experimental physics, theoretical physics and mathematics. But he also lectured in philosophy. I t is interesting to notice his shrewd criticism against philosophers like Hegel or Schopenhauer, and he suspected that Kant may sometimes have been teasing or kidding the reader. All this is written with the love and devotion for Boltzmann and for his country. This little brochure fills not only the need for a biography of Boltzmann, but i t gives, by means of the description of the life of Boltzmann, a living picture of the Austrianmonarehy at that time. Because of all these points of view and
because of the fact that the works of Boltemann are as important as ever in the fast development of modern physics, a translation of this biography should be considered. PAUL HIRTECK RENB~ELAER POLYT~~C I~-BTITUTE ~~NTC TROY. NEW YORX
ANALYSE QUANTITATIVE MIN-E Gpston Charlot and Denise Bezier, 1'Ecole de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles. Third edition. Masson et 823 pp. 211 Cie, Paris, 1955. viii figs. 17.3 X 24.5 cm. Fr. 6200 (paper hound), 7000 (hard cover).
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THISserious work aims to supplement the existing treatises on classical methods and on specialized topics of quantitative inorganic analysis. I t briefly reviem the
more recent literature with the intention of providing a. guide far the practicing analyst in arriving a t the most suitable procedure for the solution of a given task. In the Erst part (pp. 1-370) the principles of the various methods are briefly discussed. Not included are the "purely physical methods" such as mass spectrometry, Raman 8pectroscopy, X-ray spectrography, measurement of magnetic properties, and other physical measurements employed as analytiesl methods. Since a table of contents is not provided, this part must be searched with the use of the running heads on the top of the pages. I t opens with a review of statistical concepts. This is followed by seven chapters (116 pp.) devoted to a theoretical discussion of titrimetry which follows the traditional approach, except that the Bronsted's concept of acid-base systems is consistently applied. Brief chapters deal with separation by precipitation, chromatography and ion exohange, distillation, titration in nonilqueous solvents, extraetion, gravimetry, sampling (one page); then follow the instrumental methods, and most of the space is given to electrochemical procedures: electrodeposition, polsrography, potentiometry, ampemmetry, and coulometry. Chapters 18-23 finally deal with applications of radioactivity (6 pp.), the det,ermination of traces (4 pp.), semimicro and micromethods (2 pp.), dissolution (6 pp.), aahing of orgrtnio m a t e rials (4 pp.), and gas analysis (9 pp.). The second part of the hook gives methods for the sepamtion and determination of most elements. I n order to render the collection useful, mainly those of the newer methods were included which show some definite advantaee aver the clsssieal tory of the authors, or are recommended by a body such as the National Bureau of Standards of the United States. Also, the literature references have been selected for their usefulness. The elements are arranged in alphabetical order (pp. 3717591. An appendix contains teblcs of gravimetric factors and atomic weights, bibliography, subject index, and author index. The numerous illustrations are simple hut to the point. The print is clear and the hook is attractively hound. I n the reviewer's opinion, this formidable work could be improved by a better organization and a systematic approsoh to the material treated, particulasly in the theoretical part. I n spite of the inherent difficulties involved in the critical evsluation of modern analytical procedures which appear in print a t a prodigious rate, the authors have done an honest job. One cannot try dl the methods that have been proposed during the past decade and it will take many workers and much time to sort out the methods that are reliable a t d l times from the methods that leave much to be desired, even in the hands of metioulous workers. The work is a worthy addition to the shelf of the analytical laboratory as a reference book. The price is of interest to those of us who remember with nostaleia the low prices a t the "book stalls along the Seine" as we watch the prices of American
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION. DECEMBER. 1956
