in Appendix C, however, is much more overt. There is no question but that the author is an expert in certain of the areas about devoted to a chemical element. The which be writes. Unfortunately, he order is according to the atomic number; attempted to cover too many varied topics the volume begins with hydrogen (At. in the space of 432 pages. One quickly No. 1) and closes with lawrencium (At. gets the impression on reading "Chemical , No. 103). Future editions doubtless will Rockets" that the author wrote hurriedly include still higher members that as yet on whatever topic happened to enter his have not been produced artificially or mind. As the result, the book is poorly found on earth or in the heavens. The organized, careleisly written, superficial text discusses primarily the elements in parts, somewhat repetitive in some t,hemselves and in most, cases also a few important compounds. I n each instance places and technically inaccurate in t,he information brought to the reader inothers. For example: specific impulse is cludes: discovery, derivation and reason first mentioned on page 2 hut it is not defor the name, frequency of occurrence, fined nor is the symbol given. Starting principal physical and chemicsl properties, on page 9, the symbol I., appears and scient,ific and technical applications, etc. continues to appear without identification The line diagrams clearly elucidate the until page 234, Table 17. Here, the novice processes employed i n the isolation of the may suspect an identity between I.. and element from its accompanying materials specific impulse. The symbol Iau is or compounds. undefined; the "L* phenomenon" is first This information is presented in a very mentioned on page 5, used several times readable way and the recital is interspersed thereafter but not defined until page 144. with apt anecdotes which catch and hold In the chapter on thermochemistry the reader's attention. The reviewer (p. 260), the author incorrectly defines found it hard to put the book down. 4 q,, in the equation ds = dp,/T, as the "reversible energy change at constant good sieed periodic chart and a table of temperature," instead of heat change. the shell structures of each atomic species P(?) is defined as the temperature ( O ? ) are supplied as loose sheets that are housed in a rear pocket. Though the of the system. In severs1 other places q type size is small it is perfectly legible and is defined as the "energy" rather than the heat absorbed. The Clausius-Clathe whole volume has an attractive appyron equation is referred to hut not pemance. Like many hooks produced behind the given. In equation 4-8, the author gives the relation between the free energy change Iron Curtain, this too is marred(?) by the and the equilibrium constant as d F = inclusion of references in which the RTd In K and thereby commits three Americans are somewhat sneeringly shown JAMES E. LONG errors in a single equation! These errors to have employed chemical phenomena Manager, Toxicology indicate that the normal care one expects in chemical warfare with no mention of SM Company in scientific writing was not exercised. perhaps such indefensible practices by St. Paul, Minnesola The author does not mention for whom other nations, who either had or wished the book is intended. I t is too cursory to they had similar weapons at their dishe of much value to one who seeks to gain posal. Also no opportunity is overlooked a working knowledge of the internal halto point out the achievements of Soviet listics of rocket engines or of propellant or Russian scientists. However, tbis is a chemistry. The rather extensive hihliogminor fault in comparison with the general raphy might come in handy to the expert. excellence of the hook. Chemical Rockefr: and Flame The hook's greatest appeal, however, Every chemistry instructor who reads and Explosives Technology German should acquire this hook. He would seem to he to the busy executive who wants to acquire a veneer of jargon will find in it many items that will spice Rieha~dT. Hololnn, American Instiso as to talk a good game of rocketry. his discussions and broaden his outlook. tute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, At the price of $25.75, better technical The reviewer is enthusiastic about tbis Wsshington, D. C. Marcel Dekker, books on the subject are nvail&hle. very informative work and recommends it New York, 1969. ix 499 pp. Figs. highly. Finally, you cannot heat the and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $25.75. CHAS.E. WARINQ price, which in comparison with current University of Caneclicut Despite the Madison Avenue pitch by demands is astonishingly low. Stows, C a n . 08288 the ~uhlisheron the dust cover and the RALPHE. OEBPER author in his preface, this book is priUniversity of Cincinnali marily an u p t o d a t e review of rocket and Cincinnati, Ohio 46221 missile technology and not a scientific or technical treatise. It consists of seven chapters and three appendices. Pradlcal Technical Wrlllng The chapters an the developments in liquid and solid propellant technology Ritchie R. Ward. Alfred A. Knopf, Indusfrlal Toxicology are u p t o d a t e and fairly comprehensive. New York, 1968. xii f 264 pp. Figs. The chapter on The Importance of and tables. 