KEW BOOKS Recent Advances i n Physical Chemistry. By S. GLASSTONE.21 x 13 cm.; viii 4477 pp. London: J. 8: A. Churchill, Ltd., 1936. Price: 15 s. Recent Advances in General Chemistry. By S. GLASSTONE.21 x 13 em.; ix 4-430 pp. London: J . 8: A. Churchill, Ltd., 1936. Price: 15 s. Both of these hooks are to be commended as providing, for the advanced student and for the teacher or worker in other fields of enquiry, comprehensive and Hellwritten introductions t o recent progress in the domains of physicochemical science. They may with advantage be read together. The new edition of Recent Advances in Physical Chemistry has been well revised, earlier chapters on solubility and acid-base and salt catalysis omitted, and new sections upon the applications of quantum mechanics and the representation of electronic configurations in molecules inserted. Improvements in the treatment of homogeneous gas reactions and of photochemical reactions are welcome, hut are capable of extension. In the second work, Dr. Glasstone has wisely not attempted a critical survey of the latest work upon topics ranging from atomic disintegration, through ortho- and para-hydrogen, deuterium, electron diffraction, solubility, reactions in solution, acid-base and salt catalysis, to a brief excursus upon organic free radicals, confining himself t o a lucid presentation of the orthodoxies. The chapter upon statistical methods is particularly t o be welcomed, the derivations being based mainly upon Giauque’s simpler treatment, and including an excellent exposition of the partition function. E. J. B. WILLEY. Reports o n Progress in Physics. Vol. 3. 25 x 18 em.; 394 pp. London: The Physical Society, 1937. Price: 20/-. The third volume of these excellent reports deals with the folloaing subjects: general physics, fluid motion, the upper atmosphere, atoniic physics. the conhervation of energy and momentum in elementary processes, sound, the measurement of noise, heat, magnetism, experimental electricity and magnetism (including dielectrics, alloys for permanent magnets, soft magnetic materials and magnetic measurements, and piezo-electricity), electrical methods of counting, superconductivity and the theory of metals, photoelectricity, optics (with eight sections, including theory, instruments, vision, glare and new light sources), x-rays (with nine sections, including production, absorption and scattering, ionization, crystal structures, and radium), and spectroscopy (including atomic spectra, applications t o photochemistry and rotation-vibration spectra of lighter hydrocarbons). In each section enough is said of the general background of the subject t o make the account intelligible even for those who approach it for the first time, and the bibliographies are very full. I t will be seen that many of the subjects dealt with are of particular interest to physical chemists, and the volume may be unreservedly recommended as an excellent and well-balanced survey of certain selected branches of physics of present-day interest. The very commendable feature noticed in previous volumes of avoiding a narroxness of outlook by too much concentration on certain branches of the subject is fully maintained. The paper and printing are excellent, and the volume is strongly bound. J. R. PARTISGTON. 653
