Statistics (Hirsch, R. F., ed.) - Journal of Chemical Education (ACS

Statistics (Hirsch, R. F., ed.) Jerome W. O'Laughlin. J. Chem. Educ. , 1979, 56 (10), ... Metal Ions in Solution (Burgess, John). Journal of Chemical ...
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book reviews fact suggests that approximately one hour be devoted t o each problem. As noted above, great detail is given t o each answer, some of which run on for several pages. Pertinent references are given t o each problem and answer and a perusal of them shows t h a t the problems have been selected from the recent chemical literature. Studentsareencouraged t o go hack t o the original references t o increase their understanding of the answers which is a highly desirable aspect of this text. I particularly liked the philosophy uf the hw>k-to present problems whose solutions require both a g m d grasp of chemical principles and a depth of analysis. T h e emphasis o f t h e prohlems and answers is clearly on the elwidation of hasie chemical principles. On specific subjects I especially enjoyed the pmblems on amformational analysis, isotope effects, solvent effects, and kinetics. T h e pmhlems on orbital symmetry, although enjoyable t o do, somehow seem out of place in this physically-oriented book. In addition, although most of the pmblems seemed to be appropriate for the intended audience, o few, I thought, were extremely difficult. A few d h e r s dealt with subjects not likely t o be presented in a standard course. Errors in the b w k are few, and misleading and inappro~ r i a t answers e could not be found. Molecular models are, I think, a necessity for doing the conformatianal analysis problems. Althmtgh, in theory, this book enuld be used as a primary text, I see its use mainly as a supplementary text; however, this hook is such that anyone interested in expanding hislher expertise in this area could profit f n m its use. Richard Pagni Universily of Tennessee Kn0xv;Ile. TN 37916

sophistication of the various chapters vary so widely t h a t i t is impossible t o recommend this text t o any particular group of readers. This is not meant t o impugn the quality of the individual chapters. Many are quitegood and are useful and interesting introductiuns or overviews t o statistical methods of interest t o many chemists. Riemann and Biller, for example, give s concise overview of the problems involved in the storage and retrieval of mass spectral data. A short section on "Recommendations for Further Readine"

shows t h a t options other than classical (normal) statistical techniques, namely nonparametric and Bayesian solutions, are available for the analysis of chemical data. .John Erjavec covers regression and correlation methods in a very lucid manner and points out that these are two of the most widely used and abused statistical tools. Other suhjects covered include experimental design (G.S. Hahn), optimization of methods (S. N. Deming), the use of Shewhart Control Charts (J. J. Tsiakals), factor analysis (D. G. Hawery), pattern recognition (P. C. Jurs), and a brief overview of modern statistical methods (J. Mandel). With the possible exception of the chapters by Howery and Jurs on factor analysis and pattern recognition, respectively, the level of presentation is such t h a t an advanced chemistry undergraduate student should be able to read it with a minimum of difficulty. T h e book is slanted strongly toward the use of statistical methods as applied t o chemical problems and in particular t o analytical prohlems. The overall quality of the paper is ahout average for a paperback book and the text is relatively free of typographical errors. Manv of the fieures were ohotocooies of

cluded Jerome W. O'Laughlin university of Missouri Columbia. MO 652 11

Statistics Editor: R. F. Hirsch. T h e Franklin Insti-

tute Press, Philadelphia, 1978. iii + 308 pp. Figs. and tables. 23 X 15.5 cm. $21.00.

This textbook consists of ten chapters by ten different authors hased on papers p r e ~ sented a t the 1977 Eastern Analytical Symposium plus a short two page Introduction by the editor, R. F. Hirsch. T h e authors were free to expand or modify their oral presentation, fnr publication in this text if they felt this was necessary to make the articles more understandable, and a number clearly did exercise this option. T h e chapters range in length from 13 pages t o 43 pages with an average length of 29 pages. Obviously this text is not, as the title might suggest t o some, a comprehensive treatment of statistics. It is a collection of short papers dealing with various topics generally related t o data acquisition, storage and analysis with the exception of the final chapter by Josephine M. Petruzzi, Managing Editor, Anolytieol Chemistry, entitled "Publication of Analytical Chemistry Research" which seems curiously out of place in this text. T h e depth of coverage and mathematical A326 / Journal of Chemical Education

S p a c e Groups for Solid State Scientists Gprnld R u m s and A. M. Glazer, Academic Press, New York. 1978. v 278 pp. Figs.

+

and tables. 23.5 X 16 em. $14.50. This book nicely fills the gap between texthooks which treat space gnmp theory f i r m the point ufview ofthe crystallogral~h~r (e.g. Elementary Crystallography by M. J. H u r r g ~ r )and those which deal with space Kn,ups and their irreducible representations i e . g T h e Application of Group Theary in Physics by G . Ya. Lyuborskii). Highly useful rompilatims of space gmup symmetries and their irreducihle representations are available ie.g. International Tables for X-Ray Crystallography, V d . I , by N. F. M. Henry and K. 1.onsdole and Irreducible Reprisentatims nf the Space Groups hy 0. V. Kouniru), and, I herefore. ~,it is not eenerallv neeessarv for solid state scientists to be prepared t o derive the symmetries and irreducible represmtat i m s f n m first principles. However, the use