Beyond the Flyleaf
1
^5^w Principles of Chemistry. Joel H. Hilde- brand. Fifth edition, χ -f- 446 pages. Macmillan Co., 60 Fifth Avo., New York, Ν. Υ., 1947. $4.25. THE fifth edition of Hildebrand's well- known book follows the pattern set in pre- vious editions but has undergone an ex- pansion of approximately 100 pages over the 1940 revision. Three new chapters have been added, one dealing with car- bonic acid and its ions, a second with sys- tems of acids and bases, and a third with structures of inorganic compounds. Nearly all of the other chapters show evidence of revision and expansion; sections having been added, for example, on heat capacity of gases, solubility product, polymers, sili- cones, transuranium elements, and elec- trode designations. The chapter on types of equilibria is particularly well done and now contains a discussion of buffers, a sub- ject which had been ignored in previous editions. The exercises at the end of the chapters have likewise been expanded. The author points out in his preface that he is continuing the practice of presenting the more difficult optional material in dif- ferent kinds of type than is used in the main text. However, the difference in size of +vpe in thé new edition is so small as to bo almost imperceptible. The previous edition was much more satisfactory in this respect. The cuts in the new edition are also less satisfactory with regard to clarity of detail. The tables have been reset in more readable form. "Principles of Chemistry" is devoted entirely to the purely theoretical aspects of chemistry. Descriptive chemistry has been kept at a bare minimum. Yet the book, like its predecessors, has been osten- sibly written for college freshmen. One is led to question its suitability for students other than those who have already had a good background of high school chemistry and mathematics. It would appear to be well suited to a course given solely for chemistry majors and chemical engineers, particularly if supplemented with such a book as Latimer and Hildebrand's "Ref- erence Book of Inorganic Chemistry." AARON J. IHDE The Scientists Speak. Warren Weaver, editor, xiii 4- 369 pages. Boni & Gaer, Inc., 133 West 44th St., New York, Ν. Υ., 1947. $3.75. SEVENTY-NINE science essays, originally prepared for an intermission feature in the New York Philharmonic Symphony pro- gram sponsored by U. S. Rubber, are the 896 £7 substance of this book. Their caliber is top-flight, for they were prepared by leading scientists in the fields covered. In approach, the essays are essentially de- scriptive, for the audience for which they were prepared was the intelligent layman However, there is no shortage of quantita- tive information when it serves a func- tionally useful purpose in highlighting a point. Several triumphs of applied tech- nology are covered, but most of the series is devoted to status of, and advances in, the fundamental sciences. About 20 from the chemical profession are represented among the authors, quite a respectable showing when the compre- hensive scope of the book is considered. Subjects of a specific chemical nature that are discussed include the role of chemical research in our future, biochemistry, pro- tein chemistry, virus chemistry, nutrition chemistry, streptomycin, DDT, 100- octane gasoline, isotopes and atomic re- search, and structural chemistry. The role and achievements of the chemist are frequently mentioned in numerous other articles not specifically built around a chemical theme. The articles are necessarily brief and elementary in their description of tech- nology, but a supplemental bibliography is included for those wanting more detailed information. In the book itself the chem- ist or chemical engineer will find no scien- tific baby talk to distract him. On the contrary, reading it engenders an appre- ciation for the far-reaching advances being made in fields other than our own spe- cialty and a renewed respect for the con- tributions science is making in advancing man's mastery over nature. D. O. MYATT Selected Values of Properties of Hydro- carbons. Circular of the National Bureau of Standards C461. xiii -f- 483 pages. IT. 8. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C, 1947. $2.75. ΜΓREPARBD as part of the work of the American Petroleum Institute Research Project 44 by F. D. Rossini, K. S. Pitzer, W. J. Taylor, Joan P. Ebert, J. E. Kil- patrick, C. W. Becket, Mary G. Williams, and Helcnc G. Werner, this volume is a complete collection of all the numerical tables issued by the project as of May 31, 1947. A second volume will be pub- lished at the end of the second five-year period. Divisions are an introduction giving. sources of data, methods of cal- culation, uncertainties, and other explana- tions; tables of fundamental constants, CHEMICAL conversion factors, useful equations, and molecular weights; tables of selected values of propert ies; specific references for tables of properties; and a general list of references. Rubber Red Book. Directory of the Rub- ber Industry. 