BOOKREVIEWS
Sept. 5, 1960
An Introduction to the Organic Chemistry of High Polymers. By CARL S. MARVEL,Research Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Illinois. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 440 Fourth Avenue, New York 16, N. Y. 1959. viii 82 pp. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. Price, $4.50. This book is based upon the Humble Lectures in Science delivered by Professor Marvel in June, 1956. It is directed toward the beginner in polymer synthesis, and consequently does not go deeply into any individual problems. I t is an introductory survey, and an excellent one, of the organic chemistry of polymers. The book is well organized, with a most judicious balance among the various topics covered. The style is terse, and completely clear. Throughout, the reader is provided with adequate literature references. By these means, Professor Marvel has succeeded in covering a surprising amount of material in 79 pages of text. The book should be helpful t o the advanced student of polymer synthesis as well as the beginner. POLYMER RESEARCHLABORATORY THEDow CHEMICAL COMPAXY TURNER ALFREY,JR. MIDLASD,MICHIGAN
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cuits, D. R . Young; Thermoelectric Cooling, D . A. Wright; Evacuated Powder Insulation for Low Temperatures, M . M . Fulk; Distillation a t Low Temperatures, B. R. Brown; The Measurement of Mechanical Properties of Metals a t Low-Temperatures, H . M. Rosenberg; Frozen Free Radicals, G. J. Minkoff; Low-temperature Calorimetry, R. W. Hill; The Determination of Specific Heats by the Temperature-wave Method, N. V. Zavaritsky; Ultrasonic Attenuation in Metals a t Low Temperatures, R . W. Morse. The articles in general are summarizing in nature. The random order of appearance of the articles on relatively unrelated subjects is somewhat confusing. Useful bibliographies are given a t the end of each article, but the lack of any sort of index limits the use of this volume as a reference work. Doubtless as future volumes appear the plan of the series will be clearer and suitable indices will appear. Because of the high caliber of the individual articles, however, this volume can be recommended even t o the casual reader. DEPARTMEXT OF CHEMISTRY THEPENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY J. G. ASTON STATE COLLEGE, PENNA.
Organic Reactions. Volume 10. ROGERADAMS,EditorIntroduction to Quantum Field Theory. By F. MANDL, in-Chief. John IYiley and Sons, Inc ,440 Fourth Avenue, M. A., D. Phil., Department of Theoretical Physics, 563 pp. 16 X 24 cm. Xew York 16, N. Y. 1959. vii University of Manchester. Interscience Publishers, Inc., Price, $12 00. 250 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, N. Y. 1959. vii 202 This volume presents a complete discussion of three reacpp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Pric:, $6.00. tions. The first chapter by Stanley M . Parmerter describes The virtue of this slim volume lies precisely in its brevity, the coupling reaction of diazonium salts with activated carand in its single-minded concentration on the classical diabon-hydrogen bonds in aliphatic compounds. It is limited grammatic approach t o quantum field theory inaugurated by to those reactions in which the nitrogen atoms of the diFeynman and Dyson. The diagrams summarize a n elabazonium salt are retained and no groups are eliminated durorate set of rules for dealing with practical questions, in ing the process. The second chapter complements the first perturbative expansion. Although they call for the manipuby describing the coupling of diazonium salts with actilation of infinite quantities in a way which often terrifies vated methinyl groups with the simultaneous elimination of the mathematically minded, the rules are well-defined and an acyl-, carboxy- or nitro- group (the Japp-Klingemann easily visualizable. What is much less clear is whether the reaction by Robert R . Phillips). Both chapters describe the scope and application of the processes, give typical ex- Feynman-Dyson procedures really follow in any kind of perimental procedures and furnish a tabular survey of the rigorous and consistent way from more fundamental versions of the rules of quantum field theory. Indeed, a comreactions. Most of this Volume 10 is devoted t o a very extensive sur- plete and self-consistent foundation for field theory has not vet been agreed on, which is to say that the subject is still vey (376 pp.) of the Michael reaction written by Ernest far from being a deductive one. On the practical side, perD . Bergmann, David Ginsburg and Raphael Pappo. The turbative expansions are rather limited in usefulness, quanscope of this chapter is extremely broad, covering all types tum electrodynamics representing, however, a spectacular of anionic adducts t o all kinds of acceptor unsaturated sysexception where the first few orders in perturbation theory tems. The scope of the reaction, reversal, so-called absuffice to yield highly accurate results. normal Michael reactions, intermediates, mechanism, strucQuantum field theory is presently in a state of flux and ture of products, experimental conditions and tabular surhas lately taken a very formal and mathematical turn. vey arc given in a very thorough and complete manner. Nevertheless, it is true t o say that even the most esoteric This chapter really constitutes the best survey of allthe ramimodern practitioners do a lot of their private thinking with fications of the Michael reaction. Feynman-Dyson diagrams before their eJ-es and, as in reThis X’olume 10 is a worthy member of this series and can cent developments in dispersion theory, seek support for be recommended to all organic chemists. their conjectures in the low orders of perturbation theory. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY In short, the covariant, perturbative methods of Feynman VXIVERSITY O F IOWA RALPHL. SHRINER and Dyson remain an indispensable source of ideas and visIOWACITY,IOWA ualization for quantum field theory. These methods are expounded more exhaustively in other, more ambitious books, and the present volume contributes no new ideas, Progress in Cryogenics. Volume 1. Editor, K. MENDELS- physical or pedagogical. However, it gets t o the heart of SOHN,D. Phil. (Berlin), M . A. (Oxon.), F. Inst. P., the matter with modesty and speed, and in this it provides a F.R. S. Academic Press Inc., 111 Fifth Avenue, Kew York very readable and manageable introduction to its suhjcct. 3, K.Y. 1959. vii f 259 pp, 16 X 25.5 cm. Price, In respect of these things it is in fact one nf the bcst short $611.00. textbooks available. Unfortunately, its brevity also cxI t is appropriate that the series of volumes which is to sumtends to the matter of practical applications and computamarize “Progress in Cryogenics” should originate from the tional tricks. On the other hand, an extensive set of exerClarendon Laboratory, Oxford, which under the leadership cises is provided for the rcader, as well as hitits t o their o f the late Sir Francis Simon has become one of the foremost solution from the author. low temperature laboratories in the world through the PALMER LABORATORY ingenuity of its members in low temperature technique. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY S. B . TREIMAN The object of this volume and the series to follow it is PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY well stated in the Preface. “Low-temperature technology, which until recently was confined t o gas liquefaction and rectification, is rapidly expanding into a variety of comFormation and Trapping of Free Radicals. Edited by pletely different fields such as the operation of computers ARNOLD M. BASSand H. P. BROIDA,Kational Bureau of and micro-wave amplifiers. . . . The aim of the present Standards, Washington, D. C. Academic Press Inc., series is to provide summarizing articles on the whole field 111 Fifth Avenue, S e w York 3, S . Y . 1960. xvi of low-temperature methods, as distinguished from low522 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Price, $16.00. temperature physics or chemistry.” The scope of the present volume (volume 1) is indicated The trapping of free radicals in a solid matrix is a rather by the table of contents: Preface; Superconducting Cirnew field, and a book which brings together many recent
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