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Recent Books
Mathematical Preparation far Physical Chemistry. FARRINGTON DANIELS, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin. McGraw-Hill Book Company. Inc., New York and London, 1928. First edition. x 308 pp. 65 figures. 20 X 14 cms. 83.00 net.
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"It is because the author has seen so many students struggling against the handicap of an inadequate preparation in mathematic~spending more effort in avoiding mathematics than needs t o be spent in learning it-that this book has Its only prerequisites been written. . . are a little knowledge of algebra, a speaking acquaintance with trigonometry and an interest in chemistry. . . . I t is not equivalent to the standard courses in analytical geometry, differential calculus and integral calculus. . . . The material of this book is sufficient mathematical preparation for a first course in physical chemistry and for some advanced . the author. . . hopes courses. . . ." that many who read these pages will resolve to go farther in the study of mathematics." In such words Professor Daniels states the purpose of his hook. Many teachers of chemistry have sighed for a course in higher mathematics that would really meet their particular needs, a few have themselves introduced such a course, hut very few have had the courage to write a book emhodvine - their ideas. It is the reviewer's opinion that Professor Daniels has not only done what his preface states, but he has done it exceedingly well. Within such a bulk as to be a text and not a reference book, he has presented the fundamental and necessary ideas of physical chemical mathematics quite thoroughly. Furthermore, he has done it so interestingly that it will he an unim-
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aginative reader who is not urged to go on. One ventures the prediction that many teachers will now find time to offer such a course with this book as the teat. In twenty-me chapters the author discusses the following subjects: large and small numbers, logarithms, the slide rule, graphical representation of equations, graphs of equations of the second degree, graphs of logarithmic and trigonometrical functions, differential calculus, ditlerentiation, graphs and calculus, the differential integral calculus, the significance of "e," differentiation and integration of trigonometrical functions, integration, the use of integration tables, geometrical application of integral calculus, partial differentiation, differential equations, infinite series, probability, graphical methods in physical chemistry. The book includes five appendices covering: physical chemical problems, definitions of advanced terms, a bibliography, theorems of elementary mathematics, and eleven tables. Following each chapter there is also a very generous selection of problems for every other one of which the answer is furnished. The reviewer wishes t o commend especially the fact that well over fifty per cent of all the problems in the book are eminently practical from the chemist's viewpoint. How interest is aroused by this is obvious. In conclusion, this hook is very interesting and is very useful. I t is a long step in the rignt direction. MALCOLM M. HARING General Chemistry. THOMASP. MCCUTCHBON,Professor of Inorganic Chemistry a t the University of Pennsylvania and HARRYSELTZ,Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry a t the Carnegie Institute. of Technology. D. Van Nostrand Comp&y, Inc., New 415 pp. 33 York City, 1927. x figs. 22.2 X 14.5 em. 63.50.
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