and chemical principles and their applica- tions are clearly written, hut there are ex- ceptions. The last sentence on page 119, ex- ample 7 on page 60, (''How much solution should you mix to do measurements on eight samples if each requires 210 ml?") and page 59, ("When simple rounding off can he psed, i t is, of course, a given easy method."), are examples of very unclear writing.

Specific criticisms are that no units are given for concentrations of ions in chapters 3, 5, and 9, or for molecular weights in chapter 7. Less serious is the working of a problem on taking a fifth root of a number (page 49) before explaining cdmpletely how this is done (somewhat incidentally on page 54, or page 163). The explanation of the "is approximately equal to" symbol oc- curs after it is used several times. Although several units of lendh are discussed. the Angstrom unit is not one of them: vet this unit i * atill widely used in chemical litern- ture.

There are many minor or typographical errors. These range from misplacement of a decimal point to a succession of errors in equations (page 107).

Finally, the hook could he suitable for students who experience difficulty with el- ementary mathematics or whose acquaint- ance with the subject is not recent. How- ever, because of the indicated shortcomings (and the price) recommendation is quali- Fi^A

Bask and Chemistry of a computer is appropriate and those for which it is not. The last two-thirds of the

Leonard Saltzberg, Simmons College, hook is devoted to the application of the Aruing A. Shah, John C. Saber, and computer to the investigation of both typi- Edgar T. Canty, Bahson College. cal general chemistry problems (gas Laws, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, stoichiametry, equilihrium) and problems Massachusetts, 1975. xi + 253 pp. Figs. going considerahly heyond the usual scope and tables. 0.7 X 27.7 em. $5.95. of the introducton. course (Brownian mo-

This new supplementary hook should find ready acceptance in situations where Basic is available, but where the instructors have not had the time to develop an effec- tive way to take full advantage of it in gen- eral rhemiatrv. . ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~~ ~~,

One atrraetrve feature is that the hook is practically self-contained There should be little need for addtttonal refrrence manunlr or documents. No previous experience with computers or peripheral equipment is as- sumed, so that time required far instruc- tion in the use of the materials should he minimized. In the first two chapters, the uninitiated user is introduced to the com- puter and led step-by-step through typical sign-on and sign-off sequences and system commands, shown how to call and execute prewritten programs, and familiarized with the use of the teletypewriter. Although spe- cific reference is made to the teletypewriter style of terminal, the use of other types of terminals should require no more than a trivial adjustment. Chapters 3-6, which take up the first third of the hook, deal with Basic commands, flowchsrting, and

tion simulation, proton magnetic reso- nance, quantum mechanical calculations). Chapters 6-14 deal with, respectively, units, stoichiometry, gases, solutions, equi- librium, radioehemistry, molecular struc- ture, atomic theory, thermodynamics, and data analysis.

The pedagogical approach is very straightforward and should he effective. After the student is led through a sample program, together with its flowchart, he is asked to modify the sample program, and then to write increasingly complex pro- grams based on the same logical scheme. The idea is to move rapidly from "student mode" to "teacher mode."

The limitations of this book relate much more to teaching philosophy than to the hook itself. If one is more concerned with developing strategies and general concepts than in the manipulative aspects of the mathematical calculations involved in problem solving, then one would find this approach appropriate.

Stanley T. Marcus corneii universil" ..=u.

writing programs. Each section c&taina nhscs, New Yark 14853 Colin 0. Hubbard many examples and related problems.

Univsrsilyof NevHampshre For the most part, a clear distinction is huham. New Hsmpshire 03824 made hetween problems for which the use (Continued on page A524J

Volume 52, Number 11, November 1975 / A523