book reviews give the minimum amount of theory nee- the student who is willing t o take the

theories of reactors and weapons but very essary to treat problems in chemical bond- time, these three chapters will give him a
little on direct medical applications and ing and molecular spectroscopy in a quali- much better background than the texts
no mention of the most widely used diag- tative fashion to those that strive to give a which are concerned more with applica-
nostic isotope, 99"'Te. sound mathematical grounding in group tions.
The introductory organic chemistry theory. This book falls into the latter cate- Chapter 8 attempts to set forth some
chapters also have their flaws. Figure 16.3 gory, although the treatment is fairly well principles of wave mechanics which are
has been borrowed from another book balanced. necessary for a fundamental under-
without revising its captions properly. In the first four chapters, concepts are standing of the applications treated in the
Ethylene is not commercially prepared by developed in detail. The book begins with last four chapters. Prior exposure to quan-
dehydrating alcohol as implied on p. 232; an entertaining discussion of symmetry tum mechanics is helpful a t this point.
in fact, this is inconsistent with what is and the historical evolution of group thea- The final four chapters are concerned
said two pages later about one of the main ry. Symmetry elements, operators, and with the use of group theory in solving
uses of ethylene. The addition of a section their algebra are developed very clearly. problems in vibrational spectroscopy and
on theory of chemical bonding a t the end The reader is given the feeling that chemi- chemical banding. Harmonic oscillators
of chapter 15 bears little relationship t o cal applications are regarded as important and normal coordinates are discussed, but
the other material in the chapter. by discussions of dipole moments and op- symmetry coordinates are not. The treat-
There are too many other points of dis- tical activity a t this point. Point groups ment is rather mathematical, restricted to
pute to mention them all. A number of and the determination of molecular paint simple molecules, and about a t the level of
other superior teats have been written for groups are examined, and the text is illus- a beginning text an molecular spectrasea-
either the one- or two-semester chemistry trated with numerous drawings. A chapter py. It is not a guide to the determination
courses for the health science oriented stu- is included on matrices and matrix alge- of molecular symmetry from spectra; and
dent. bra, and most of the mathematics which is in fact, no Raman or infrared spectra are
used later is developed here. These early illustrated. The last three chapters deal
Leonard F. Druding chapters can be understood easily by a with molecular orbital theory, hybrid or-
Rutgers University college junior or senior and are written in bitals, and the bonding in transition metal
Newark, N.J. 07102 the pleasant style with historical asides compounds. MO's for benzene and the tri-
Group Theory and Chemistry whieh English authors do so well. vinylmethyl radical are developed mathe-
In the next three chapters, the approach matically without recourse to drawings of
David M. Bishop, University of Ottawa. and level becomes approximately that of a contour surfaces for atomic and symmetry
Oxford University Press, Ely House, Lon- beginning quantum mechanics text. Ma- orbitals. Energy level diagrams for transi-
+
don, W. I., 1973. xvi 294 pp. Figs. and trix representations are developed from a
position vector, sets of base vectors, and
tion metal compounds are treated qualita-
tively using both MO's and the effect of a
Tables. 15.5 X 24 em. $27.25.
by considering the actions of transfarma- crystal field. Spectra and magnetism are
In recent years several books have ap- tion operators on a set of functions, e.g. discussed only very briefly.
peared which discuss symmetry, the theo- .atomic orbitals. Equivalent and reducible Throughout the early chapters of the
ry of groups, and treat chemical problems representations are treated mathematical- book, many of the proofs and descriptions
whieh are simplified by the use of group ly, and finally irreducible representations of mathematical operations are collected
theory. These texts vary from those which and character tables are examined. For a t the end of each chapter so that the
reader less concerned with rigor can move
more rapidly. A brief set of problems also
is included a t the end of each chapter; an-
swers are not supplied. For the reader who
wants a good grounding in the theory of
groups but also is interested in diverse
chemical applications, this book can be
recommended.
R. Stuart Tobias
Purdue University
West Latayette, Indiana 47907

Twenty Years of Colloid and Surface

Chemistry
The Kendall Award Addresses

Edited by Karol J. Mysels, Carlos M.

Sornour, and John H. Hollister. Ameri-
can Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth
St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036,
1973. ix + 305 pp. Figs. and Tables. 22
x 28 em. $12.00.
This volume contains 19 oaoers. each

an annual symposium in honor of the re-

cipient of the ACS Award in Colloid or
Surface Chemistry. These collected papers
provide an excellent overview of the histo-
ry, central themes, and current status of
research of the field.
WFK

A556 1 Journal of Chemical Education