EDWARD WILLIAMS MORLEY, HIS INFLUENCE ON SCIENCE IN AMERICA Howard R. Williams, Chemistry Mastel., Emeritus. Western Reserve Academy, Hudson, Ohio. Chemical Education Publishing Co., Easton, Pennsylvania. 1957. xi 282 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. $6.50.
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THIS is the biography of one of the immortal8 in science, Edward Williams Morley, professor of chemistry and natural history from 1869 to 1906 a t Western Reserve College and University. Above all, Rlorley was devoted to making the most accurate of measurements. When only 23 years of age he determined with precisian the latitude of the astronomical observatory a t Williams College. Chemists will always honor him for his exceedinglv accurate measurements on the densities of oxygen and hydrogen gases and and the ratio of their weights which eombine to form water. Upon this man's pioneering wovk in this field is based the chemist's table of atomic weights. But his name will long be remembered for an experiment which, strange as it may seem, "found nothing" mensurable. Familiarly known as the "Michelson-Morley experiment," this piece of u-ork with its negative results waa an investigation conducted in 1887 jointly with Albert Miehelson. The results show that the hypothetical "ether" thmugh which the earth was supposed to move doe8 not exist. Not until Albert Einstein developed his special theory of relativity in 1905 was the magnitude of the Michelnon-Morley experiment appreciated. Consequently, the year 1887 is often considered the birth date of modern physics. This biography tells not only of scien. tific achievements but also portrays t,he character and human qualities of a tnlly great man. The reader seems to be transplanted to a very different period from today, the nineteenth century. The author mites his story with a feeling of affection and admiration for his subject and in turn this feeling is passed on to the reader. Fmm this biographv, the reader will know not only Morley the scientist but also Morley the man. The book contains much hitherto unpublished material. Most of the information came by way of interviews by the author with men well dong in years v h o knew Morley and from a large number of Morley's letters to his family which were discovered in an old and forgotten family trunk. Theauthor has done aremarkably good piece of work in the selection and arrangement of excerpts from these letters. As a result the reader often hse the feeling that Morley is telling his own story. The book is illustrated by a considerable number of well-chosen balf-tone photographs
VOLUME 35, NO. 3, MARCH, 1958
aud : q p w l s both n 1,iiiliographr of msterial ahout Mol.lt:y and a romplete list of Morley's seientilie puhlicstionti. This book i~ recommended to the many who enjoy biography, to chemists and other scientists. Stndents in high school and college, when the going is sometimes hard, will be inspired in theiv own work by the examples of Morley's virtorirs over discouragements and hy his devotion to seientific pursuits. With its good format, tvpography and binding, the hook might well be a most acceptable gilt. I t should find a place in all public and firhool and university libraries as well as on the shelves of most chemi~ts. NORBERT A. LANCE MARION CLEAVELAND LANGE
ORGANIC SYNTHESES: AN ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF SATISFACTORY METHODS FOR THE PREPARATION OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS. VOLUME 3 7 James Cason, Editor-in-Chief. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1957. vii 109 pp. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $4.
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THIS37th addition to a familiar and popular series of annual volumes again contains the common names, the Ch:hcrnieal Abstracts indexing name if different, the equations, procedures, notes, and additional methods of preparation for 32 organic compounds. 1)irectians have been submitted by 53 contributors. Each preparation has been carefully cheeked by competent chemists. The cumulative subject index lipts all materid contained in Volumes 30 to 37 inclosive. The style, size, appearance, and quality are identical to those of previous volumes of the series. "Organic Syntheses" are too well known and widely accepted to require any elaborate justification or description in this review. Their popularity is further attested by the fact that 25 of the individual volumes are already out of print. A significant development, however, is the inclusion of a "Warning" that p-tolylsulfanylnitrosamide has heen reported in a t least one instance to have detonated spontaneously after storage for severel months. For long periods of storage, it is recommended that the material be recrystallized and then stored in a dark bottle. Holders of Volume 34, page 99, note 9 (1954), should make corresponding notations. RALPH E. DUNBAR Nonm D n a o STATE ~ ~ COLLEGE F ~ a o oN. o m n D A K O T A
A SHORT COURSE IN QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS H o b a r t H. Willard, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, N. Howell Furman, Professor of Chemidry, Princeton University, and Egbert K. Bacon, Professor of Chemishy, Union College. Second edition. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, New lersey, 1957. vi 243 pp. 4 0 figs. I0 tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $4.25.
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INTHE preface to this revised edition of a basic text for a one semester course in quantitative analysis, the authors state that this edition is different from the first edition in the following: (1) The order of presentation stresses, in general, the experimental procedrtres. Principles and theories follow experimental work. ( 2 ) The experiments have boen selected on the basis of surveys which show them to be the most typical and most commonly used determinations in introductory courses in quantitative analysis in this country. (3) The number of problems has been increased. Answer8 are given for about one-third. (4) The analysis of brass has been added and experiments which use the pH meter and the calorimeter have been included. Experimental work includes: volumetric snaly~es,3 acid-ham, 5 oxidationreduction, 3 precipitation (all chloride determinations); pravimetric analyses, 5 determinations including limestone (5 oonstituents) and brass (4 constituents); instrumental aoalyson, 2 determinations (pH titration and colorimetrio manganese). For each determination, a short d i s enssion of the principles of the determination precede8 the instructions on procedure. The "proccdore" section contains a considerable amount of explnnation for the steps taken ss well as the o p erational instructions. This takes the place of the more common method of following the procedure with s. set of explanatory notes which are referred to in the operational instructions. In effect, this makes the student read the otherwise annotated explanstions, which may be an advantage. I t does, however, make the steps of the proeem less dearly delineated. Volumetric analyses are given first, followed by gravimetrie and instrumental methods. The experimental procedures are conventional and are clearly written with adequate explanation^ of the chemical principles involved. The parts of the hook covering theory present the traditional material in present day quantitative analysis. Since the book is intended for a one semester course, the treatment of this material is quite elementary. The discussion of electrode potenti& and cell potentials is qualitative. Calculations of points on a titration curve
