RECENT BOOKS INDUST~UAL C R E M I S ~ YW. . T.Rend. Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. New York City. 1938. x 605 pp. 14.5 X 23 cm. $5.00.
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This second edition is certainly a worth-while revision and we want t o compliment the author on the care and thoroughness shown. Chapter XXV,pertaining to synthetic drugs, dyes, and resins, has the largest amount of new material added, namely, eleven pages. This is understandable, due to the rapid progress in the last few years in this particular field. The second edition embraces twenty-nine more pages than the first but the new is represented by more than this increase, in that there has been a decrease of fifteen illustrations and the omission of certain obsolete material. This book is one of the best arranged and most readable of the general surveys of industrial chemistry. In the preface of the first edition the author stated that this book was prepared for a varied group of readers, i. 8.. "students preparing for a career in chemical industry.. .students who do not expect to enter a chemical field . . teachers in chemistry in high school and college business men. . . . . This book is written with a view to meeting the needs of all these classes of readers. I t is intended as a textbook and as collateral reading for students, and as a reference book for business men." Becauseof this wide basis of readers the author has rightly added a considerable number of introductory and very excellent chapters on, for instance, "Relation of Chemistry to Industry"; "Chemical Organizations"; "Chemical Economics" and "Unit Operations and Equipment." I n our modern teaching of chemical engineering we devote two or three courses to the study of unit operations, havinga textbook tocover this one section alone. This is also true of econamics. Space has been taken for these subjects from the major part of the b w k pertaining to the study of the process industries. Because of thus addressing this book to such a wide audience, some of its value has beeti lessened for students who are specializing in chemical engineering or in applied chemistry, and who devote whole courses t o certain subjects covered by only a chapter in this book. Consequently, while we cannot recommend this hook for students in chemical engineering, or those who are going to specialize deeply in applied chemistry, we do think it is the best arranged and the most interesting book, with the most satisfactory illustrations, written for those wide groups in our arts colleges and in our industries who wish to have an up-to-date general presentation of industrial chemistry. R. N o n n ~ sSEREVE
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P U R D "UNIVB~SITY ~ LIP*YBTTB,INDIAN*
GENERALCHEDUS~Y.Eugene P. Schoch and WiUium A. Pelsing. Professors of Chemistry, The University of Texas. McGraw-Hill Book Company. Inc., New York City, 1938. 524 pp. 73 figs. 31 tahles. 14 X 21 cm. 83.25. This text which has been used for mauy years a t the University of Texas has now heenmade one of the famous "International Series." The laboratory experiments are interspersed throughout the hook. Theoretical physical chemistry is emphasized much more thanin theusual elementary text of this length. Descriptive material is a t a minimum. No pictures of famous chemists are included and likewise chemical history has been slighted. Under oxygen and hydrogen hrief historical sketches are placed a t the end of the discussion of these elements instead of a t the beginning which is the usual position. Only one chapter of twenty-two pages is devoted t o "Common Metallic Elements" and in this Fe,Cu, Hg, Zn, and P b are the ones honored. The book is truly different. I n place of the usual chapter headed "Oxygen" we find "Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions Illustrated by Reactions Involving Oxygen." Chapter ZV is. entitled "Simple Reactions of Metals and Acids; The Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen; Some Properties of
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Solutions." I n this the student is introduced to Raoult's Law with delta T and its ramifications. The halogens are grouped in a very short chapter with nitrogen and phosphorus. Chapter XIV headed, "The Actions and Uses of General Reagents for Solutions of Salts" includes NsOH as a reagent, preparation of NaC1, purification of natural waters, ammonia as areagent, meaning of the term pH; H*S as a reagent. The next chapter is devoted entirely t o a system of qualitative analysis and most of the remainder of the book, about one hundred fifty pages, covers electrolysis, E.M.P.batteries, and organic chemistry. While i t is admitted that the time-honored sequence of material may be questioned, i t is difficult to see the logic of the order and grouping used by the authors in mauy cases. For example, a chapter on molecular weights falls between colloids and the formation of salts. The experimental part consists in the main of wellchosen illustrations of the text material. For a complete laboratory course more experiments may he desired. Under the chapter on the gas laws only one experiment is given, and this is a demonstration on diffusion. I n the chapter on battery action five lecture experiments are described, but there is none far the individual to perform. I n a text of five hundred pages the author has been compelled to leave out same of the subject matter that is in the usual eighthundred page book. I t is, in general, the purely inorganic material that has been omitted. The rare elements are not mentioned, and very little space is devoted to the more common ones. The physicalchemistry part of the general course is given a very thorough treatment. CMLES E. W r n E UNWBRB~TY OF MARYLAND COLLBOB Pmli, M ~ R Y L A N D
