RECENT BOOKS THE IDEAS OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. H. McKay, B.Sc.. and

H. A. C. McRey, Gibbs Scholar in Chemistry, Oxford Univer- sity. William Heinemann, Ltd., 99 Great Russell Street, London, W.C. 1, 1934. Chemical Publishing Co., 175 Fifth Ave., New York City, exclusive agents in North and South America. x + 301 pp. 87 figs. 14 X 21 m. $4.00.

The authors have not included a preface to their book so that the reviewer is forced to gain whatever information he can as to their purpose from what has been printed by the publisher an the paper outer cover. Here it may be inferred that the book is addressed to the layman or to the non-chemical specialist and is intended as a non-mathematical introduction to the subject of physical chemistry. If this he the authors' purpose, they have succeeded admirably in certain chapters hut have forgotten their prospective readers entirely in others. The reader is told, for example, an p. 181 that "Ag is the symbol for silver"; but on p. 175 he is faced with "If E is the energy of activation, a frac- tion c E I R T of the collisions lead to reaction. Here e is the ex- ponential function, 2.718, R is the gas constant, and T is the absolute temperature." The impression left with the reviewer. after a careful study of its chapters, is that the book is of a curi- ously uneven quality. Each chapter considered by itself has in- dubitable merit and could be read with profit by readers at a cer- tain stage in their scientific education. However, the ease with which the subject matter can be understood varies to such an extent from chapter to chapter that it seems doubtful if the en- tire hook can he recommended to anv one class of readers.

The following general topics are treated: the ultimate panicles. isotopes, transmutarion, the llohr theory, the pcriodic table. chcmical links. giant molecules, wave mechanics, polar molecules. solutions, molecular spectra, crystals, X-rays and chemistry, stereochemistry, molecular structure, reaction velocity, photo- chemistry, chain reactions, adsorption and catalysis, corrosion, surface films, the Br#nsted definition of acids and bases, conduc- tivity and the Debye-Hiickel theory, transport numbers, colloids, and a survey of physical chemistry. A vocabulary of chemical terms and a short bibliography are included.

A serious omission is that of any discussion of thermodynamics, surely one of the fundamental ideas of physical chemistry. For the most part theories are presented with little attempt to explain their derivation from the basic experimental facts. These facts are mentioned in many instances but how the postulates of the theory may be inferred from them is too frequently left un- explained. The reviewer realizes that anything approaching a auantitative emlanation would involve a mathematical treat-

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ment far hryond the ability of the rendcrs to whom rhe book is addressed. However, a qualitative e&plnnation would have been possible in many instances where none has been given.

PROBABILITY AND RANDOM Ennons. W. N. Bond, M.A., D.Se., F. Inst. P., Lecturer in Physics, University of Readine. Ed- ward Arnold & Co., London, 1935; Longmans, Green and Com- pany, New York City. viii + 141 pp. 16 figs. 13.5 X 22cm. 8.75.

In this book, intended for use by physicists and chemists, the author has "endeavored to avoid advanced mathematical meth- ods, but to discuss fundamental assumptions in detail." The first two chapters deal with elementary problems in probability and introduce the reader to the type of reasoning which under- lies the treatment of the more complicated problems of the follow- ing seven chapters. The content of the latter may he judged from their titles: III-Types of Error; IV-Estimation of Er- rors; V-The Combination of Observations; VI-Linear Graphs and Correlation; VII-Curve Fitting; VIII-Periodic Curves; IX-Miscellaneous Examples.

These are followed by Appendix 1,containingasummary of the chief formulas, and Appendix 11, giving aspeciallreatment of the ease where only two observations are made.

In general the author has avoided any discussion of the deriva- tions of the formulas, but has emphasized their applicability and application to the evaluation of such data as are commonly ob- tained by physicists and chemists. Many numerical examples are worked out where the estimated values and erron may be compared with actual values and errors. The assumptions un- derlying the various methods of evaluations are discussed, and comparisons of the methods made in many problems.

This book should Drove to be of articular value to chemists ~ ~ ~ - ~ - - - ~-

who wish to treat th& results by siatistical methods but whose lack of mathematical background has discouraged them from at- tempting to do so.

NOTES ON ORGANIC CAEMISTRY. F. Francis, Alfred Capper Pass Professor of Chemistry, University of Bristol. Longmans, Green and Company, New York City; Edward Arnold and Company, London, 1935. viii + 525pp. 14.5 X 23 cm. $4.00.

This book is accurately described by its title. I t is a collection of notes such as might be made by an organic chemist as he reads the literature. They are arranged in chapters on various topics. This method is a departure from the usual fashions of scientific writine. "

The experiment is in part successful. One can open the book at random and find interesting and valuable information. But in publishing a set of nates on so varied a subject as organic chemistry, the author is on the horns of a dilemma. Either he restricts the number of topics so much that organic chemistry does not describe the contents, or he restricts the notes on each topic so much that the specialist finds them inadequate. On the whole the author chooses the latter alternative, though many important subjects, e. g.. the free radicals, are omitted.

Although the hook is in no sense a textbook, it should have its greatest appeal to university students. To them i t should be an appetizer for further knowledge of organic chemistry. I t would seem that the author had such a use in mind, for blank pages have been left for the reader to fill with his own notes.

A greater number of references to the original literature would have increased the usefulness of the book, but would have de- tracted from its pleasing informality.

GERALD BUNCH UNIV=RSXTV 01 CUROPNIA

BBBKBLBY, CALI..

A COURSE oa F'RACTICAL ORGANIC CEEMISTRY. T. S. Price and D. F. Twiss. Fourth edition. Longmans, Green and Co., London, 1935. niii + 238 pp. 35 figurer. 14 X 21.6 cm. 52.75.

This British laboratory manual was originally designed "to provide a course of work in Organic Chemistry far evening stu- dents attending Technical Institutions with a view to working ,

for the examinations of the Board of Education or for the B.Sc. degree." Prefaces to later editions indicate that the book has found "increased use in various University and Technical College laboratories," by both day and evening students, but that the general character of the fist edition has been retained throughout the several revisions. The manual is intended "as an introdnc- tion to the methods of practical organic chemistry," and not for "students who are taking more advanced and detailed courses."

The book contains more than ample material for almost any undergraduate course. It presents examples of the processes. generally considered appropriate to elementary courses. The choice of experiment6 is conventional. The scope and variety of exercises permits (or requires) a selection to be made.