Man-made transuranium elements

Book Notes MAN-MADE T~ANSURANIUM ELEMENTB, by Glenn T. Seaborg. 120 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 X 9 in. Englewood Cliffs, N. J., Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1963. Price, $3.95 (cloth) ; $1.50 (paper). Written by the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Nobel-Prize-winning scientist, this book details the pioneer work of the author in this major extension to the field of chemistry. In the discovery of the transuranium elements, chemistry took one of the most vital new directions in modern science. This work, while primarily designed as an introduction for general readers, nevertheless offers sufficiently advanced material, references, and concepts to appeal to the reader seeking a more detailed command of the subject. The story begins with the discovery of the transuranium elementsneptunium, plutonium, americum, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, element 102, and lawrencium. It then traces the experimental chemical methods of investigation applied in their discovery, and then positions them in the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. Dr. Seaborg then discusses future prospects in the discovery of transuranium elements. Outlining their chemical and physical properties, this work examines oxidation states, hydrolysis and complex-ion formation, metallic state, solid compounds, crystal structure and ionic radii, and absorption and fluorescence spectra. The text ends with a Postscript, an Appendix containing a table of radioactive decay properties of transuranium elements, and Suggestions for Further Readings. In short, it presents the reader with the most up-to-date survey of the field of transuranium elements available today. DIGITAL COMPUTER DESIGN, LOGIC, CIRCUITRY, AND SYNTHESIS, by Edward L. Braun. 606 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. New York, Academic Press, Inc., 1963. Price, $16.50. This book is designed to carry the reader from an introduction to basic principles of

Vol. 217, No. 2, February 1964

digital computing devices, through an extensive description of the principles of design and operation, on which most of the digital computers now in existence are baaed. Chapters headings include the following: The Nature of automatic computation; Boolean algebra; Circuit descriptions of switching and storage elements; Large capacity storage systems; Arithmetic operations; System design of GP computers; The Digital differential analyzer; The detection and correction of errors; and input-output equipment (appendix). The computer user will find the book excellent for enlarging his knowledge of the means by which a digital computer performs its operations. A basic understanding of the capacities and limitations of diierent design features also will enable him better to evaluate the relative merits of different machines. TECHNIQUE OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, VOLUMESI AND III, edited by Hans B. Jonassen and Arnold Weissberger. Volume I: 280 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 X 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Interscience Div., 1963. Price, $9.50. Volume III : 320 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 X 9 in. Price, $11.50. This new series is a comprehensive presentation of the various techniques used in inorganic and radiochemistry, and extends organic techniques into the realm of inorganic chemistry. It offers a theoretical treatment of these specific techniques and critically evaluates their limitations and merits. The first volume in the series consists of six chapters and one short article written by eight experts in their particular fields. The following techniques are discussed: methods of investigations in complex equilibria; the use use of nonaqueous solvents; methods for studying molten salts; how to make spectral measurements in high pressure systems; the use of electric discharges in chemical synthesis; and the applications of differential thermal analysis. The third volume in the series consists of four articles dicussing the use of gas chromatographic methods; appli-