Books analytical technique. A number of books treating theory, instrumentation, and applications of atomic absorption have been published since 1968, and a new book, or a revision of an earlier book, should have something significant to offer to justify its addition to the analyst's shelf. This book, by Morris Slavin, does not seem to satisfy that criterion. The strongest portion of this book is that which deals with preparation of the sample for analysis. The advice on sampling, dissolution, separation, and concentration is clear and sensible. The chapter on physical and chemical data on the elements simply repeats the information available in the Perkin-Elmer "Analytical Methods for Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry". Forty pages of this rather brief book are devoted to abstracts of 42 papers on specific analytical problems. This section seems to occupy far more space than its value can justify. The sections on theory and instrumentation are in many places hazy and confusing and in some places simply wrong. For example, on page 17 it is stated that xenon has "no valence electrons and so cannot form compounds", and on page 19 the 589.6-nm line of sodium is said to be the stronger line of the D doublet. Only two pages later, spectral line profiles are described as pure Gaussian when, in fact, lines in flames possess appreciable Lorentzian character. In several places sentences seem to be garbled and terms confused. For example, on page 25 it is stated that "in work near the detection limit, it may be better to choose a weaker line in preference to sample dilution". No distinction is made between resolving power and resolution. On pages 33 and 36 linear dispersion and reciprocal linear dispersion are confused. The definitions of transmittance and fraction absorbed are also tangled. One expression for Beer's law is given on page 40 (incorrect) and another on page 99 (correct). A short section on flame emission methods is included in this book. It includes the long-discredited assertions that interelement interferences are much more severe in emission than absorption and that owing to self-absorption the working range for emission is necessarily short. There is also an implicit assertion in this section that by use of a chopper in absorption measurements light from the flame is prevented from reaching the detector. In the Preface the author states that this book is addressed to the
practical worker. The practical worker surely is entitled to a better treatment of atomic absorption spectroscopy than this book provides and should seek elsewhere among the many recent books.
New Books Recent Developments in Chromatography and Electrophoresis. Alberto Frigerio and Leika Renoz, Eds. ix + 357 pages. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2 1 1 , Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1979. $58.50
The proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Chromatography and Electrophoresis held on May 15-17, 1978, at Riva del Garda, Italy, are published in this book. The book contains 34 papers that cover a wide range of potential applications of chromatography and electrophoresis. Studies on identification of drugs, drug metabolites, pollutants, and endogenous metabolites in living organisms are included. Medical applications for diagnostic purposes are also presented. Probing Polymer Structures. Jack L. Koenig, Ed. x + 277 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1979. $33
This book is Number 174 in the Advances in Chemistry Series based on a symposium at the 174th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago, 111., Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 1977. The 13 chapters deal with noise phenomena as it relates to thermal transitions, acoustic emission under tensile load, and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy. Other topics include the measurement of nonlinear viscoelastic properties of polymers, structural characterization of polymers via quasi-elastic laser light scattering, and ion recombination luminescence. The volume also examines F T - I R and multipass Fabry-Perot spectroscopic studies of various polymer transitions and dynamics.
nating nuclei are protons, or hydrogen together with other magnetic nuclei, if they occur in an environment such t h a t their spectrum can be described in a simple way. Tables XI to X15 contain data referring to nuclei other than protons. Multichannel Image Detectors. Yair Talmi, Ed. xi + 351 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1979. $30
Number 102 in the ACS Symposium Series is based on a symposium at the 176th National Meeting of the ACS in Miami Beach, Fia., Sept 11-12, 1978. The 15 contributed papers are divided into three sections: spectroscopic applications, ultrashort light spectroscopy, and unconventional applications.
Continuing Series Toxicology Annual, Vol. 3. C. L. Winek and S. P. Shanor, Eds. xii + 340 pages. Marcel Dekker, Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1979. $39.50
The 15 articles in this volume are contributed by 30 authors in the field of toxicology. Articles included are toxicity of pyrithiones and poinsettia, assessments in acute heroin fatalities, quality control in the toxicology lab, carcinogenicity of chloroprene, toxicologic properties of fluorescent whitening agents, and use of organic solvents to remove drugs from biologic specimens. Progress in Atomic Spectroscopy. Part B. W. Hanle and H. Kleinpoppen, Eds. xxxiv + 789 pages. Plenum Publishing Corp., 227 West 17th St., New York, N.Y. 10011. 1979. $49.50
This book is the second of a twopart series that summarizes the most important methods and applications in this field. T h e 44 contributors of the two parts examine the progress made in the study of the relationship between astrophysics and atomic spectroscopy, precision measurements of atomic structure, laser applications, and methods such as X-ray, stored ion, and laser high-resolution spectroscopy.
Handbook of NMR Spectral Parameters. Vols. 1-3. W. Brugel. xxv + 292, xxiii + 396, xix + 280 pages, respectively. Heyden & Son Inc., 247 South 41st St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. 1979. $280 (set)
Advances in X-Ray Analysis. Vol. 22. G. J. McCarthy, et al., Eds. xvii + 492 pages. Plenum Publishing Co., 227 West 17th St., New York, N.Y. 10011. 1979. $42.50
The set contains a total of 121 tables in which the values of the chemical shifts and of the coupling constants are given. Tables 1-106 contain those compounds in which the reso-
This volume is the proceedings of the 1978 Denver Conference on the Applications of X-Ray Analysis, 27th in the series. The 49 contributed papers are grouped into seven sections:
1006 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 51, NO. 9, AUGUST 1979