SCIENCE IN GENERAL EDUCATION.Commission on Secondary School Curriculum, Progressive Education Association. D. Appleton-Century Co.. Inc., New York City, 1938. xiii 591 pp. 14 X 22 em. $3.00. This book is a report of the Committee on the Function of Science in General Education. It is intended t o give suggestions t o science teachers for the rethinking of science education with the immediate purpose of improving science teaching and with the ultimate purpose of reorganizing the entire science program along the lines of the philosophy of the Progressive Education Association. "Part I makes explicit a basic point of view on the purpose of general education in a democracy and the functionif science teaching in relation it: ~h~ poiut of departure is essentially that the individual in his internal activities and in his interaction with his environment develops needs which take the form of "tensions" within the organism. The Committee proposes that " the purpose of general education is t o meet the needs of individuals in the basic aspects of living in such a way as t o promote the fullest possible realization of personal potentialities and the mast effective participation in s demacrstic society. "Part I1 details a corresbonding analysis of the r81e of science teaching in providing experiences--in personal living, in immediate personal-social relationships, in social-civic relationships. and in economic relationships-that are conducive to personal growth and effective social participation in a democracy." The Committee hastens t o assure the reader that it holds no brief for this classification. Then it proceeds to discuss the various needs in each of these areas, (e. g., "need for personal health," "need for a satisfying [sic] world picture and a workable philosophy of life," "need for wise selection and use of goods and services"), and to suggest procedures by which the science program may contribute t o meet these needs. The discussion of the needs is very extensive and involved, but i t is apparently not meant
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t o be exhaustive. The suggestions are by way of illustration rather than positive recommendations. "Part 111 treats of the individual student-understanding him and dealing with him as a unique personality, and evaluating his progress toward an ever-increasing personal adequacy and social effectiveness." The first chapter of this part is essentially a brief treatment of the psychology of the adolescent, and bas no direct bearing upon science teaching in particular. The second chapter discusses various attempts of evaluation, and contains many examples of tests designed to evaluate the "intangibles" of education, such as "rellective thinking." and "ability to discover and define problems." This type of tests has many possibilities, although the examples given in the book can be considered only as experimental pioneer work. The critical teacher will want evidence for their validity and their reliability. "Part IV outlines some suggestions of how the teacher may make use of the report of the Committee in meeting students' needs, in understanding the student, in reorganizing courses, and in building source units." The suggestions are, on the whale, sane and should prove of value to teachers. "The Appendices describe some concrete examples of science teaching, each of which is illustrative of one or more aspects of the various proposals and suggestions of the previous text." I t consists of an outline of a course in functional chemistry, a fused physical-sciencecourse, a unit on public health, and a source unit in genetics. The appeal of the book depends a good deal upon whether the teacher accepts both the philosophy and the methodology of the Progressive Education Association. I n the experience of the reviewer, most teachers, while they are willing to accept the basic point of view, are not convinced that the methodology is the correct one, or a t least that it has been developed sufficiently to warrant discarding the present logical organization of the courses in its favor. This book does little to dispel such skepticism. It has not been demonstrated that the newer technics achieve the desired results, and even a casual examination reveals lack of consistency of methods and immediate purposes, I n nearly every case the word "science" should be modified as "applied science;' or be replaced by the word "technology." Nor can the lack of unifying logic be defended entirely on the basis of difference of needs in different groups, in a country in which a dominant characteristic is intermigration, both geographical and among the various social, cultural. and economic groups. Nevertheless, the eclectic teacher will find many valuable suggestions, which will aid him t o become socially conscious and critical of his subject matter and his methods of instruction. The comprehensive bibliographies a t the end of each chapter should also prove of value. It is hoped that in succeeding editions the newer technics will be critically evaluated,and a consistent methodology be developed and clearly presented. THEODOREA. ASHFOBD TBBUNIVERSITY 0s C a r c ~ o o CHICAM, ILLINOIS
LABORATORY MANUALOF ORGANICCHEMISTRY. Hwry L. Fisher, Research Chemist, U. S. Industrial Alcohol Company. Stamford, Connecticut. Fourth edition. John Wiley and Sons, Iuc., New York City. 1938. xvii 412 pp. 14 X 22 em. $2.75. The substantial popularity of this laboratory manual, which bas carried it through four editions, is a testimonial of its excellence. I n the present revision the author has incorporated new reactions in order that the student may benefit by recent developments. References to current literature bave been inserted and minor changes incorporated in certain of the procedures. I n Part I, seventy-seven preparations and reactions are described which o5er the teacher af laboratory work in organic chemistry an excellent list from which t o choose. These experiments are well distributed; sir experiments are concerned with general procedures, thirty-eight with syntheses and reactions essentially aliphatic in character and thirty-three with aromatic and heterocyclic compounds. The manual is adaptable t o a full year's caurse or t o a one-semester short course by selecting suitable experiments suggested in the preface.
