The Central Science: E s s a y s o n t h e U s e s of Chemistry George B. Kauffman and H. Harry Szmant, (Editors). Texas Christian University Press, Fort Worth. TX. 1984. xiii f 181 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.7 cm. Written mainly for a lay audience of students and non-science professionals, this readable, concise hook (180 pp.) of twelve essays will he especially attractive to students exploring or seeking careers in chemistry, as well as t o their teachers and counselors. The authors, focusing on the multifaceted contributions of chemistrv to all amects of our Iive~,stres* the role of r h e m d science and I N hndtyy on humnn well-being,present and future. The range of topics will not only be useful to those involved in students' career choices, hut also to those who want an overview of chemistry as a backbone t o all the sciences which affect our lives as well as our environment. Essay topin include the chemistry core related to: the origin of life; nutrition; solution of short and long term energy needs; medicine; careers; crime detection and prevention; the creation and care of art; and human hehavior. The essay on warfare is one of the lengthiest, making a statement about the emphasis and concern of our era. The chapter on forensic science will he fascinating t o anyone interested in crime detection. The human behavior essay raises some compelling questions about mental health, genetics and mind control, but for same readers, it might be too technical to he appealing. Here the categories were subdivided and discussed briefly, but connections were seldom made for the reader. The essavon oceans contains wme cwrllrnr dlngralni and rhnrrs. Each r r i a y starts nith a brief aurhar'h 1w cqmphy uhich providra some pcrspertwr on t h ~ i n f l u c n in c ~that wirntist'slitrnnd adds a humsn tuuch. l l ~ raams t includr h111l1ographies which will be valuable to the student who wants t o do additional research. One important theme emphasized in same of the essays is the role which an accident or ~~~
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a particular human social problem plays in scientific discovery or progress. As an example, in response to the demands of World War 11, high octane gasoline and Teflon" were just two of the many substances developed. O n e Critical Comment: not one of the twelve authors is a female. At a time when role models can often motivate students toward career choices, couldn't the editors have attempted to include a t least one female essay writer? Mainlv., this little eem of a book.. hiehlighting chemistry's diversity, its contribution to civilization and the promise it holds for future progress would he particularly useful to chemistry teachers and their students. The reader can select only those essays which are of interest, or can read the entire hook in short segments of time. Advocates of the "One Minute Manaeer" lifestvle. as well as thosc whoimnerly k i t intim&rd by theoretical npprmchrs t u chemistry, !vould npplaud this contribution. Roy E. Mackie Chemistry Teacher-Oceanside High School Oceanside. NY Adjunct Professor-Chemistry New York City Technical College-CUNY Brwklyn. NY
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Stereochemistry 0.Bedrand Ramsay, Nobel Prize Topics in Chemistry, Heyden & Son, Ltd.. Philadelphia, PA. 1981. xvi 256 pp. Figs. and tables. 14.5 X 22 cm. $29.00 HB and $13.50 PB.
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This is the second volume in Heyden's Nobel Prize Topics in Chemistry, a "Series of Historical Monographs on Fundamentals of Chemistry," edited by Johannes W. van Spronsen (The first and third volnmes"Inorganic Coordination Compounds," by George B. Kauffman, and "Transmutation: Natural and Artificial," by Thaddeus J. Trenn-are reviewed separately). According to the Editor, the series "plans to cover the historv of eaeh subiect for which a Nobel Prize was awarded and to place particular
emphasis on the life and work of the Nohel Prize winner himself. In this way the planned Series will come to describe the whole history of chemistry. The concept is t o take one of eaeh Nobel Laureate's most significant publications, to reprint i t (as an English translation if appropriate), discuss it, and then place it within the context of the Laureate's life and works in particular and the history of science in general." Dr. Ramsay has chosen four key papers (33 pp.) to begin his book-"The Cyclohexane Problem" by Odd Hassel, "The Conformation of the Steroid Nucleus" by Derek H. R. Barton (who wrote the foreword to the book), "Newer Developments of the Chemistry of Msny-Membered Ring Compounds" by Vladimir Prelog, and "Asymmetric Methyl Groups, and the Mechanism of Malate Synthase" by John W. Cornforthet al. Hassel and Barton shared theNobel Prize in Chemistry in 1969 and Prelog and Cornforth in 1975. The papers are introduced hy a 9-page section, "Biographical Notes and Commentary on the Significance of the Articles." Fifteen detailed chapters then follow on various aspects of stereochemistry. Their titles give some idea of the scope of the book: "Early Geometrical Concepts of Matter" (9 pp.), beginning with the association of four of the five regular Platonic polyhedra with the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water); "Valeney and Chemical Structure" (17 pp.); "Optical Activity and Stereoisomerism" (12 pp.); "The Origins of Stereochemistry: The Contributions of J. H. van't Hoff and J. A. Le Bel" (Ramsay was chairman of the van't Hoff-Le Bel Centennial Symposium held a t the 168th National ACS Meeting, Atlantic City, N. J., Sept. 11-12,1974, which resulted in a book (ACS Symposium Series No. 12, 1975) under his editorship); "The Stereochemistry of Addition and Elimination Reactions" (9 pp.); "The Stereochemistry of Substitution Reactions" (9 pp.), with emphasis on the Walden inversion; "Symmetry,
(Continued on page A I N )
Reviewed In This Issue George B. Kauffman a n d H. Harry Szmant, The Central Science: Essays on t h e Uses of Chemistry 0.Bertram Ramsay, Stereochemistry Thaddeus J. Trenn, Transmutation: Natural and Artificial Stephen Hanessian, Total Synthesis of Natural Products: The "Chiron" Approach Ira N. Levine, Quantum Chemistry, Third Edition
Volume 62
Reviewer Roy E. Mackie
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George B. Kauffman George B. Kauffman Leroy G. Wade, Jr. Edward Finkei
Number 6
June 1985
189 190 190 191
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