dents who consider themselves "no good a1 math" but who are taking a science course. 11 the students have essentially no ability witt mathematics, then this text may be of assistance. As pointed out in the review of the first edition (Hubbard, C. D., J. CHEM. EDUC. %A522 (1975)) muchof the book coversver) elementary material in a most tedious fashion. T h e first four chapters (3fi% of the book) cover material a t such an introductory level that it would be a waste of time for most eollege students. One definitely gets the impression that the tent is aimed at the high school level.
Graphs, and Logarithms contain murematerial that might be useful for students whc are having difficulty with mathematics. Many worked out problems and problem sets with answers a t the end of the text are valuable. T h e final chapter "Special Topics" deals very briefly with significant figures, calculators (somewhat condescendingly since earlier the author stated "However, aslide rule hassome advantages for calculathms. I t is easily portable, requires no batteries or electric outlet, a i d can be used very rapidly after a little practice."), trigonometry (2 pp.), and the notation of calculus. I question why the last two sections were even included. Several of the shortcomings noted in the first edition appear in this edition as well,
dard notation of placing the dependent variable on the left side of an equation with the dependent variable on the right is not noted in chapter 6. T h e discussions of the mole concept and stoichiometry problems in chapter 7 are somewhat weak. Figure 8.6 in chapter 8 could he very misleading to a navice since the scales on the plot are not indicated, and i t is clearly possible to have a plot where the line is a t 45" from the horizontal and have y f- x, but rather y = C x. The discussion of graphs is elementary with much omitted. T h e major limitation of this book appears to he the level to which it is aimed. A far more useful textbook would have resulted by seriously ahridging (or eliminating entirely) the first few chapters that deal with grammar school arithmetic and expanding the remaining chapters that begin t o deal more directly with chemistry.
HERBERT R. ELLISON Wheaton College Norion, MA 02766
'PhLsical a n d Mechanistic Organic Chemistry Richard A. Y. Jones, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1980. v 357 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23 cm. $17.50 (soft cover) $57.50 (hard cover).
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This textbook, which is intended for use by advanced undergraduate and first year graduate students, is one ol'a growing number of up-to-date texts devoted to physical and
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Journal of Chemical Education
mechanistic organic chemistry. Althoug relatively short in length when compared t other books on the subject, most importar topics are covered, nonetheless, and mor with clarity and thoroughness. The autho as noted in the intnlduction, has not intende to discuss every relevant suhject; his objec has been to enumerate the basic principles b which organic reactions mechanisms ar studied. I believe the author has succeeded i this objective. The book is subdivided into twoparts, wit part 1of six chapters dealing with the tech niques of physical organic chemistry and par 2 with mechanisms of the major reaetiol types. There is extensive reference to t h literature, with coverage through early 1979 There are also suggested readings from book and review articles at the end of each chapte on topics relevant to the chapter's suhjec matter. At the end of the tent one can alsc find a list of other books on physical organi, chemistry and, in each ease, the author' perception of the emphasis of that hook. 08 the negative side, this textbook offers nc practice problems. On the positive side, onl! a small number of typographical errors car he found in the text. Specifically, the book begins with aver! enjoyable chapter on how chemists appmaet mechanistic problems. The author has ver! cleverly used the von Richter reaction t o i l lustrate this approach. This discussion pre. sents a beautiful example of how chemists ir different times have studied reaction mech. anisms and how better tools have made thit study easier. Chapter 2, which deals with kinetics, demonstrated to me one of the eharmt of the book. T h e mathematical derivations although terse, are almost always presented in a fresh manner. The author also has a knack for comparing mathematical expres~ rions in a most insightful way. The remaining chapters of part 1 deal with acids and bases, the importance of the reaction medium, and molecular orbital methods including Dewar's PMO technique. In part 2 one can find discussions of ali,hatic nucleophilic substitution, elimina.ions, additions to carbon-carbon double mnds and earbonyls, aromatic eleetrophilie md nucleophilic substitution, hydrolysis of :stem, molecular rearrangements, and, in the ongest chapter in the bonk, pericyclic reac.ions. Among the many interesting topics iescribed in these chapters, of particular inerest to this reviewer were the diseussionsof on pairs in nucleophilic substitution reacions, the way in which changing reaction mditions and concentrations can alter the ate determining step of the reaction, and romatic electmphilic nitration and all of its ntricacies. This reviewer f w n d the presenation on pericyclic reactions, however, t