1947. Sixth edition. 835 pages. The Rubber Age, 250 West 57th St., New York 19, NT. Y., 1947. $5.00. Library Foundation Chemical journals published in 14 different countries will be subscribed to by the John Crerar Library with funds pro- vided by the Chicago Chemical Library Foundation. The gift represents the initial donation to Crerar by the founda- tion, which intends to spend up to $100,000 over a 10-ycar period to help build up Crerar's collection of chemical literature. The foundation was started last year as a joint project of the Chicago Section of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY and the Chicago Chemists' Club. Funds are being raised by contributions from Chicago area companies employing technical per- sonnel. Officers of the foundation for 1948 are: chairman, D. L. Tabern; vice chairman, J. J. McLaughlin; secretary, Lloyd Cooke; treasurer, Edward Lang; trustee, H. I. Schlessinger; chairman, library committee, M. M. Piskur; and chairman, finance committee, Lynn Wilson. New Books Recent publications include: Corrosion Handbook. H. H. Uhlig, editor. Electrochemical Society, Inc. sponsor. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 16, Ν. Y. $12. Cyanogen Compounds. Their Chemistry, Detection, and Estimation. H. E. Williams. Second edition. Long- mans, Green and Co., Inc., New York, Ν. Υ. $10.50. Detoxication Mechanisms. The Metabo- lism of Drugs and Allied Organic Com- pounds. R. T. Williams. American edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 16, Ν. Υ. $5.50. Newer Methods of Preparative Organic Chemistry. First American edition, translated and revised from German. Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York 3, Ν. Υ. $8.50. Organic Chemistry. R. Q. Brewster. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New York 11, Ν. Υ. $7.35. Proceedings. Vol. XXVI. Chemical Engi- neering Group, Westminster, London, S. W. 1, England. 21s. Properties of Engineering Materials. Glenn Murphy. Second edition. In- ternational Texts in Civil Engineering. C. E. O' Rourke, consulting editor. In- ternational Textbook Co., Scranton 9, Pa. $4.50. Stress .Analysis and Design of Elementary Structures. J. H. Cissel. Second edi- tion. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 16, Ν. Υ. $5.00. AND ENGINEERING NEWS ^ecéoact
Transcript of Beyond the Flyleaf
^ 5 ^ w Principles of Chemistry. Joel H. Hilde-
brand. Fifth edition, χ -f- 446 pages. Macmillan Co., 6 0 Fifth Avo., New York, Ν . Υ., 1947. $4.25.
T H E fifth edition of Hildebrand's well-known book follows the pattern set in previous editions but has undergone an expansion of approximately 100 pages over the 1940 revision. Three new chapters have been added, one dealing with carbonic acid and its ions, a second with systems of acids and bases, and a third with structures of inorganic compounds. Nearly all of the other chapters show evidence of revision and expansion; sections having been added, for example, on heat capacity of gases, solubility product, polymers, silicones, transuranium elements, and electrode designations. The chapter on types of equilibria is particularly well done and now contains a discussion of buffers, a subject which had been ignored in previous editions. The exercises at the end of the chapters have likewise been expanded.
The author points out in his preface that he i s continuing the practice of presenting the more difficult optional material in different kinds of type than is used i n the main text. However, the difference in size of +vpe in thé new edition is so small as to bo almost imperceptible. T h e previous edition was much more satisfactory i n this respect. The cuts in the new edition are also less satisfactory with regard to clarity of detail. The tables have been reset in more readable form.
"Principles of Chemistry" is devoted entirely to the purely theoretical aspects of chemistry. Descriptive chemistry has been kept at a bare minimum. Y e t the book, like its predecessors, has been ostensibly written for college freshmen. One is led to question its suitability for students other than those who have already had a good background of high school chemistry and mathematics. I t would appear to be well suited t o a course given solely for chemistry majors and chemical engineers, particularly if supplemented with such a book a s Latimer and Hildebrand's "Reference Book of Inorganic Chemistry."
AARON J . IHDE
The Scientists Speak. Warren Weaver, editor, xiii 4- 369 pages. Boni & Gaer, Inc., 133 West 44th St . , New York, Ν. Υ. , 1947. $3.75.
