BOOK REVIEWS Boyle's life, the "new learning," mechanical philosophy, chemistry, pneumatics, and a conclusion outlining Boyle's stature and importance. These chapters clearly summarize the topics covered and short extracts from contemporary sources are given. Part two (pp. 119391), the major portion of the book, is in four sections which present extensive selections from, and commentary on, Boyle's writings. The selections are taken from the Birch edition of Boyle's "Works" (London, 1744), and from the Boyle papers in the Libraryaf the Royal Society, London. Each of the sections is carefully chosen to illustrate Boyle's philosophical attitude toward the topics covered. The first section (pp.llS176) includes extracts concerning, for example, "the requisites of a good hypothesis," "natural religion," "the practical uses of natural philosophy," "hydrostatics," etc. The second section (pp. 177-272) deals with Boyle's "assessment of Aristotelianism," "the corpuscular philosophy," "the structure of matter," "theory of the elements," "transmutation of the Aristotelian elements," and various physical and chemical properties (or "qualities" rts Boyle termed them) and phenomena such a s heat, cohesion, fluidity, corrosiveness, precipitation, gravity, magnetism, electricity, color, fire and flame, etc.
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From the diverse nature of these topics one can readily see that Boyle studied p h e nornena often widely removed from pure chemistry. The next section (pp. 273422) is concerned with chemistry, and selections from Boyle's lesaer-known chemical works (cf. "The Sceptical Chymist") are presented (e.g., "Experiments and Notes relating to Chemical Qualities," "Aerial Noctiluca," "Icy Noctilucs," etc.). Subjects covered include, for example, the uses of chemistry, chemical experiments, indicators, phosphorus, and m i n e d waters. The fourth and final section (pp. 323391) comprises selections from Boyle's works on pneumatics. Significant experiments leading to the discovery of Boyle's Law of Gases are described and illustrated by excerpts from the "New Experiments Physico-Mechanical, Touching the Spring of the AirandIts Effects" (1660and 1662). Selections are also given on "the astonishing weight of the atmosphere," "sound and air," "what is a vacuum?," "air, light, and &me," "omposition of the atmosphere," etc. The hook closes with some biblicgraphical notes (pp. 400-401), a partial list of Boyle's published works (p. 402), and an index (pp. 403406). On the whole this i. a very readable and enjoyable book. In this reviewer's opinion it is written in an easier, more freely Bowing style than Dr. Boas Hall's "Robert Boyle and Seventeenth-Century Chemistry." The latter work suffered, as indeed did Boyle's own writings, from a rather considerable prolixity with par*
gntphs amvrmes exceditry i w r hundred wwb. The prrwm a u r k ie Ips? icd\ous, s is t c r 1," con~r.ltularnl nrd 1Jr. n o ~ llnll for her judicious selections and for redueing the over four thousand large quarto pages of Boyle's "Works" (1772) into an octavo hook of onlv one-tenth t,he number of pages. As this m i e w e r knows well, reducing the rambling style of seventeenth-century prose into the succinct format of the modern article or book is often extremely difficult. Dr. Boas Hall has admirably ttecompliehed this t,ask, and her book is a significant and scholarly addition to the swelling corpus of literature on Boyle and seventeenth-century scientific thoueht. The book is enthusiasticallv recommended as a worthy addition to the library of any college, univenity, or individual mientist.
ROYG. NEVILLE Palm Verdes Peninsula California Michael Famday
L. Pearre William. Cornell Univenitv. .. ,~~ Ithaca, New York. Basic Books, 1no.i New York, 1965. xvi 531 pp. Figures. 16.5 X 24 cm. 512.50. -~ -
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Historically minded physicists and chemists have long awaited an extensive up-to-date treatment of the life and accomplishments of Faraday (1791-1867). (Continued on page -48s)
BOOK REVIEWS This wait is over and has paid handsome dividends. The biography under review here is a masterly piece of work and can be recommended without reservations. The author has investigated his subject in depth; he has examined published material, notebooks, diaries, letters, etc., that might cantaiu items of worthwhile significance and has abstracted and analyzed this vast mass for the benefit of his readers. His field is history of science and consequently he has brought to this work a wide perspective. Re has understood whet he has read and whm necessary has recounted his findings in terms that are more intelligible to the average reader. Much of material is given verbatim and these quotations are frequent1.v supplemented by cogent comments. Therefore the book gives an aarount not. only of the biographical det,ails of Faraday's life but also sets forth the antecedent and opposing theories as well as Faraday's own theoretical tenets. In short, parts of this biography call serve as a hist,ory of the particular topics. I n the Preface he writes ". . . t h e perspective of Faraday's achievement has changed with each generation. In his own lifetime, he was regarded as a heretic; in the next generation, he was transformed into the arch empiricist,; in our time he has been viewed 8s a kindly experiment,alist a h o laid the foundations on whirh the physirist,s-t,hose who cont,rol the tool of higher mathematics-would huild classiral and modern field theory. He was all these thin@ and more." Faradsy was not only a physicist. (a term he abhorred), but a. skilled chemist. H e was a gifted experimenter and an outstanding theorist,. His formal edueation wasscanty, and because hewas mostly self-taught, he made special efforts t o perfect his lectures with regard to clarity of presentation. The section in this h i o p raphy dealing with Faraday's ideas and recommendstions regarding the art of lecturing should be required reading for all aseience teachers who deal with large audiences. He had strong convictions on education both for adults and young people, and exerted a marked influence on the revision of the curricula. of t,he British universit,ies. His leetures to juvenile audiences were of outstanding character and his "The Chemical History of a. Candle" is a recognized rlitnsic and should he made available t,o all beginning students of chemistry. Since the readers of THIS J O U R Nare .~. primarily interested in chemistry it is proper to confine this review to Faraday as a chemist. He was t,he discoverer of benzene; he wa8 the first to liquefy many of the gases and t o investigate this change of state. He was a skilled analyst snd earned considerable sum3 through these activities for himself and the Royal Institution when both needed financial help. He made extensive studies of alloys of iron and steels, as well as of glasses, gold sols, eto. His work in electmchemistry was outstanding; he not only
(Continued on page A84)
BOOK REVIEWS discovered the laws of electrolysis that hear his name but (with the aid of William Whewell) coined the terminology (e.g., electrode, electrolyte, anion, etc.) that is now a permanent part of our language. His book "Chemical Manipulations" (1827) was a leader in its field. He declined the chair of chemistry at the newly founded University of London. Faraday refused to derive financial gains from his discoveries, though a t times he acted as consultant. During his latter years his mental faculties deteriorated sadly and he lived on a pension from the Crown and in a house near Hrtmpton Court provided by Queen Victoria. Here he died quietly whilc sestod in this chair. Had he so desired he doubtless would have been interred in Westminster Abhey near Newton snd Darwin. I-Iawevor, during his life he noted that he wished to be huried under "n gravestone of the most ordinary kind." Ha he rests in Highgate Cemetery not far from the grave of Karl Marx of whom it has been said t,hat he influenced the lives of more men than any person since .Mohamet. The same can he said of Faradsy-but what a difference in the fruits of their work!
RALPHE. OESPEB Uniuersity of Cincinnati Cincinnati. Ohio
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