book reviews

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book reviews fractions or multiples of t h t value." A questionable definition appears on page 47 under Normal Solution as follows: "A gram equivalent weight is the quantity of a substance that will replace or react with 1.008 gm of hydrogen." The explanation that follows in terms of acids and bases would hardly be helpful to a. student a t B level of mathematical skill presupposed by the author. Chemists would prefer the H + and OHand C1- symhols to

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[I$ and to [&I frompH. Chapter 7, Quality Control Statistics, Chanter 9. Buffers. and Chanter 10. Renal

book was prepared would have to be appreciably superior in mathematical preparation to the average enrollee in a twoyear paraprofessional curriculum (an As-

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The major new materials are (I) the explanation and subsequent usage of the method of projection operators for obPETERC. JURS taining symmetry-adapted linear eomhinaMerr3t College tions (SALC) of orthonormal functions, Oakland, California (2) the description of the F and G matrix method far dealing with molecular vibrations, and (3) theexplanation of the WoodChemical Applications of ward-Hoffmann rules for concerted reGroup Theory actions. Exercises have been included after each chapter which appear t o be F. Albert Colton, Massachusetts Institrue "exercises," that is, they will give tute of Technology. 2nd Ed. John the student straightforward practice in Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1971. using the techniques and principles of the 386 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 xiv chapter. Several appendices have been X 16cm. $12.95. added, although those on stereographic projections and the shapes of j orbitals Probably few chemists are not aware of are not used in the text. Some pro"Cotton's book on group theory," thesmall fessors will appreciate having the former, volume whose sales far exceeded the orighowever, since it can be helpful in visualinal expectations and which brought to the izing equivalent posit,ions and comhinaattention of the general chemical world tions of symmetry operabions. The comthe value of group theory and symmetry pilation of character tables has been inin dealing with many chemical problems. cluded in the bound pages in addition to Many chemists have learned to use the being inserted as a separate pamphlet in a techniques of group theory from the first pocket on the back cover, as in the first ed~tion. LA review of the first edition of edition. A reading list, primarily for the 41, this book appeared in THE JOURNAL, chapters of Part 11, is a useful inclusion. 113 (1964).] The magnitude of the additional mateIn the second edition, the author has rial can be appreciated from the fact that aimed not only to improve and update the numbered pages have increased from the first edition but also to make it more 29.5 to 386 even though space-saving desuitable as 8. textbook. These dual obvices have been employed in the printing, .jectives h w e led to a. large amount oi resuch as more words to the line and less arranging, replacing, rewriting, and euspace for some illustrations. A different panding. One chapter has been added, paper gives less glare. The publishers entire sections have been transferred beshould be applauded for achieving all of tween chapters, and some techniques have been replaced by better ones. (Continued on page A244)

(h),(TH), and (a).

I n Chapter 8 the symbols (H) and [HI areused but it is not a t allclear that square brackets indicate concentration in moles/l. The hydrogen ion concentration is stated as lo-' g/l. Chapter 8, with less than three pages of text, a few examples, and a table, hurries through hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion concentrations in aqueous solutions, K,, and conversion to pH from

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sociate in Arts degree) who is heading for employment s s a technician.

Journal of Chemical Education

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by Van Hook, Shiner, Sunko and Borcic, Thornton and Thornton, Katz and Crespi, and by Fry. Aside from the opening chapter on the theory of the kinetic this with a price increase of only fortyisotope effect, the authors lean heavily five cents. toward the "organic-reactions-in-solution" As in the first edition, Part I includes the school. As with most multiple author principles of symmetry and group theory. volumes, there are a. substantial number The presentation has been made more of redundancies t o he found, especially in suitable for student and classroom use by chapters one and four. I n particular, it starting with simpler examples, givipg is doubtful'that hoth the Van Hook and more examples, expanding some dlsthe Thornton and Thornton chapters were cussions, and inserting some new devices necessary. While no practitioner of gaswhich have appeared in recent articles and phase kinetics appears in the list of sutexts, such as a flow sheet for placing molethors, Professor Van Hook has presented cules in point groups. The section on the theoretical treatment in a way that matrices and geometric transformations is gives the reader a comprehensive exposure considerably expanded. A new chapter to the views developed aver the past six presents the method of projection decade by Johnston, Bigeleisen, Wolfs operators. berg, etc. Van Hook has kept his eye on Part I1 again consists of four essentially the right end of the telescope by weaving independent chapters dealing with four experimental observations into his theomajor areas of application of the principles retical treatment. to chemistrv. The chanter on liemd field The subject matter of the other chapters theory is p;aetically "&hanged, hut those includes aliphatic nucleophilic suhstituon molecular orbital theory in organic tions, secondary effects and neighboring chemistry, on hybrid orbitals and molecgroup participation, origin and interular orhitals in inorganic chemistry, and pretations of isotope effects, biological on molecular vibrations have been resystems, and heavy atom isotope effects written and rearranged t o make use of the The chanter on in oreanie reactions. projection operator and SALC technique hiol