14.5 X 21.5 om. $5.50. Lawrenee T. Fairhall, United States Thermochemistry-touted as one of the Public Health Service. 2nd ed. (FacRitchie Ward and his able contributors book's strong points-is perhaps the simile of the 1957 edition.) Hafner have put together a high-grade book on worst. The "critical review of synthetic Publishing Co., New York, 1969. xii technical writing. It recognizes two-way chemistry2'-elaimed by the puhlisher376 pp. 18.5 X 26 cm. $12. character in the aging bromide that sloppy is non-existent. In fact, the words writing comes from sloppy thinking, and "synthesis" and "synthetic" do not even The 1969 reprinting of the Second Editraces the return route to sounder thinking appear in the subject index. Appendix B tion published in 1957 reflects the wide through clearer writing. With due attenpromises a comparison between flame circulation and the extensive usage of this tion to Gunning's Fag Index, contributors technology and propellent technology. standard toxicological reference manual. D. 0. Webb and Dalbir Bindra analyze the No ~ o m ~ a r i s oisndrawn--or. if it is. it is It offers to the user pertinent and sucmerits and limitations of this and other obscurerl in subtlety. The vompnriwn hecinctly presented information on 79 inreadability formulas. tween rxplo&vs and propllartt technnlow organic substances and 180 organic suhstances commonly encountered in industrial situations. As to the body of material contained in this book-for those unfamiliar with the contents of previous editions and printings-there will he found physical properties, use oriented hazards associated with these properties, industrial use and significance, toxicity data and/or information, mechanism of action (when known), and air sampling and analytical procedures for these 259 substances of industrial importance. In addition to the toxicity data, whiehis presentedvery concisely, the user will find information on symptomatology and hemstological, biochemical, and physiologioal procedures for determining or ascertaining human exposure to a h articular substance. Also, an attempt has been made to present cases of known human exposures to certain substances which is of considerable value in establishing industrial hygiene control programs for industrial processes using these various substances. This standard manual is an excellent source of reference material for students who are interested in any of the health sciences, particularly in those many diversified professions which are concerned with protecting the health of the industrial worker and the consumer. On a "reading time" basis, this reference hook offers a maximal amount of reliable, information with a minimal time expenditure, and, in this respect, offers an advantage over some of the other books availrthle on this subject.
book reviews
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A532
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Journal o f Chemical Education
book reviews Readers are approached as human beings, with mueh to learn and the will to work at it. No crash courses are offered, nor any pretense that the path has no brambles. Progress toward expertise r e quires effort and diligence; this book rewards them with theory and practical aids in a helpful sequence. The chapteronsentence structure, The Case for the Lively Corpse, exemplifies the human-interest style which keeps the Fog Index low and readability high. The chapter on word choice contrasts Mark Twain's lightning (the right word) with his li~htninghug (the almost-right word). I t includes Bergen Evans' contribution, But What's s. Dictionary For?, a valiant defense of Webster's mueh maligned Third New International Dictionary. Appendix A abstracts the book itself to illustrate technical abstracting. Appendix B reprints s. book chapter, What is Lanwsge? by Archibald A. Hill. Appendix C i s a technical report, reproduced in full with permission of Shell Development Company. These are prime examples of technical writing, but the text is liberally supplied throughout with specimens to illustrate principles and practice. I n the quibbling department, p r e m k (pp. 78-19) is not the preferred spelling of premise. A Teutonic writer would not have allowed unqe16slich (p. 164) to usurp the place of unliislich. Technical literature commonly prefers OC or OK over OF (p. 114). The sweeping generalization (p. 173) that extremes in sentence length have no place in technical writing is in error. Patent claims give them a prominent place, widely in English and in other European languages. By convention, not by law, claims are written in one sentence, not always grammaticdly complete; some have only one word, some over 300. Well arranged, and sided hy problems and exercises, Ward's work is readily adaptable either to individual self-study or to class-room instruction. Printing and binding meet Random House standards. As Ward emphasizes, languages chanee f a ~ t e rnow than in slower-moving
should be slow.
JULIAN F. SMITH Lenoir Rhwe College Hickory, North Carolina
EDITORS NOTE: "Thennometric Titrimetry" by H. J. V. Tyrrell and A. E. Beezer, which was reviewed in the November 1969 issue of the J. CEEM. Eouc., is being distributed by Barnes aud Noble, Inc., 105 Fifth Avenue,
Volume 47, Number 8 , August 1970
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A533
