Absolute configuration of metal complexes

and an early acquaintance with their material would aid understanding of later chapters. Mention of Ballhausen’s book inevitably invites comparison. This book parallels Ballhausen’s book in many respects but gives more descriptive accounts and greater mathematical detail which makes it perhaps more accessible for the first time entrant into the subject area. In the light of current research interests, more detail of molecular-orbital approximation methods and also a fuller treatment in Part B of ESR measurements would have seemed desirable. However this comment should not detract from the solid treatment afforded to the main theory of the subject. In summary, this is a thoroughly competent account of ligand field theory but if one is looking for an up-to-date appraisal of the status of the theory then this is not the book in which to find it. The translation by D. F. Ilten is uniformly good; errors are comparatively rare but the greyness of the paper and print is somewhat depressing. G. J. W.

Absolute ConJiguration of Metal Complexes, by C. J. HAWKINS, science, London, 1971, pp. x + 349, price g9.25.

Wiley-Inter-

The general field of stereochemistry has long been of interest, but success in being able to decide the absolute configuration of optical isomers has a much shorter history. Indeed, it is only in recent years, during which sophisticated new techniques have been developed, that success has been achieved. These new methods, in particular X-ray analysis, circular dichroism and NMR, are described, in so far as they are used to determine the absolute configuration of metal complexes. This is the first book to deal exclusively with this subject. J. W. T.

An Introduction to Ion Exchange, by RUSELL London, 1970, pp. vii+ 109, price g2.50.

PATERSON, Heyden

& Son, Ltd.,

This short paper-back contains chapters on Ion exchange materials; Equilibrium studies; Kinetics of ion exchange; Membranes; Column techniques and chromatography; and Inorganic ion exchangers. In the few pages available each of these topics cannot be covered in any detail. However, this book is designed as an introduction and is quite successful in its aims. It is an adequate text to study before tackIing the more comprehensive studies by Helfferich and Marinsky. The author devotes special attention to those aspects of the subject with which he is most familiar J. Mol.

Structrrre,

11 (1972)

or which he finds most interesting.

Other aspects are 163