1
BOOK R E V I E W S presented in some detail. Boundary layer methods, rondensation, hoiling, sncl other topirs arr ~ l s ,rovered. > A rhaptrr rm mass t r a n s f ~ ris mainly concerned v i t h the v a r i o u ~analogies x i t h heat transfer. The final part of t,he book is eonecrncrl with radiant h ~ a ttransfer. The basic roncepts nf hlack hod? and gray hndy radiation, gmrnetriral factors, and mdiatian in gases are discussed. Suflirimt informatirm is given t o solve a. fmv prwtiral prnhl~ms, hut many of the mme ccmmmon applirst,ions are not covered. I n munmary, thp h w k is an excellent teat on heat trmsfpr as well as being of historiral interrst. ~ N S E T H B.
(nivernill,
RISCHDFF of Terns Andin
Radiation Chemistry of G a s e s
Snmrel C . I,ind, Oak Ridge Nationnl Lnhorwtnry, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ACS Monograph So. 151. Reinhold Publishing Curp., Yew York, 1SFI. x 313 pp. Figs. and tables. I n X 23.hem. $12.60.
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1
Two previrms volurnes on the "Chernirel Eflects of Alpha Particles and E l ~ c t r m s " are in reality the first and second editions of this new text. A measure of th? prlldnct,ivit,y and durability of Professor 1,ind is t,hnt the first edition precedes this hook hy 3!J y a r s . The name of the m t h ~ has r been identified with radiaticm chemistry fur over 60 years. Thus, his writing is n histrwiezl memoir, a prrson:d recollection of s field in which he has bnth a hroad and intimate interest. Fortnnate1.v for those who refer t o thi8 hmk, its suhjeet matter is somewhat k s s constrained than suggested hy the t,itk: effects r l f state of aggregation are rrpeatedly remarked. The- a p l x o x h and fl:~vorof t,his hook :ire rcminiseent uf the p u l p editims; the earlier work and c a r l i ~ rint,erpretat,ions nrs all included but the impact uf mcrr recent, work is evident in the presentatim. I t is R mine uf infurmation on the suhjrcts it c w r r s and is vnlnnbl~t o anyone whu view of a limited area in wants x the mdiation chpmistry of gases heforr s ~ a r c hof thp p ~ r t i n e n t literat,ure. T ~ P wealth of sspecul~tivpcontent, p r ~ s e n k d in the nrdrr in which thc ideas werp dpvrloped, will have x chastening eflrct Irn many who think that personnlly fresh ideas are necessarily n m . The appendix tr, the hook contains 13 bahles of w r y useful dittn. The author index is refrrshing: not only are th? authors and the page references givm but the subject m ~ t t itself ~ r is very usefully covered. An index of such kind is a real time saver. The typography is in the familiar good style of the pnhlish~rs and the typrlgraphical errors are not too many. A hond dissociation energy of 140.05 kcsl for HD is fort,unat,rly hrrrcketed h y cor-
I
(Contimrd on page 4988)
lines, and iwquinolines, virtually all alkaloids, a considerable number of vitamins and antibiotics, and many synthetic medicinal agents and dyestuffs r e d values for H2 and DZ The device are heterocyclic in nature. So also are of running chemical equations into the numerous other classes of compounds, text. and the detailed verbal explanation such as the parphyrins and nucleic acids, of mathematical equations (instead of which are intimately connected with many rrliance on mathematical rigor) cause life processes. some reading difficulty. However, all in In view of this great importance, i t is all, this highly personalized catalogue and unfortunate that het,erocyclic chemistry intcrpretzt,ion of gas reactions induced is so ofton slighted in the chemistry curhy high-energy radiation is s useful posriculum, especially a t the advanced undersession ior any worker in the field. graduate or even a t the graduate level. MILTONBURTON However, the nerd for broader knowledge and training in this area has become more liniversity of Notre Dame widely recognired, and today there are Notw Dame. Indiana available a number of new and useful textbooks on the subject. Of these, "The Chemistry of Heterocyclic ComThe Chemistry of Halerocyclic Com~ o u n d s "by Professor Badger of the Unipounds versity of Adelaide, South Australia, is undoubtedly one of the most readable G. M . Badger, Univeraity of Adelaide, andinteresting. Bdelaide, South Australia. Academic Aft,er a brief introduction to the struc498 Press, h e . , New York, 1961. ix tural types and nomenclature of heteropp. Figs. and tablos. 16 X 23.5 cm. cyclic compounds, the author gives a $12. descriptive account of the chemistry and properties of the principal 5- and 6-memOver the years heterocyclic substmces hered heterocyclic systems and their have grown increasingly important, so that polynuclear aromatic ring analogues, today they are estimated to represent a t with special emphasis on substances of Immt one third of the organic compounds biological or indust,rial importance. For known tu man. In addition to the simpler each system discussion is devoted first and mare familiar heterocyclic systems, to structural considerations in the light such as the pyrroles, furans, thiophenes, of physical and chemical evidence, pyridines, diszinos, pyrans, indoles, quino-
BOOK REVIEWS
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A988 / Journol of Chemical Education
next to the principal general methods of synthesis, and finally to a summary of characteristic reactions. The chemistry of important individual representatives of each class of compounds is then presented. Here, in these sections, is told the background and some of the excit.ing episodes in the discovery, isolation, structure dcterminatian, and synthesis of such familiar substances as indigo, biotin, pyfidoxine, pencillin, nicotine, nicotinic a c ~ d ,riboflavin, uric acid, the parphyrins, the pyridine nucleotides, and important alkaloids of the indole, opium, and tropnne classes. Interesting comments on the occurrence of these natural products, as well as discussions of their pharmacological properties and possible biogenesis, are also included. Certainly from many points of view, these sections are among the best in this book. Considering the breadth of material covered, the selection of topics is excrllent. In addition, the surprisingly large number of references to work published since 1950 greatly enhances the contemporary value of the book. The inclusion of an author, ns well as a subiect index. nlus the mner-
this book as a text.
w.BUROSTLHLER The University of Kansas
.~LBERT
Lrrt~renee
