complete manner. An additional criticism is the lack of claritvin the author's writhe-stvle. . The sentences are long and ccmvoluted, and the Innwage isoften stilted. Although "The 'Chiron' Approach" may force organic chemists to review their carbohydrate chemistry, it is an important piece of reading for those interested in natural product synthesis. I t sets forth the principles that the author and others have used ta synthesize chiral natural products by exploiting the stereochemistry present in other, more common, natural products. Leroy G. Wade, Jr. Colwado State University Fon Collins, CO 80523
Quantum Chemistry, Thlrd EdRion Ira N. Levine, Allyn and Bacon, Inc., Rockleigh, NJ, 1983. x 566 pp. Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 24 cm.
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This is the third edition of a successful introductory graduate text, first published in 1970. The author writes clearly, with refreshing warmth and humor. Mathematical demands are minimal. Mast topics are introduced as dimessions within the bodv of the text. As hefore. the author has manaeed ~~, ~~~, . ~to trmt quantum mechanics with very littie reference to spertnaropy: this is n faruu which may limn ilu urdulnesa in some courses. This edition is about 10%larger than the previous one, due to the inclusion of additional material throughout the hook. There are many new end-of-chapter problems as well. New sections have been written on the particle in a rectangular well, molecular vibration, time-dependent perturbation theory, the Condon-Slater rules, configuration interaction wave functions, and Hartree-Fock methods for molecules. Chapter 9 now includes a brief section on the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter, so that students will at least be introduced to electronic transitions. Particularly welcome is the extensive enlargement of Chapter 15, on the structure of molecules. This includes new information on population analysis, free-electron molecular orbitals, and pielectron systems. A new section introduces matrix algebra, but matrix notation is not found elsewhere in the book. Most physics texts now use SI units exclusively, and today's students expect to see electromagnetic equations in MKS form. Some of the equations in this edition have been rewritten to follow this usage, butmany are still shown essentially in electrostatic units. Althoueh new references are cited throuehout "~~ th; book. the hulk of the literaturr mentioned is still from the I96U's. The *ection on computers is somewhat uut of date. Modern students do not need definitions of microcomputer and program; they would benefit more from a discussion of the types of algorithms used in quantum chemical calculations and their relative efficiencies. This textbook has all of the strenahs of its orieinnl edition and is enhanced 6v the in" clu3ion of new topics. I t is not mathematically xophisticntd, it is extremely rendable, and it will continue to be an excellent introductory work for many years to come. Edward Finkel Fernbank Science Center ~~~
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Altanta. GA 30307
Volume 6 2
Number 6
June 1965
A191
