0
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Lelond A. Underkofler, Professor of Chemistry, Iowa State College. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, 1953. vii 352 pp. 29 tahles. 15 X 2 3 em. $4.25.
+
THIS book is admirably suited to its purpose.
Designed for
sodium salts of organic acids. One wonders what conception a beginning student has a t this time of ethyl alcohol as a. sauroe of nascent hvdroeen. " - , of alkvl halides. of oreanometallio com~ounds, and of even the simpler 'aspects of organic acids. It might be a nice exercise to determine if a book an organic chemistry might be written which would avoid this practice entirely; or if such is not possible, just haw few such institnres need be invoked. LIONEL JOSEPH
courso. In the present work an interesting innovation is the author's treatment of the order of presentation of t,he simpler organic types. Aft,er a preliminary ohaptor dealing with fundamental concepts the author gives an ordinary discussion of the saturated hydrocarbons. This is followedbythe alcohols. Thenoxt twoehapters are written so that they may be taught in either order. They cover, as written, the unsaturated hydrocarbons and the halogen derivatives of the hvdroesrbans. Manv teachers have taueht these two topics in the order given hut &any undoubtedly prefer the reverse order. The ordor of presentation of the remaining types is mare or less standard from here on. The carboxylie acids are diaoussed just before the aldehydes and ketones. The acid derivatives follow. The separation of bhe acids from their derivatives, a not uncommon practice, Reems to this reviewer unnecessary and possibly confusing to the student. Like all teachers of t,he short course in organic chemistry, Dr. Underkofler in confront,ed with the problem of how to treat the aromatio compounds. The answer in this case is to separate the aromatics fram the aliphat,ics but a compromise is effected by presenting a discussion of aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in seven pages a t the end of the ohapter an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarhons. The section is written so that it may be used or not depending on whether time permits the mare detailed discussion of aromatic compounds presented later in the book. The type reactions are numbered as they occur in the text and are later collected in an appendix. This permits convenient reference to a list of typical reaotians when needed for the solution of "to-from" exeroises in organir syntheses. A criticism of the hook, and one which is by no means peculiar to the present work, is t,he introduction of types of compounds which arp not t,rc:ated until later in the hook. This must he s. most dist,urbing element so far as the st,udent is concerned. Thufi in t,ho pn:rent insb:mec! the resct.ions given in what must hc x w r y earl" lert,ure hr the course lor (.he wcmmtion of t,hc alkanes slo: redjction of chloroform by sine in cthyl alcohol; the action of sodium on alkyl halides; thc action of water on the Grignard reagent; the action of heat on mixtures of sodium hydroxide and
SAN DLEWGTATE COLLEOE S&N D I E ~ O CALLI.ORN~A .
MODERN RADIOCHEMICAL PRACTICE
0
G. B. Cook, Atomio Energy Research Establishment. Harwell, England, and 1. F. Duncon. Oxford University Press. London, 1952. u 407 up. Illustrated. 15 X 23.5 cm. $8.50.
+
THE meteoric rise in the usage of radioactive isotopes in research laboratories has necessitated the introduction of courses in nuclear chemioal techniques in most universities and colleges. Cook and Duncan have produced a text admirably suited for a lsboratory course for prospective utilizers of.unstable isotopes. The hook covers the use of radioelements in chemical investigations, radiochemical separations, t h e properties and measurement of nuclear radiation, the production of isotopes, measurement enors, health physics, and a n extensive set of suggested experiments. The laboratory procedures seem to have boen ohosen with a great deal of care and provide experiments with a diversity of nuclides. However, many of the experiments require specific short-lived substances available t o those only in close proximity to s. pile. The experiments are described in s thorough and readily understandable manner. Nuelear-measurement devices receive an excellent review, although the present writer wonders why so little space is devoted to the windowless flow counters which a t present receive a great deal of use in this country. The discussion of ssmple preparation . and absolute beta. counting is excellent. Although the hook does not have enough detail for the advanced research worker, it fills the need fov an experimental text in radioehemistry. There are relatively few errors and the large type is a delight. The use ol English terminology (paralysis time, crst,lc, ct,c.) will be diverting to most Amoric:tn reatlws. I I D W A R I ) D OOLDRERT.
s,,,,,.
I X ~ T , T ~ T , ~ ~
LA JOLLA.
cn.rnom~*
