VOL.7, NO. 3
RECENT BOOKS
istry, and TOFIN WARRENWILLIAMS. Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, all of the University of Wisconsin. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 370 Seventh Ave., New York City, 1929. 475 pp. 20 X 14 cm. 131 xvi figures. .W.50.
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Chemistry. Phase-Rule Studies. Chemical Equilibrium, Reaction Rates. Electrical Conductance. Electromotive Force, Electrometric Titratious, Electrode Phenomena, Capacitance, Electrochemistry of Gases, Radioactivity, Photochemistry. Each experiment is outlined as follows: Theory, Apparatus, Procedure, Calculations, Practical Applications, Suggestions for Further Work, References. The reviewer is especially pleased with the indusion of the somewhat unusual fifth and sixth items. The references are abundant and well chosen. Since "Experimental Physical Chemistry" is a rather ambitious work, one may inquire why a chapter on "Errors" was not included. Appreciation of the actual value of experimental data is something that any laboratory course in physical chemistry must aim t o develop. I n conclusion the reviewer wishes to congratulate the authors on a really excellent piece of work, t o recommend i t most heartily to all teachers and advanced students and t o beginners as a verx valuable reference manual to own. MALCOLX M. HARING
"This book purposes to illustrate the principles of physical chemistry, to train the student in careful experimentation, to develop familiarity with apparatus, to give the student confidence in using physical chemical measurements, to encourage ability in research. Some of the experiments are new, some are based on researches described in the literature, and some are classical." The reviewer feels that the stated purposes of this book have been met very successfully. He does not feel, however, that this is quite the laboratory manual for students who are taking physical chemistry for the first time, unless accompanied by mimeographed instruction sheets. Under these conditions i t would be excellent. For more advanced students and as a general referenee book it could scarcely be improved. The reason for the UNIYHRSI~; OP MARYLAND restriction named is that beginning stnCOLLBOG PARK, MD. dents usuallv somewhat more . reauire . explicit directions than are given. In Modem Scientific Knowledge of Nature, short the reviewer differs with the authors Mall, alld Society. FREDERICKA. in believing t h a t for beginners it is wisest CLEVELAND, Ph.D., LL.D., Professor of to use the imperative. United States Citizenship an the MaxThe book is divided into three parts. well Foundation, Boston University; Part I describes 78 laboratory experiformerly Director of Bureaus of Municiments; Part II describes the wnstruction pal Research, New York and Philaand use of a very wide variety of physical delphia; Chairman of President Taft's chemical apparatus; and Part III deCommission on Economy and Effiscribes the very important miscellaneous ciency, etc.: author of "Growth of operations of the laboratory. There are Democracy in the United States," also tables for correcting a barometer for "Railroad Promotion and Capitalizatemperature, vapor pressure and density tion;" "Chapters in Municipal Adtables for water, and a four place logarithm ministration and Accounting;" "Ameritable. The "Comments Concerning Lahocan Citizenship," etc., with Collaboraratary Work" are short and very much tors. The Ronald Press Company, to the point. 592 pp. New York, 1929. xxvii The laboratory experiments fall under 14.5 X 21 cm. Illustrated. $4.50. the following chapter headings: Gases, This curious book has a number of good Liquids, Optico-Chemical Measurements, Solutions, Thermochemistry, Colloid points and a number of bad ones. Its
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MARCH,1930
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
bad qualities arc pretty evident and will probably impress the reader adversely a t the outset. Its good points will appear when the hook is read. The reviewer has found that a careful examination dulled greatly, or almost neutralized, the first unfavorable impression and convinced him that the book is very much better than it a t first appears to be. The fourteen collaborators have done their part and have chosen their material wisely and well, hut their contributions have plainly suffered from too much editing. The effort t o unify the whole account bas mangled i t in many places. It would undoubtedly have been a better hook if i t had been written by one man, or, lacking that, if the reader had been offered the clear exposition of one expert, then the clear exposition of another--and had been allowed t o synthesize the various opinions far himself. The intelligent reader will probably insist upon the latter alternative anyway. The baok covers the whole realm of general science and supplies a textbook for an orientation course in which the, student is given a broad survey of man's knowledge about nature and about man individually, and in the group. The original manuscripts of the chemistry sections were prepared hy Lyman C. Newel1 and by Ralph N. Maxson, both well known to the readers of THIS JOUR~ f i . That on astronomy was prepared by Harlow Shapley, perhaps the most distinguished of living astronomers. Some of the other collaborators are well-known and distinguished specialists in their various branches of science. Each chapter is followed by a "Questionnaire with Reading References" which seems a needless irritation-for most of us have had enough of questionnaires. Each question is followed by a list of books which bear upon it. and the particular page upon which a discussion of the question may he found is generally noted-a detail which is distinctly unfavorable t o productive scholarship. The hwk contains many paragraphs which
will make the student wish for more, and a number which do not contain enough to insure a proper understanding of their meaning. It is supplied with a really excellent index. TBNNBY L. DAVIS MASS&CBUSBTTS INSZlTUTB
OI
TGCANOLOCY,
CArssrocn, MassAcHussrrs
Practical Chemistry with Experiments. Ph.D.. Professor of LYMANC. NEWELL, Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Mass. Revised edition. D. C. Heath and Ca.,New York City, 1929. Part I. Practical Che~mistry. viii 513 pp. 24 tables; 139 drawings; 95 photographs. Part 11. Experiments in Practical Chemistry. viii 168 pp. 114 drawings. 12.5 X 13.19 cm. $2.24.
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The text (Part I) and the manual (Part
II) are bound in one volume. This second edition is more attractively bound than was the first (1922) one. The quality of the binding of the new book is good; however the cloth part spots somewhat. The thickness (3.6 im.) of the baok is, perhaps. too great far the other dimensions. The paper stock will withstand very well the cus%omary usage accorded a first-course chemistry baok; i t allows too free a flow of fountain-pen ink. The paragraphing is well done; the section heads show excellent composition, both from the standpoint of directing the reader's attention and also for purposes of ready reference. These headings are printed in 11-12 point, hold-fa- type; the main body of the text in 11-12 point; and the less important section of the text, exercises, problems, and themain body of the manna1 in 8-point. The type is neat and easily read, i t being prohably monotypc modern or monotypc Caslon. The reviewer found no typographical errors but he was slightly disconcerted by an avoidable amount of broken type. I n the main the drawings are very well executed. Conventional perspective outline shading would have added t o the reality of the threedimension drawings. The customary broken section conventions
