Books Received - ACS Publications

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Books and food additives; its application to biomedical research; and a wide range of industrial problems, such as air and water pollution. The authors believe that IC has not reached its full potential, since new detection systems and improved ion exchange column technology will expand the utility of the method substantially beyond what is possible with existing hardware. This reviewer agrees with this assessment but hopes the cost of the commercial hardware for this important analytical tool will not become prohibitive. Principles and Practice of Analytical Chemistry, 2nd éd. F. W. Fifield, D. Kealy. xii + 462 pp. International Textbook Co., Ltd., Furnival House, 14-18 High Holborn, London WC1V 6 BX, U.K. 1983.

Reviewed by Timothy Nieman, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, III. 61801 This softcover volume is an updated version of a 1975 edition. The order of coverage is introduction, data assessment, equilibria, separations, titrimetry, gravimetry, electrochemistry, spectrometry, and other techniques. On the surface it appears that this text might follow the pattern for a

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typical course in quantitative analysis, yet closer examination leaves one unsure of exactly how the book would fit into a "typical" curriculum. The earlier sections of the book are written as though aimed for a sophomore level quant course, but the later chapters, particularly those on various types of spectrometry, would be difficult for students who do not have a firm grasp of physical chemistry. The extent of coverage is variable. The section on atomic spectrometry is very good and includes arc-spark, plasma, and flame emission; absorbance in flames and furnaces; X-ray emission; and a brief mention of atomic fluorescence. The molecular spectrometry chapter covers UV-VIS, IR, NMR, and MS well. From the extent of coverage on these molecular spectrometric methods (25 pages on NMR) I find it unusual that Raman and molecular luminescence are not covered at all. Similarly, kinetics and rate methods are dismissed in one short paragraph. All considerations of equilibrium are covered in only 18 pages. The book has a few definite strengths. The discussion of each technique begins with a brief outline summary of the principles, instrumen-

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tation, applications, and disadvantages. There is good discussion of applications for each technique and the end of the book has some very nice case studies of real analytical problems, with a discussion of planning overall analysis schemes. The index is well-written and complete. On the negative side, I find it awkward that the authors express molar concentrations as moles per cubic decimeter (mol d m - 3 ) rather than as moles per liter; liter, milliliter, and microliter are never used. Also the use of [X] to represent the activity of X and Οχ to represent the molar concentra­ tion of X can easily confuse casual readers who are used to seeing [X] for molar concentration and Cx for total concentration of X (in all forms present). The authors include few figures and essentially no worked examples. Most students would be baffled to find in the same chapter that a "set of repli­ cate results should number at least twenty-five if it is to be a truly repre­ sentative statistical sample," and that "five analyses at most are required to get a reasonable estimate of the true mean." It is similarly disconcerting to see a figure of a potentiometric titra­ tion that indicates that the initial pH for a solution of a weak acid is decid­ edly alkaline (about pH 9).

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976 A • ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 56, NO. 8, JULY 1984

Books Received A Dictionary of Spectroscopy. 2nd ed. R. Ο Denny, xiii + 205 pp. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1982. $39.95 Microcolumn High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Paul Kucera, Ed. xvi + 302 pp. Elsevier Science Publishers, 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $63.50 Air Monitoring Methods for Industrial Contaminants. David Halliday, Ed. xi + 428 pp. Biomedical Publications, P.O. Box 495, Davis, Calif. 95616. 1983. $35 The Interpretation of Vapor-Phase In­ frared Spectra. Vol. 1: Group Frequen­ cy Data. Vol. 2: Corresponding Spectra. R. A. Nyquist. 1300 pp. and 500 pp., re­ spectively. Sadtler Research Laborato­ ries, 3316 Spring Garden St., Philadel­ phia. Pa. 19104. 1984. $120 and $350, respectively, or $425/set Field, Thermionic, and Secondary Electron Emission Spectroscopy. A. Modinos, xi + 375 pp. Plenum Press, 233 Spring St., New York, N.Y. 10013. 1984. $55