Chemical Education Today edited by
Edward J. Walsh Allegheny College Meadville, PA 16335
Perspectives on Structure and Mechanism in Organic Chemistry Felix A. Carroll. Brooks/Cole: Pacific Grove, CA, 1997. xxiv + 919 pp. Figs. and tables. 24.2 × 19.2 cm. ISBN: 0534249485. $87.95.
Professor Carroll has assembled a huge amount of material in this book, whose chapters are entitled: 1. Concepts and Models in Organic Chemistry (57 pp, 197 refs) 2. Stereochemistry (61 pp, 169 refs) 3. Conformational Analysis and Molecular Mechanics (59 pp, 207 refs) 4. Applications of Molecular Orbital Theory and Valence Bond Theory (68 pp, 172 refs) 5. Reactive Intermediates (69 pp, 262 refs) 6. Methods of Studying Organic Reactions (77 pp, 222 refs) 7. Acid-Base Catalyzed Reactions (58 pp, 232 refs) 8. Substitution Reactions (94 pp, 244 refs) 9. Addition Reactions (92 pp, 352 refs) 10. Elimination Reactions (68 pp, 204 refs) 11. Concerted Reactions (84 pp, 181 refs) 12. Photochemistry (81 pp, 243 refs)
The book has an attractive cover. It is nicely printed and generously lavished with well-drawn structures, figures, and tables of data; Chapter 3 even has a six-page reproduction of computer output detailing a molecular mechanics calculation of gauche butane. The inevitable typos are few in number. The book has complete subject and author indices. In his preface, Carroll writes that he hoped to meet two goals: to present the concepts that are central to the understanding and practice of physical organic chemistry, and to emphasize the role of complementary models in the formulation of these concepts. In my opinion, the author has succeeded better with the second aim than with the first. Or perhaps the problem is that the two targets are too much interwoven,
with the qualifications intruding before the concepts have had a chance to be digested. As a result, the novice senior or graduate student is likely to become confused, if not discouraged. The situation is compounded by a somewhat chatty style and occasional philosophical quotations of dubious relevance, beginning with two on the very first page (by Senator H. Baker and T. S. Kuhn). But the author succeeds very well in his second aim: to point out limitations inherent in both the concepts of physical organic chemistry and the methods used to flesh them out. Thus, he presents an illuminating discussion of “electronegativity” and the several scales in use to quantify it, of “strain” and the difficulty of providing a reference level, of “stability”, and of “aromaticity” and other such hard-to-define notions, the loose use of which so often leads to confusion and arguments. I was especially delighted to see “Identification of Reaction Products” listed as the first among the numerous tools available to study reaction mechanisms. All of the chapters end with an extensive series of meaty, multifaceted problems that would serve very well for classwide presentation and discussion. There is a solutions manual (which I did not see) for most of the problems and literature references for others, but in addition there are some that are “open-ended” and likely to evoke lively discussion and opinions. To summarize: Perspectives… would not be my choice as a text for any student’s first exposure to physical organic chemistry. However, students who have already mastered the subject will find a wealth of material here for a second round, for review, and for ideas for advanced seminar topics, literature group discussions, or even research propositions. All Ph.D.level practitioners of the art owe it to themselves to have a close look at this book, which is clearly the result of a labor of love. William J. le Noble Department of Chemistry State University of New York Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 75 No. 4 April 1998 • Journal of Chemical Education
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