BOOKSRECEIVED
2032
Vol. 76
Progress in Organic Chemistry. Volume 2. By J. W. and scientific laboratories; to publish descriptions of the COOK,D.Sc., F.R.S., Regius Professor of Chemistry, original calculations and correlations; and to keep the Univerity of Glasgow, Fellow of University College, Lon- tables of selected values of properties up-to-date with redon (Editor). Academic Press, Inc., 126 East 23d Street, visions at appropriate intervals.” The physical properties tabulated include: boiling point New York 10, N. Y. 1963. viii 212 pp. 16 X 26.5 and pressure coefficient of the boiling point, refractive index, cm. Price, $7.00. density, freezing point, viscosity, surface tension and critical The second volume edited by J. W. Cook, in what p;omises The more important thermodynamic properties to be a series on “Progress in Organic Chemistry,” contains constants. heat and entropy of vaporization; heat and ensix chapters on widely separated topics. Each chapter is include: of fusion; heat of combustion a t 25’ for both the written by a chemist who has made enough major contribu- tropy and gaseous states and the corresponding heat of fortions to enable his topic to be recorded here as progress. liquid mation, entropy and free energy of formation; and for the Thus, M. J. S. Dewar covers “Some Recent Developments ideal gaseous state to high temperatures the heat-content in Theoretical Organic Chemistry” and M. Stacey, “Or- function, the free-energy function, entropy and heat caganic Fluorine Compounds.” By the device of charts, pacity. The compilation also contains an explanatory inD. H. R. Barton has clarified the structural interrelation- troduction, and a number of tables of fundamental constants, ships in “The Chemistry of the Triterpenoids.” The chap- of conversion factors, and of thermodynamic properties of ter continues with a discussion of the basic organic chemistry the elements (oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carinvolved in the many triterpenoid transformations and con- bon)important and some of their compounds. It is well supplied with cludes with a lucid description of stereochemical co-ato facilitate the finding of desired data. tions. In the chapter on “The Partial Synthesis of Carti- indices The book has been printed by a photolithographic procsone and Related Compounds from Accessible Steroids,” some reduction from the original typed F. S. Spring does a creditable job of assembling and inte- ess, apparentlyInwith this connection a certain occasional indisgrating the various routes to cortisone. The fact that the manuscript. tinctness of letters and figures has developed, as for example structural formula of cortisone acetate does not appear until on pages 2 and 467. This minor point constitutes the only three pages from the end of the chapter is perhaps an unin- derogatory feature which the reviewer has noted in an othertended indication that this once-complicated compound wise most excellent piece of work. may have become as commonplace ~9 ethanol. This volume will prove extremely valuable to any physical “The Relationship of Natural Steroids to Carcinogenic chemist, organic chemist or chemical engineer who has occaAromatic Compounds” by H. H. Inhoffen provides a good sion to deal with hydrocarbons and related compounds. review of the subject. It is of incidental interest that the only references (4 out of 84) to work published since 1950 DEPARTMENT OF CEIEMISTRY are those of the author. In “Some Recent Developments in STANFORD GEORGE S. PARKS UNIVERSITY Pyridine Chemistry,” J. P. Wibaut presents a wide cover- STANFORD, CALIFORNIA age of the organic chemistry of pyridine. This chapter and the others are not aimed at comprehensiveness, but do succeed in being concise and well organized. The volume is rather expensive when one compares its coverage with that BOOKS RECEIVED of “Quarterly Reviews” or “Annual Reports of the Chemical Society.” February 10, 1954-March 10, 1954 THENOYESCHEMICAL LABORATORY LOUIS DE BROGLIE, RA-YMONDDATJDEL, JEAN LECOMTE, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS NELSON J. LEONARD JEAN WYART, ODILON CHALVET ET CLAUDE VROELANT, URBANA, ILLINOIS M m PAULINERA~~RT-LucAs,CAMILIE SANDORFY, NGUYEN-QUANG TRINH,HENRI LUMBROSO, ALEXANDSR LAFOROW,ADOLPHEPACAULT, MME NICOLELUMBROSO Selected Values of Physical and Thermodynamic Properties ET JEAN HOARAW, PAULCHANSON. “Les Applicati ns of Hydrocarbons and Related Compounds. Cbmprising de la Mecanique Ondulatoire, A L’Etude de la StrucJre the Tables of the American Petroleum Institute Research Project 44 Extant as of December 31, 1952. BYFREDBR- des Molecules.” Revue D’Optique Theorique et Insthmentale, 166, Rue de Sevres 3 et 5, Boulevard Pasteur, ICK D. ROSSINI, KENNETH S. PITZER,RAYMOND L. ARNETT,RITAM. BRAUN,AND GEORGEC. PIMENTAL. Paris 16, France. 219 pp. 1953. 1600 francs. Carnegie Press, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pitts- J. N. DAVIDSON.“The Biochemistry of the Nucleic Acids.” burgh, Pennsylvania. 1953. ix 1060 pp. 22 X 27.5 John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 440 Fourth Avenue, New cm. Price, $7.00. York 16, N. Y. 1954. 200pp. $2.25. This volume represents a compilation of the tables pre- PAULH. EMMETT.(edited b v l “Catalvsis.” Volume I. pared, and in some cases more recently revised, in a tenReinhold PublishGg Corporation, 330 West 42nd Street, year period of the work of the American Petroleum Institute New York36, N.Y. 1954. 394pp. $10.00. Research Project 44. A previous volume compiled the C. G. B. GARRETT.“Magnetic Cooling.” The Harvard available data, as of May 31, 1947, for hydrocarbons in 358 University Press, Harvard University and John Wiley pages of tables. The present work, however, is considerand Sons, Inc., 440 Fourth Avenue, New York 16, N. Y. ably more extensive and contains 747 pages of tables of data. 1964. 11opp. $4.60. The primary emphasis is still on hydrocarbons, but a start has also been made for related sulfur compounds by present- SIR IANHEILBRON AND H. M. BUNBURY, (editors-in-chief). ing 42 pages of tables of physical data for some of the latter. “Dictionary of Organic Compounds.” 4 Vols. Oxford A quotation from the preface very adequately describes University Press, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York 11, N. Y. the undertaking. “With regard to the physical and thermo1954. Vol. I 4 5 4 pp., Vol. 11-845 pp., Vol. 111-838 dynamic properties, the aims of the Project are as follows: pp. and Vol. IV-694 pp. $78.00 set. To examine all the pertinent original data in the literature, “Tables of Circular B U B B A OF ~ STANDARDS. plus all available unpublished data, and to appraise them NATIONAL and Hyperbolic Sines and Cosinesfor Radian Arguments.” critically; to correlate values of given properties with temSuperintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing perature or pressure, to obtain values for temperatures or Office, Washington 25, D. C. 1953. 407 pp. $3.00. pressures for which no data are available, and with molecular structure to obtain values for compounds for which J. TIMMF~RUNS. “Les Constantes Physiques Des Composes no data are available; to make original calculations of therOrganiques Cristallises.” Masson E t Cie, Editeurs, modynamic and physical properties as necessary; to select Libraries De L’Academie De Medecine, 120, Boulevard and tabulate ‘best’ values of the properties; t6 prepare the Saint Germain, Paris vi, France. 1953. 557 pp. 5200 selected values in a convenient form for use by industrial francs.
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