Organometallic compounds of the group IV elements

matic to know of “Eliman’s” reagent, or of “Axion” or “Adolph’s meat tenderiser”. Consequently it is felt that the author must have really intended the work for a more limited class of student than is stated in the foreword. However, the price is reasonable and the book could to be very useful to biology students. J. G. H.

Organometallic

Compomds

of rhe Group IV

DIARMID, Vol.

I, The Bond to Carbon. Part 1968, pp. xv + 603, price $36.50.

Elements,

1. Marcel

edited Dekker

by A. G. MACInc., New York,

Volume 1, Part 1 of this series is devoted to a general consideration of the physical basis of the chemistry of Group IV elements (by E. A. V. Ebsworth) and a full discussion of the synthesis and reactions of the silicon-carbon bond (by C. Eabom and R. W. Bott). The immensity of the latter contribution (351 pages and 2414 references) ensures that it must be treated as a reference book, although Ebsworth’s clear and critical discussion of the molecular and spectroscopic parameters of compounds containing Group IV elements, including the inevitable question of d,-p, bonding, is of more general interest. On the evidence of the part under review, this series will undoubtedly prove to be an all-encompassing and authoritative account of Group IV chemistry and must therefore be highly recommended. J. A. L. The Chemistry

science,

London

by S. PATAI, Inter1970, pp. xiii + 794, price L7.00.

of the Carbon-Nitrogen

and New York,

Double Bond, edited

is the seventh volume in the well-known series, Tile C/zemisrry of Groups, and contains fourteen reviews of various aspects of the chemistry of compounds containing the azomethine group. In an introductory discussion of general and theoretical aspects, C. Sandorfy points out how relatively little is known about the length, strength and certain This

Fumtional

other

physical

and

spectroscopic

characteristics

of the azomethine

group.

In

Chapter 2, S. Dayagi and Y. Degani bring impressive order to the contents of some 700 papers describing the many and diverse methods of forming C : N bonds. Chapter 3, on analysis of azomethines (D. J. Curran and S. Siggia), is helpfully directed at the practical worker. R. Bonnett’s chapter on optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism is an authoritative account of a subject that has been actively explored only during the last few years. The fifth chapter by J. W. Smith on basic and complex-forming properties is disappointingly brief. More work is described in the following two chapters (Addition reactions, K. Harada; Cyclo336

J. Mol.

Structure,

11

(1972)