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&-En' BOOKS
T h i s co~iipilatiuii!vi11 be found more useful by t h e aiialyst than b y t h e physical chemist. F r o m t h e academic a n d also from the practical viewpoint a more esact discussion of the termiiiology, includiiig t!ie m m e s colorimetry a n d photometry, would be desirable. Th(, use of t h e synibol U t o desigii:ite t h e molar extinction coeilicient is confusing. T h e niore practically inilltied :inalysr will welcome this book, ~ h i c hgives a rcnsonably complete discussion of ilie instruments and g e n e r d methods a n d n-hich contains man?. references t o ihe lirrrntitre.
1. 11.KOLTIIOFT. E. 13. SASDELL. l ' h e It'&/ S O i i l i i i i : G i i i i L ~ L I S T X L L 279 . 1)p. S e m I-ork: Iieinhold Publishing ('orporation, 19-17. P l a n t g u ~ n have s been lit10\~11sntl used i l l c o t n ~ : i e r c ~f o: r several hundred years :~ncla t t h y presetit time m a n y inillions of pouncls are used each year in t h e 1-nited S t a t e s alone. Such substances thrreforc merit attcntioli. T h e t e r m "guni" has been confusing; riot infre quently t h e coniniercinl gunis are of cluestionable origin a n d m a n y samples a r e undoubtedly mixtures. T h e reason for t h e wide use of soluble gunis lies in their unique chemical ant! physical properties, and i t will be appareiit t o those n-ho read this book t h a t an extension of t h e use of gums might ne11 be brought :il)out fundamental studies. T h e book has been nrit,ten in a n nt.teiiipt t o coordinate information relating t o gums a n d to correlate t h e practice ant1 al't with t h e scientific knowledge of these substances. Somi, clarification of t h e gum fie!d n-ill result from a s t u d y of this book, b u t i t appears to t h e r r ~ viewer that, t h e work xi11 be niuch more useful t o the technologist t h a n t o t h e specialist for t h e reason that t h e present kiion-ledge of t h e chemistry of gums a n d mucilages, by no means insignificant. was iiot irtcluded. Had this heen done, t h e book r o u l d have h a d a much wider appeal,
FREDS w m . Oryariic Cur/ipocrrids. Third edition. By RALPHI,. 370 p p . ; 23 fig.; 15 tables. Kew York: J o h n \Viley arid Soils, I n c . . 104s. P r i c e : $4.00. T h i s revision of t h e widely accepted second edition embodies several improvements. The second chapter is now devoted t o t h e presentation of t h e identification scheme, a n d the arrangement. of subsequent chapters follows t h e same order. T h e chapter on c l a s s i k catioii reagents has been expanded a n d rewritten. 130th t h e tables of conipounds a n d t h e final problem section have also been expanded. T h e index n o r gives, for added convenience, the boiling points or riielting points of t h e compounds listed. These improveinents should assurr the hook of continued popularity in t h e field. S m m MACKESZIE. Il'tir S y s l a m u i i c ftler,iijcaliu/ioj .OLD
C. Fr.sos. 13.8 x 21.2 an.;viii
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S e w Yorli : Academic Press, Iiic., Publishers, 19-17, Price: SX.00. T h e importance of knowledge of t h e physics a n d chemistry of surfaces as related t o i n dustrial research has h u t recently become generally appreciated. T h e a u t h o r in this book has pointed out numerous applications of t h e principles of surface chemistry a n d has made a distinct c o i ~ t r i h u t i o nt o industrial workers who encounter surface chemistry problems a n d wish t o know how i o solve t h e m . T h e furldamerltal principles pertaining to thenieasure m e n t of tensions a n d t o free surface energy relations as well as t o electrical properties a t th(, different t y p e s of interfaces are given. T r e a t m e n t of individual subjects is necessarilj. incomplete in a book of such limited size. T h i s incompleteness of treatmvnt is, however. conipensited in p a r t b y t h e fairly extensive bibliography of 1026 references: appropriately arranged a t t h e ends of t h e chapters. T h e over-all treatment makes interesting reading. a n d t h e a u t h o r is t o be conmiended for t h e timely presentation of t h i s valuable book. C'hapter?. i n order. dcal with the interfacial systems: I. Liquid-Gas, 11. Liquid-Liquid,
su/jt'ucc C'heniisl/.!/ ./'o/, f / / d u s / r i u / lfesrc//,r.h. 13y J . J , I ~ ~ K E K \ I . \ s461 . pp.