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Alternative procedures for preparing certain compounds are given and fourteen new procedures added. These are:nbutyl nitrite, diazoaminohenzene, aminoazobenzene, dimethylglyoxime, 1.5-diphenylthiocarbazone ("dithizone"), tetramethyldiaminodiphenylmetbane, 9-(a,a.y.y-tetramethylbuty1)-phenol, a-henzylbenzoic acid and its conversion to anthraquinone, furoic acid and furfuryl alcohol, copper phthalacyanine (Monastral Blue), dichlorodifluoromethane, Tyrian purple, and the DielsAlder reaction-illustrated by the addition of maleic anhydride t o anthracene. The combination of these new experiments with those in previous editions gives a well rounded up-to-date manual. The directions are clearly written and provide specific instructions for the laboratory work. Part I1 of the manual describes macro procedures for the determination of carbon and hydrogen by the combustion method. nitrogen by the Damus methods, and halogens, sulfur, and phosphorus by the Carius and sodium peroxide methods. This portion of the book is essentially unchanged but the author has inserted references to recent literature. I t is t o he hoped that in a future edition the author will supplement these macro analytical procedures by the less expensive, timesaving semimicro methods. The b w k is carefully edited and well printed. I t can be recammended to both students and teachers. R. L. SHRINER Urn"B.SITY OF ILLW0.S URBANA. ILLINOIS Volume 7. Edited by ERGEBNISSEDER ENZYMFORSCRUNG, F. F. Nord and R. W&&nhagm. Akademische Vedagsgesellschaft, M. B. H.. Leipzig, 1938. xiv 437 pp. 24 X 16 cm. RM 34. This is an annual publication devoted t o the presentation of critical reviews in the field of enzyme research. The following table of contents is typical of any of the seven volumes of the "Ergehnke" so far published and is indicative of the immense scope that this journal covers: "The theory of absolute reaction rates applied to enzyme catalysis." by Allen E. Stem (in English); "Lyo- and desrno enzymes," hy E. Bamann and W. Salzer (in German); "Sulfatases," by CI. Fromageot (in French); "Emulsion," by B. Helferich (in German); "Nucleases." by H. Bredereck (in German; "Crystalline carhaxypeptidase," by M. L. Anson (in English); "Enzymes in the tanning industry," by F. Schneider (in German); "Dehydrogenase research of recent years." by T. Thunberg (in German); "Chemical structure of enzymes,'' by 0. Warburg (in German) ; "Biochemistry of acetic acid bacteria," by K. Bernhauer (in German); "Immunchemistry and its relation to enzymes," by J. Marrack (in English); "Theinteractionof ascorbic acid (vitamin C) with enzymes," by H. Tauher (in English); "Certain aspects of the biochemistry of the lower fungi ("moulds")." by H. Raistrick (in English); "Enzymatic adaptation by micro6rgauisms," by K. Karstr6m (in German); "Katalysis and determinismus," by A. Mittasch (in German). Since the appearance of Volume 1 in 1932,the ERGEBNISSE DER EN~YMPORSCHKJNG has become an indispensable "Nachschlagewerk" to those interested in enzymology. The editors, Dr. Nord and Dr. Weidenhsgen, are to be congratulated for collecting these important papers. HENRY TAUBER
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ORGANIC AND B I O C H E M I S I RR. Y .I 1 . A Himme*. Sixth edition. 1.ongmans. Grccn and C o , S e w York City, 1938. x 623 PP. 15 X 25 rm. $7.51~.
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THE Mncrc WANDOF SCIENCE. Eugew W. Nelson. E. P. Dutton and Co., Inc., New York City, 1938. 213 pp. 12.5 X 19 cm. $2.00.
THESTANDARDIZATION OF VOLUMETRIC SOLUTIONS.R. B. Bradstrcet. Chemical Publishing Co. of New York, Inc., New York City. 1938. 126 pp. 13.5 X 20.5 cm. $3.00.