S E V E N T Y - N I N E science essays, originally prepared for an intermission feature in the New York Philharmonic Symphony program sponsored by U. S. Rubber, are the
896
£7
substance of this book. Their caliber is top-flight, for they were prepared by leading scientists in the fields covered. In approach, the essays are essentially descriptive, for the audience for which they were prepared was the intelligent layman However, there is no shortage of quantitative information when i t serves a functionally useful purpose in highlighting a point. Several triumphs of applied technology are covered, but most of the series is devoted to status of, and advances in, the fundamental sciences.
About 20 from the chemical profession are represented among the authors, quite a respectable showing when the comprehensive scope of the book is considered. Subjects of a specific chemical nature that are discussed include the role of chemical research in our future, biochemistry, protein chemistry, virus chemistry, nutrition chemistry, streptomycin, D D T , 100-octane gasoline, isotopes and atomic research, and structural chemistry. The role and achievements of the chemist are frequently mentioned in numerous other articles not specifically built around a chemical theme.
The articles are necessarily brief and elementary in their description of technology, but a supplemental bibliography is included for those wanting more detailed information. I n the book itself the chemist or chemical engineer will find no scientific baby talk to distract him. On the contrary, reading it engenders an appreciation for the far-reaching advances being made in fields other than our own specialty and a renewed respect for the contributions science is making in advancing man's mastery over nature. D . O. M Y A T T
Selected Values of Properties of Hydrocarbons. Circular of the National Bureau of Standards C461. xiii -f- 483 pages. IT. 8. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D . C , 1947. $2.75.
ΜΓREPARBD as part of the work of the American Petroleum Institute Research Project 44 by F. D. Rossini, K. S. Pitzer, W. J. Taylor, Joan P. Ebert, J. E . Kil-patrick, C. W. Becket, Mary G. Williams, and Helcnc G. Werner, this volume is a complete collection of all the numerical tables issued by the project as of May 31, 1947. A second volume will be published a t the end of the second five-year period. Divisions are an introduction giving. sources of data, methods of calculation, uncertainties, and other explanations; tables of fundamental constants,
C H E M I C A L
conversion factors, useful equations, and molecular weights; tables of selected values of propert ies; specific references for tables of properties; and a general list of references.
Rubber Red Book. Directory of the Rubber Industry. 1947. Sixth edition. 835 pages. The Rubber Age, 250 West 57th St., New York 19, NT. Y., 1947. $5.00.
Library Foundation Chemical journals published in 14
different countries will be subscribed to by the John Crerar Library with funds provided by the Chicago Chemical Library Foundation. The gift represents the initial donation to Crerar by the foundation, which intends t o spend up to $100,000 over a 10-ycar period t o help build up Crerar's collection of chemical literature. The foundation was started last year as a joint project of the Chicago Section of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY and the Chicago Chemists' Club. Funds are being raised by contributions from Chicago area companies employing technical personnel.
Officers of the foundation for 1948 are: chairman, D . L. Tabern; vice chairman, J. J. McLaughlin; secretary, Lloyd Cooke; treasurer, Edward Lang; trustee, H. I. Schlessinger; chairman, library committee, M. M. Piskur; and chairman, finance committee, Lynn Wilson.
New Books
Recent publications include:
Corrosion Handbook. H. H. Uhlig, editor. Electrochemical Society, Inc. sponsor. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 16, Ν. Y. $12.
Cyanogen Compounds. Their Chemistry, Detection, and Estimation. H. E. Williams. Second edition. Longmans, Green and Co., Inc., New York, Ν. Υ . $10.50.
Detoxication Mechanisms. The Metabolism of Drugs and Allied Organic Compounds. R. T. Williams. American edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 16, Ν . Υ. $5.50.
Newer Methods of Preparative Organic Chemistry. First American edition, translated and revised from German. Interscience Publishers, Inc., N e w York 3, Ν . Υ . $8.50.
Organic Chemistry. R. Q. Brewster. Prentice-Hall, Inc., N e w York 11 , Ν. Υ . $7.35.
Proceedings. Vol. XXVI. Chemical Engineering Group, Westminster, London, S. W . 1, England. 21s.
Properties of Engineering Materials. Glenn Murphy. Second edition. I n ternational Texts in Civil Engineering. C. E. O' Rourke, consulting editor. I n ternational Textbook Co., Scranton 9, Pa. $4.50.
Stress .Analysis and Design of Elementary Structures. J. H. Cissel. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., N e w York 16, Ν . Υ. $5.00.
A N D E N G I N E E R I N G N E W S
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