212
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
treated in last year's volume. three of whieh are new. The new subjects are: "Bond energies and bond distances," "Polarography and electrode processes," and "Theory of ionic crystals, semiconductors, and dielectrics." The others are: "Quantum theors, theory of moleculitr Ptructure and valence," "Radioactivity and nuclear theory," "Isotopes," "Radiation chemistry," "Polymeric electrolytes," "Ian exchange," "Thennoohemistry and the thermodynamic properties of substances," "Heterogeneous equilibria and phase diagrams," "Photochemistry," "Photosynthesis," "Speotrosoopy," "Solutions of noneleotrolytes," "Solutions of rlectrolytes," "Reaction kinetics," "Experimental orystallography," and "Experimental molecular structure? The topics from last year whieh were omitted this year will be largely covered in next year's volume. I t is apparently the policy of the editors to ask different people to review a. particular subject in different years, since none of last year's contributors is represented in this volume, and none from this year's is scheduled far next. The treatment of the various topics is very uneven; same chapters (of which that on thermochemistry is an example) arelittle more than listings of references. while others (such as "Solutions of electrolytes") are critical and somewhat dehiled presentations of recent developments, with a good deal of background material. Some of the authors have tried to cover the whole field of the assigned topic, while others h a ~ quite e frankly confined themselves to those parts of the subject in which they are espeeidy interested. For example, the chapter on "Heterogeneous equilibria and phase diaerams" is limited to tldvances in mineralopical and ceramic systems. As might he expected, some of the topics we more interesting and of more value than others to the general reader. No chemist, however, can fail to profit by something in this book, and any physical chemist who is interested in research will find it, as well a3 the two preceding volumes, highly valuable. There is every reason to anticipate that succeeding volumes will continue to hring to scientific workers useful accounts of significant advances in physical chemistry. WILLIAM E. C I D B U R Y , JR. HAYER~R COLLEGE D H*v~nrono.P e m e r ~ v m r ~
0
STATISTICAL THEORY WITH ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
A. Hald, Professor of Statistics, University of Copenhagen. JohnWiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1952. xii 783 pp. Illustrated. 17 X 2 6 cm. $9.
+
THEauthor presents in this text a thorough and conscientious treatment of fundamental staLitistical theory. Although the book is basically concerned with the mathematical development of the subiect matter, it contains in addition s. palatable blending of expkitory discussions and illustrative examples from various branches of engineering. The text enoompasses a. considerable amount of material on a. wide variety of statistical topics. Some of the standard topics include fundarnentsl concepts of probability, properties of empirical and theoreticel distributions, tests of significance, analysis of variance, and regression. Distributions of particular interest such as the normd, binomisl, and Poisson distributions are treated in separate chapters. Noteworthy among the standard topics are the discussions of the power of s. statistical test and confidence limits for a parameter, which first appear in connection with The Distribution of the Mean in Chapter IX. The author has also included topics of considerable practical interest which me, nevertheless, seldom discussed in basic texts in theoretical statistics. The chapter on Tho Distribution of the Range can be cited as one example. I n this chapter he discusses the control chart for the m?ge and various test criteria commonly associated with the rejection of outlying observations. The chapter on Statistical Control is another example, in which the author gives a thorough discussion of the state of statistical control and the spheres of application of such methods as control
chart techniques, tests hased on runs, and a test based on the mean square successive difference. The fundt~mentals of sampling inspection (both by attributes and by variables) are also discussed a t various places in the text, including a brief chapter on sequential sampling. The overall purpose of the book is given in the find chapter, where the author states: I'. . .the aim of this book is first and foremost to furnish the reader with simple and practical methods-which can be understood and applied by non-statisticians-for the handling of the majority of the problems which occur in everyday work."
This viewpoint is perhaps a trifle optimistic. The engineer with no previous knowledge of statistics would be hard pressed to browse through this book in its entirety. It is a mathematical text with engineering applications-not an engineering text. However, when viewed in its proper light as a basic treatment of statistical theory, it is a well-rounded and thorough undertaking. The engineer should find i t a reference text of considemhle merit. EDGAR P. K I N G
NATIONAL BDREAUor S T A X D A R D ~ W ~ s n ~ ~ o r D. o uC. .
POLAROGRAPHY. VOLUME II
0
I. M. Kolthoff. Professor and Head of Division of Analytical Chemistry, University of Minnesota, and Jomes 1. Lingane, Professor of Chemistrrr. Harvard Univeersitv. Second edition. Interscience publish&, Inc., New York, .1952. xvii 568 (423-990) pp. Illustrated. 16 X 23.5 em. $11. ~~
~~
~
~
+
PUBLICATION of Volume I1 of "Polarography" completes the second edition of this well-known reference book. I n the prefaee to Volume I1 the author states, "The presentvolume I1 is concerned with practical applications in inorganic, organic, and biological chemistry, and with mnperometric titrations." The presentation is similar t o that given the same topics in the first edition. Inorganic substances are grouped to point up their chemical and polarographie simi1arit.i~~ and differences, and organic compounds aregrouped by classea, unsaturated hydrocarbons, oarbonyl compaunds, quinones, ete. The section on biological applications is conoerned primarily with catalytic waves due to proteins and their degradation products, with the application of polarographic analysis to the diagnosis of cancer, and with the analysis of several vitamins and vitsmin-like substances. The theory, techniques, and applications of amperometric titrations are presented in the last section of the volume. Fortunately the authors have takeken a broad view of what constitutes "practical applications." Their treatment of the individual elements and organic compounds gives half-wave potentials and diffusion current constants, many in condensed tabular form, for a wide variety of supporting electrolytes. Considerable discussion of chemical behavior as related to complex formation and reactions that may appear as interferences or aids t o analysis are included. Polwagrams have been reproduced to illustrate abnormal or nontypical current voltage curves. Information of this kind will appear as extremely "practical" to the analyst r h o may he deciding whether or not the polarographic method is suitable far a. job a t hand and must design a new set of procedures. An entire chapter is devoted t o Analysis of Alloys and Technical Mrtterials, in which procedures are given in sufficient detail t o be used directly without further reference to the original literature. This chapter will appear as "practical" t o the man working itt the bench who is given the task of analyzing one of the many materials described. The authors make a statement in the introduction to Volume I to whieh they refer in the preface of Volume 11. They say: "Palmgraphic analysis is a complex subject that is far more simple on paper than in actual practice. The limiting current and other wave characteristics are influenced by a great many factors, and $he effect of each of these must be recognized and controlled.
