World of Chemistry Melvln D. Joesten, DavM 0. Johnston, John T. Netie~ille,and James L. Wood. Saunders College Publishing: Philadelphia, PA, 1991. Figs. a tables. xxvl 809 pp. 19.7 X 25.0 cm.. $50.00.
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The World of Chemistry, the first collegeLevel introductory chemistry television course for nonscience majors, was released Last year as a %part series of 30-min video programs and debuted over 11 Public Broadcasting System stations last fall (For a review see Kauffman, G. B. J. Chem. Educ. 1990.67, A54). The textbook under review here, which is differentiated from the TV ; course by the omission of the definite article in its title, was designed not only as an integral part of synergistic, comprehensive packages consistingof the T V series, lahoratory manuals, study guide, teachers' guide, and student study manual but also as a stand-alone chemistry course for liberal arts students. It is based an the fifth edition of Mark M. Jones, John T. Netterville, David 0. Johnston, and James L. Wood's Chemistry and Society (Saunders: Elk Grove Village, IL, 1987; far a review see Alexander, J. J., J. Chem. Educ. 1988,65, A51) and preserves that hook's fundamental approach of presenting chemical and physical discoveries in the context of their applications and impact on our contemporary society and way of Life. Thus virtually all the usual top-
ics in an introductory chemistry course are included, hut the material is organized humanistically around everyday activities rather than our& chemical conceots. The authors assume no previour knowledgeof chemistry on the part of the student. and they base their haok"on the belief that the Liberal arts student can see and appreciate the chain of events leading from chemical fact tochemical theory and the ingenious manipulation of materials based on the chemical theories." T h e v t h i n k t h a t " ~- h- .--o~u r h t- f- -u-students l will thin see that the intellectual struggles in chemistry are closely akin to their own personal intellectual pursuits and will feel that each educated individual should and can have a say in how the applications of chemical knowledge are to affect the human experience." In their common sense approach the authors stress cause-and-effect relationshi~sin chemistrv (e.g., structure and properties) as well aa historicalevents in chemimy that shoa aclencetu bea human endeavor many sections on principles and discoveries are followed b y sections t i t l e d " T h e P e r s o n a l Side," which present biographical details about the scientists involved). Chapter 1, "Impact of Science and Technology on Society", exemplifies the authors' approach, while Chapters 2 through 15 deal with the principal concepts and descriptive matter of chemistry as well as their applications and effects on society. The remaining seven chapters address problems that are discussed daily in newspapers and maga~~
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zines and on television-toxic substances, water pollution, air quality, food production, nutrition, medicine and drugs, and consumer products. Many chapters and sections hear attentian-getting, insightful suhtitles, e.g., "Chemical Bonds: The Ultimate Glue", "Acids and Bases-Chemical Opposites," "Isotopes-Dalton Never Guessed", "Nuclear Particle Accelerations-Nuclear Bullets", and "Corrosion-Unwanted Oxidation-Reduction". Active, as opposed to passive, learning is encouraged by sections whose titles are couched in the form of questions such as "What Is the Difference Between Technology and Science?", "How Is Science Done?", "How Do Scientists Communicate?", "What Is Acceptable Risk?", and "Are We Facing a Water Crisis?" The hook is replete with hundreds of full-color illustrations, including ingenious ones such as the picture of the llthCollective Index of Chemical Abstracts. oossiblv the world's largest index, towering orrr a giraffe ( p 11, or the portraits of Marilyn Monroe intro. ducing the chapter on consumer chemistry (P 113). Links with the complementary television course include 22 boxed excerpts, featuring luminaries such as Glenn T. Seaborg, Bruce Ames, and Linus Pauling as well as dozens of illustrations, which facilitate the understanding of concepts and material discussed in the programs. Also included are five essays (three on "Molecular Beauty," reprinted from American Scientist) by 1981 Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffman, host of the televi-
--Reviewed in This I s s u ~ Melvin D. Joesten, World of Chemistly Richard C. Larock, Comprehensive Organic Transformations: A Guide t o Functional Group Transformations Monographs Continuing Series
Reviewers George B. Kauffman Leroy G. Wade. Jr.
