YEW BOOKS T h e Thermochemistry of the Chemical Substances. By F. RUSSELLBICHOWSKY and FREDERICK D. ROSSINI. 460 pp. S e w York: Reinhold Publishing Corp., 1936. Price: S7.00. The sub-title, “The assembly of a self-consistent table of ‘best’ values for the heats of formation of the chemical substances (except carbon compounds containing more than t w o carbon atoms), including heats of transition, fusion and vaporization,” indicates very well the scope of this volume, which is a “complete revision and extension” of the section on thermochemistry prepared by Bichowky for Volume V of International Critical Tables. In the original compilation, all “values were recorded in joules, in the hope t h a t thermochemists might come t o use this fundamental unit in their calculations and writings. Aut the attempt t o break away from the calorie as a unit in thermochemical and thermodynamical calculations proved to be unpopular and apparently hopeless of accomplishment.” Therefore the data in the present work are given in calories, the calorie being defined a s 4.1833 international joules. The introduction (pp. 9-16) explains the method of using the tables and gives the necessary information concerning the units, symbols, abbreviations, methods of calculation, etc. The first section (pp. 17-170) consists of a tabular presentation of the d a t a , and contains 5840 values of heats of formation, also 350 values of heats of transition, fusion, vaporization, or reactions for substances for which the heat of formation is not known. As far as possible, there are given for each compound the physical state, a description of its crystalline form or electronic configuration, the heat of formation, and the heats of dissociation, etc., depending upon the value known for the compound in question. Every value is given as the heat evolved when the reaction takes place a t a constant pressure, or a fugacity, of 1 atmosphere and a t a temperature of 18°C. The second section (pp. 171-105) comprises the text of the volume and contains a discussion of all the published thermochemical data on reactions which can be utilized in computing the heat of formation of a given substance. These are arranged in the same order as the compounds in the tables. I t would have added t o the usefulness of the book if page reference3 to the text had been given in the tables; it is realized, hoivever, t h a t this would have increased very much the mechanical difficulties of producing the volume, possibly increasing the cost out of proportion to the added value. Section three is devoted to the bibliography; there are 3730 references, Tvhich include all the publications covered by Chemical Abstracts up to January 1,1931 and nearly all of the important and significant contributions published from t h a t time to the end of 1933. The reviexer’s connection with InternationaE Crl’tical Tables gives him a very clear idea of the tremendous amount of laborious calculation and of checking and rechecking of values involved in the preparation of this book. The TTorth of the tables is greatly enhanced by the text. There can be no question but t h a t the work will be of real value to all interested in this field, as well as to those who make only infrequent use of such data. CL.4RESCE J. W E S T . 333
