The book seeme to be ideally suited for use as a textbook in a eraduate course of ~, ~ ~ ~~~

thermodynanicr for phyrirul rhemwrry studeuts or for self-ytdy I,J persons seriously interested irr the furdamenrnl aspects of the subject.

E. M. LOEBL Polytechnic Institute of Bmoklyn

Bmoklyn, New Ywk

Volency and Molecular Structure

E. Cartmell and G. W . A. Fowles, both of the University of Southzmpton, England. 2nd ed. Academic Press, Ine., New York, 1961. xii + 294 pp. Figs. and tables. 14.5 X 22 om. $7.

The authors are to be commended for bringing this useful summary of valence theories and applieations upto-date, with- in five years of its original publication (of. review of 1956 edition, ~ a l s JOURNA~ 34, 52 119571).

Part I on Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure is essentidly unchanged. Part I1 dealing with the Quantum Theory of Valeucy bas been rearranged to put greater emphasis on molecular orbital treatment, this approach now heing developed before the valence bond method, The word resonance is now relegated to the end of the valence bond discussion, mainly to emphasize the misconceptions engendered by the term, whereas in the first edition the mechaniod resonance analogy was used as a device for intro- ducing this approach. The change is welcome.

Some recent data have been included in Part I1 such as Kolos and Roothaan's (1960) computer solution of a fifty-term function for the energy and bond length of the hydrogen molecule:

D ( ~ v ) R ( H ) Experimental 4.7466 074116 Calculated 4.7467 0.74127

The forty-page expansion of this edition over the first occurs largely in Part 111, The Application of the Principles of Chemical Bonding. The major innova- tion is the extensive treatment of ligand field theory and its more important achievements in the chemistry of co- ordination compounds. The very useful generalizations of Gillespie and Nyholm (1957) regarding the geometrical die- tribution of electron paim and the relative significance of lone pair and bonding pair repulsions are used extensively. Part I11 has also been made more useful by num- erous tabulations of available hybrid orbitals, geometries resulting from them and examples.

The book is "mainly intended for first-year honors students" of the British University system. It does not fit easily into the American pattern, heing too advanced for introductory college in- organic courses hut not mathematically rigorous enough for graduate school uee. It attempts to give the student a "feel" for the rightness of a solution when it cannot be solved fully, so that "the reader may accept the results without feeling that the procedure is quite arbitrary."

This need is not often recognized in American textbooks, where material is normally either stated dogmatically, de- veloped fully, or not mentioned a t all. Prospective authors might be well advised to study the approach taken in this book, to see if it cannot be applied in other areas, so that students may gain an intuitive erasn of the direction of m- .. . ~~~ ~ ~

swrrh rogrthtr with e m w ind~mtio~r as to whew more IIIOTOUY~ t r ~ ~ t n l r n t s CRIl he found.

The book is Likely to he of use in Senior "Advanced Topics" or "Seminar" courses, and as a book to keep near at hand for seniors, graduate students, and teachers.

0 . T. BENFEY Earlham College

Richmond, Indiana

Physical Chemistry

E. A. Moelwy12-Hughes, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. 2nd ed. Pergamon Press, New Yark, 1961. vii + 1333 pp. Figs. and tables. 17 X 25 cm. $17.50.

The author has provided an unusually detailed and comprehensive treatment of physical chemistry written with skill and care. Experimental and theoretical foun- dations are considered side by side and mathematities is used extensively. The subjects are largely developed in a eon- ventional manner as is fitting in a text. Some exeellent problems are included with each ehapter.

The book begins with ehapters on kinetic-molecular theory, quantum me- chanics, thermodynamics and st&tisticel mechanics and these theoretical methods are used freely in the remainder of the book. There fallows a discussion of atomic structure, two chapters on malee- ular structure based largely on spec- troscopy, and a series of chapters an the states of matter--gaseous, crystalline, metallie, liquid, dissolved, ionie, and interfacial. The book closes with chaptern on homogeneous and heterogeneous equi- libria and on kinetics of gaseous, hetero- geneous, photoehemiod, and solution reactions. Much material not ordinarily available in textbooks, such as a chapter on intermolecular energy, is included. A multitude of useful tables and graphs increase the value of the book as a ref- erence work.

Although intended for a text in British universities it does not seem likely to be very useful as such in the U.S.A., since there is too much material and the level is too advanced far our undergraduate courses. It might be more useful for courses a t the graduate level but those tend to be broken up and covered one topic a t a time, and this would rarely be a first choice aa a text for s. course in any particulm topic.

On the debit side i t must be noted that coverage of the literature beyond 1940 is very sketchy and one eould scarcely count on the referenees even for an intro- duction to the recent Literature. Tables of data are often ouhf-date. Many sub- jects such as molecular structure and chemical binding, moleoular orbital theory,

crystal field theory, valeneebond theory of metals, miorowave spectroscopy, EPR and NMR spectroscopy, mscromolecules, and optical rotatory dispersion are not mentioned or are very inadequately treated. The second edition (1961) dif- fers from the first (1957) in only minor ways.

Despite its general failure to incorporate adequately the developments of the last two decades the book will be a valuable referenee work for tboae desiring a, clear, sound, easily read introduction to the foundations of a variety of topics and will be particularly useful to graduate students and workers in the field of physical cbem- istry. It is a remarkable achievement for a single author and represents a unity of viewpoint unattainable in compilations of chapters written by different authors. Printing and binding are excellent, i t is remarkably free from errors and the price is reasonable for a text of 1333 pages.

MAX T. ROQERLI Michigan State Univewity

E. Lansing

A Practical Course in Polymer Chemistry

S. H. Pinner, Borough Polytechnic, London, England. Pergamon Press, he., New York, 1961. xv + 156 pp. Figs. and tables. 14.5 X 22 cm. $4.50.

This slim volume provides carefully detailed instructions far 41 introductory laboratory experiments involving the syntheeis and analysis of polymers. These experiments were specifically designed to furnish praetieal experience required of candidates for the graduateship examins- tion given by the British Plastics Insti- tute. Nevertheless, those beginning pal- ymer work in industry or in universities should find this book a useful source of procedures.

The experiments fall under three broad beadings: . monomer preparation and the modification and degradation of polymers (12 experiments), polymerization reac- tions (21 experiments), and polymer evaluation (8 experiments). The polymer- i~ation section includes examples of bulk, solution, suspension, and emulsion poly- merization, copolymerieetion, redax and ionic polymerization, and polyconden- sation. Most of the samples prepared are tested to ascertain the quality of the nroduet. r - ~ ~~~~~~~

The instructions are concisely presented in the following format: purpose, r e aetion, special equipment, materials, and total time required,,procedure, and report. The Introduction meludes a list of the general equipment required. There are 22 line drawings, most of which illustrate details of experimental setups.

Two appendices furnish praotieal sng- gestions concerning osmotic pressure and viscosity measurements for more advanced workers. These draw upon the author's eonsiderable experienoe, and will be of value to those in industrial and academic laboratories. The reviewer's only dis- appointment was to find osmotic pressure treated in terms of the Flory-Huggins

378 / Journal of Chemicol Education