Volume 68
Number 3
March 1991
A85 A86
A85
sion series. All chapters are provided with self-tests, matching sets to review vocabulary, and questions; answers to the first two items are given at the back of the book. The volume includes coverage of dozens of "relevant", practical, up-to-date topics such as bioteehnology, radon dangers, "cold fusion", polyacetylene conductors, superconductors, acid rain, CFCs, the greenhouse effect, "fake fats", abuse of steroids in sports, "crack" and "ice", AZT, and RU 486 to a greater extent than most general chemistry texts that I have seen. Considering the length and scope of the book, the number of errors, mast involving proper names or history, is not excessive. For example, Perkin (not Perkins) diseov; ered mauve in 1856 (not 1865) (p 9); Nikolai Aleksandrovich Menshutkin (not Mendeleev, who was visiting cheesemaking cooperativesat the time) delivered the latter's paper on the periodic law before the Russian Chemical Society (pp 91 and 93); Charles Goodyear worked on rubber for five (not 10) years before making his momentous discovery, and William Broekedon (not Goodyear) named the product "vulcanized" rubber although Gwdyear reludantly used the designation after the term became popular (p 419); G. J. (not G. T.) Mulder was Dutch (not German) (p 454); and Linus Pauling won the 1962 (not 1963) Nobel Peace Prize (p 458). Misspellings include Heroult for HBroult (p 302) and Joule-Thompson for Joule-Thamson (p 309). Also, hexacyanoferrate(II1) (not cyanoferrate) is the correct IUPAC name for Fe(CN)&, and NH40H (ammonium hydroxide) does not exist (p A14) (seeDavis, J. B. J. Chem.Educ. 1953,30, 511; Laing, M. Spectrum 1988,26(41,11). I am pleased to recommend highly this society and applieations-oriented textbook, which is supplemented by two "packages". The telecourse package consists of Gilbert Castellan, Nava Ben-Zvi, and Isidore Adler's Telecourse Study Guide ($16.00), which is keyed to both the video programs and the text and provides aconsistent method for correlating the two; Laboratory Manual to Accompany World of Chemistry ($16.00), containing 20 experiments selectedfrom the fifth edition of Jones, Johnston, Netterville, Woad, and Joesten's Laboratory Manual for Chemistry and Society; and Ben-Zvi, Castellan, Adler, and Lisa Ragsdale's Faculty Telecourse Manual ($10.75), containing general guidelines, teaching tips, and resources for each study guide unit and is available free to institutions licensing the telecourse. The text package consists of Jones, Johnston, Netterville, Wood, and Joesten's Laboratory Manual to Accompany World of Chemistry: Extended Version ($29.50), containing 45 experiments, and an accompanying lnstructork Manunl; an Instructor's Manual and Test Bank ($26.75), containing teaching suggestions, test questions, and solutions; Computerized Test Banks for IBM or Macintosh computers ($66.50 each); and Overhead Transparencies of 100 color images ($425.75) from the hoak, all of which are free upon textbook adoption. For information on the videocassettes call 1-800-LEARNER and for information on the accompanying books and materials call 1-800-447-9479,Ext. 7628. George B. Kauffman California State University. Fresno Fresno. CA 93740 A86
Journal of Chemical Education
Cornprehenslve Organlc Transforrnatlons: A Gulde lo Functional Group Transformations Richard C. Larock. VCH: New Ywk, NY, 1989. uxiv 1160 pp. 18.5 X 26.2 crn. $55.00.
