book reviews Editor: W. F. KIEFFER College of W-ter
W ~ ~ l t s Ohio r,
Organic Chemistry
Norman L. Allinger, Univemity of Georgirt, Athens, et a?. Worth Publishers, 1007 pp. Inc., New York, 1971. xxi Figs., and tables. 19 X 28.15 cm. 515.95. For several years instructors of organic chemistry have had an excellent and wide selection of texts for their courses. These texts have encouraged organization of the courses generally dong one of two different patterns, namely, the functional group and reaction type approaches. Recently, nearly all of the well-established texts have been revised extensively to bring content and style upto-date. Nonetheless, an interesting new text for the first year course in organic chemistry has been produced by B relatively large group of authors. "Organic Chemistry" by Allinger, Cave, De Jongh, Johnson, Lebel, and Stevens deserves careful attention far several reasons. It was written by respected organic chemists whose research and teaching interests range across most of the field. I n addition, a quick glance a t the hook reveals that the printing, figures, illustrations and t,aMes are verv well done. A careful reading also indicates editing of equally high quality for there are very few factual or typographicd errors. The authors claim in the preface that organic chemistry can be more easily and
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effectively taught by establishing E structural and theoretical frrtmework before proceeding to the reactions of organic compounds and their application. Thus, this book strongly resemh1es"Organic Chemistry" by Hendricksan, Cram, and Hammond in general outline. The first thirteen chapters deal with the structure of organic compounds, the next ten chapters discuss reactions, and the last thirteen chapters cover a. variety of topics; these include synthesis, polymers, compounds of biological importance, organosulfur, organosilicon and organophosphorus chemistry, spectrometric methods, and industrial organic chemistry. The authors make little or no effort t o provide an experimental basis for the current theoretical frrtmg work of organic chemistry which they use as an organizational scheme and a point of deperture for discussing the chemical hehmiovior of carbon compounds. This may be apoint of concern for someinstructors. I n my opinion, "Organic Chemistry" by Allinger and coauthom is the most authoritative, comprehensive text currently avsjlsble for the first course in organic chemistry. The discussions of structure, techniques (e.g., ir, nmr, uvvis, mass spectrometry), and reactions and their ~pplicatiousin i t equal or surpass their counterparts in other texts in accuracy, clarity, and depth. The problems a t the ends of the chapters appear t o be
in this Issue
Noman L. Allinger, et al., Organic Chemistry Robert J. Ouelletle, Introductory Organic Chemistry Raymond B. Se~rnourand J e r y G. Higgins, Experimental Organic Chemistrv Ian T . Harrison and Shuyen Harrison, Compendium of Organic Synthetic Methods Walter S. Trahanovsky, Functional Groups in Organic Compounds Charles J. Poucherl, The Aldrieh Library of Infrared Spectra Edward I . Peters, Problem Solving for Chemistry Waller Wagner and Cla~enceJ. Hull. Inorganic Titrimetrio Analysis ~antemporilryMethods Klam H. Altgelt and Leon Segal, editors, Gel Permeation Chromatography R. Bunt and C. Ponnamperuma, editors, Molecular Evolution I: Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life Gary E. Means and Robert Feeney, Chemiod Modification of Proteins Robert B. Fischer, Science, Man and Society John McMurlurnr and R. Brvan Miller. Annual R e ~ o r t in s Synthetic Chemistry, i970 Morris Goran, The Future of Science Dietlich Jentzsch, Gas-Chromatographie, Grundhgen-AnwendungMethoden Gmelin-Durrer The Metallurgy of Iran L. F. Haber, The Chemical Industry During the Nineteenth Century Ivan G. Draganic and Zorica D. Draganic, The Radiation Chemistry of Water New Volumes in a Continuing Series
carefully choaen t o aid in study and understanding of the material. There are problems also interspersed throughout each chapter t o encourage and reinforce a questioning, thoughtful sttitude by the student toward his study. There is only occasional evidence of unevenness of level or style. However, the book clearly expects considerable chemical background and maturity of the student. For example, little discussion is devoted t o acidbase theory or t o atomic structure. I n contrast to instructors.. manv.. of whom will f i l d thi? text cxtremrly nttmrtiw, nlwt students will prohahly still prefer a lwli dem~nding text organized aruund furm tionsl groups. The only discernible deficiencies in the vorltent of thia text arlre no douht from limitations of space. The book I I I V I U ~ P S 1007 . wars. - I wnlld have nrrferrrd more information on molecular rearrangements and the application of symmetry principles to organic reactions. I n addition, a brief discussion of metal ion crttdysis of organic reactions wauld be both interesting and valu~hle. And same instructors may find that the chapter on reactions of alkanes (Chapter 23) appears later in the text than they would like. Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana Introductory Organic Chemistry
Robert 3. Ouellette, The Ohio St& University. Harper and Row, Publishen, 429 pp. New York, 1971. xiii Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 15.5 om. Softbound. $7.
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Those familiar with Professor Ouellette's earlier text "Introductory Chemistry," (Harper Row, 1970) will find that this text is an extended version of the several chapters on organic and biochemistry found in it. As s n example of the added materid, the new text has 349 pages devoted to the subject while the older one has 231 pages. The new text deleted the earlier chapter on lipids, however, so that for comparison purposes 217 pages of the first text is devoted to organic and biochemistry. Since the page snd type size are the same, there is approximately 75% additional material added in the form of tables, examples, and explanations. There is only little rewriting. The chapter on stereochemistry is the only one which did not have additional material added. (For comparison purposes see chapters 16 through 25, 27, and 28 of the older text.) Chapter 1 of the new text entitled Structure and Properties is essentially a revision of the old chapter 6. This revision was rtccomplished by deleting material related to inorganic chemistry and adding additional information about carbon chemistry including functional ggrups, structural isomerism, and several new diagrams which helo to elarifv " hvbridi~ation. , Chapter 2 h e r n i a Kenrtions, is a condensed form of rlre materinl previounly cont,linrd in (.'haprrr& 9, 10, and 11. Thiq chapter is meant by the author to be basically review material on equilibrium, acids and bases, and redox, hut the in(Continued on page A490)
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Volume 49, Number 9, September 1972
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A489