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Comprehensive Organic Transformations is a systematic collection of literature references designed to aid the organic chemist in evaluating synthetic methods. The highly condensed visual presentation is similar in concept to that conceived by Ian Harrison and Shuyen Harrison in the firat Compendium of Organic Synthetic Methods, but there are fewer equations and more references in Larock's hook. T o include an additional 20 years' worth of literature, Laroek has used a more highly condensed format that omits sample reactions in many cases. General reactions are introduced by one prototypical equation, followed by extensive tables of abbreviated references organized by the reagent. The information density is remarkable, with about 20,000 references stuffed into the book's 1000 pages of content. The literature covered includes an amazing 160 primary journals, with coverage through 1987. Like the Compedium, Comprehensive Organic Transformations is organized into major chapters based on the target functional groups: Alkanes and arenes, alkenes and dienes, alkynes, halides, amines, ethers, alcohols and phenols, aldehydes and ketones, and acid derivatives. Other functional groups, heterocycles, and protecting groups are not covered except as they might be used in making the listed types of compounds. Users may object to some of the exclusions, hut the difficult problem of packing a huge amount of information into a usable volume forced the author to focus on the most common functionality. Each chapter is subdivided into major processes such as oxidation, reduction, and alkylation. For example, the alcohols chapter is subdivided into general references, alprocesses such as oxidation, reduction, and alkylation. For example, the Alcohols ehapter is subdivided into general references, alcohol transposition, substitution, oxidation, additions to alkenes and alkynes, organoboranes, ether, epoxide, and acetal cleavage, reduction of earbonyl compounds, alkylation of carbonyl compounds, and miseellaneous reactions. Larock has selectively included references ta methods giving yields of 50% or better, using reagents that are readily available or easily prepared. References containing full experimental procedures have been favored over communications lacking such details, and special attention is given to reviews of specific areas of the literature. Initial reports of new reactions are generally included, although some of the subsequent articles by other authors may he omitted. The Table of Contents is sufficiently detailed and well-organized to find all the topics I have wanted. In addition, en extensive Transformation Index (164 pages) organizes the material by product and reactant using generic compound names such as alkonol, 1aryl-l-alkene, etc. As with all nomenclature systems, it takes some familiarization. For example, acids are listed under alkonoie aeid but anhydrides are listed under mid
anhydrides rather than alkanoic anhydrides or alkanoic aeid anhydrides, and nothing is listed under olkyl alkanoate, where one might logically expect 18, find esters (look under nlhanwxe rilerl. I found thesirnoteend weit-oresnized Tahle of Contents t d h e faster and more useful. The computer-like organization of the Transformation Index raises the question of whether this book, and others like it, are needed in this age of computer sciences. I believe they are. The ruthless efficiency of a computer is both its greatest strength and its weakness. A computer search regurgitates all the references that match the kevboards, no more and no less. New ideas rarely arise during compurpr searches, because browarng is made difficult by the lack of visual cues and the sheer numbers of relevant and irrelevant references. A secondary reference such as Comprehensiue Organic Transformations facilitates the generation of new ideas hv ~rovidinevisual cues and bv limiting the &;her of ieferences to tho; that will be most helpful. Comprehensiue Organic Transformations will be useful to anyone whomust do organic synthesis, especially those whose focus is not strictly synthetic organic chemistry. I t provides a relatively brief and clear road map to the synthetic literature and should be kept within easy reach of the chemist's desk. Leroy G. Wade, Jr. Whitman College Wails Walla, WA 99382 ~
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A Cornputatlonal Approach t o Chemistry David M. Hirst. Blackwell Scientific Pubiications: Boston. MA. 1990. viii 444 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.6 X 23.4 crn. $78.95 HB/$39.95 PB.
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This is described as an advanced text covering the principal areas where computational studies have made a major contribution to our understanding of a chemical problem. Theoretical treatments are described in sufficient detail for the reader to understand the basis of calculations. Topics covered come from molecular structure, spectroscopy, reaction kinetics and dynamics, and the liquid state. The computational techniquer used in treating a prohlem are outlined wilhuut going into complicated detall of numerical a n a l w s . E m ~ h a s i sis placed on the use of com~utationaimethods to model chemical systems in order to generate data which are complementary to experimental data. The book is not concerned with information on particular computer packages, nor with the use of statistical methods in the analysis of experimental data. The text illustrates that, in many cases, a computational approach can yield information that is inaccessible experimentally.
