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Unified equilibrium calculations
discussed in the literature by means of the Hammett relationship which describes oxidation rates in terms of the incremental effects of substituents. In spite of its limitations, this book is an excellent source book for students and researchers. It is encyclopaedic in its coverage and there are few areas of polymer behaviour that are not described. The use of the book as a reference work is facilitated by comprehensive subject and author indexes. G. Scott Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. Vol. 42, 1991. Edited by Herber L. Strauss, Gerald T. Babcock and Stephen R. Leone. Pp. 879. Annual Reviews, Palo Alto, California. 1991. $44.00 (USA and Canada), $49.00 (elsewhere) ISBN 0 8243 1042 X.
Six articles are concerned with colloid and surface science, including lipid monolayers, colloidal suspensions, sol-gel transformation, the dynamics of polymers and proteins, and protein conformation in solution. Three especially physical chapters deal with intermolecular forces in supercooled liquids, annealing of crystals, and quasi-crystalline structure. The spectroscopy of organic ions and radicals, of large molecules, of zero kinetic energy photoelectrons and of van der Waals complexes are presented in four articles. Metals and their catalytic activity occupy three chapters on metallic clusters, reaction selectivity, and electrode reactions of adsorbed molecules. Three chapters of a theoretical character present computer simulation of electron transfer, electron correlation, and electronic structure in large molecules. Finally, there are chapters each about xenon clathrates, diamond chemical vapour deposition, and stratospheric ozone depletion. The customary autobiographical chapter is by Eizi Hirota and entitled ‘From highresolution spectroscopy to chemical reactions’. The diversity of these topics amply illustrates the range of ideas and experiments which occupy physical chemists. The Editors and authors deserve the thanks of the scientific community for maintaining, in this volume, the excellent standard which it has come to expect from their Annual Review. Aitken Couper The Science of Crystallization: Microscopic Interfacial Phenomena. By William A. Tillier. Pp. 391. Cambridge University Press. 1991. Hardback f40.00, US $69.50 ISBN 0 52138138 X; paperback f 15.00, US $27.95 ISBN 0 521 38827 9.
This book and its companion by the same author (‘The Science of crystallization: macroscopic phenomena and defect generation’) aim to give a complete coverage of crystallization processes. Emphasis in this book is given to the underlying physical chemistry behind crystallization, in particular to the thermodynamics associated with both bulk
98
and interfacial regions, and the kinetics of the different processes that occur during crystallization. The book is not an easy read; there are too many equations for that, many of which are given without derivation. Anyone hoping to find practical details of crystal growth processes or experiments will also be disappointed. Examples of particular materials, especially Si and GaAs, are used to illustrate key points, but these are almost incidental in that the book aims to set out the fundamentals of all crystallization processes. The book is written at the senior undergraduate/postgraduate level. It should be suitable for any students of chemistry, physics, geology, or materials science who have the time or necessity to get to grips with the underlying principles of crystallization. It is well-produced and reasonably priced. A. R. West Unified Equilibrium Calculations. By William Benton Guenther. Pp. 313. Wiley, Chichester. 1991. f56.00 ISBN 0 47153854 X.
This book deals in considerable detail with equilibria in aqueous solution; it covers Bronsted acid-base, metal ion-ligand, and solubility equilibria. Many other types of chemical equilibrium are not included: e.g., those in non-aqueous solutions and in other homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. The book’s title is, therefore, somewhat misleading. The text is principally concerned with the detailed algebra of the equilibria covered. It presents the author’s preferred method for setting-up the various equations needed to analyse the often complex equilibria involved. A very experienced teacher, on top of his subject, he has developed a unified approach which he claims is simpler, and more chemical, than those in other current texts. The first impressions made on a reader are unfortunate: there is a plethora of unfamiliar-looking symbols, and the style of writing leaves much to be desired (try the first sentence of the Preface), but perseverance is rewarded. This is a useful book. It is aimed at advanced students. D. P. N. Satchel1 Spectroscopy of Advanced Materials. Edited by R. J. H. Clark and R. E. Hester. Pp. 405. Wiley, Chichester. 1991. f 7 15.00 ISBN 0 47192981 6.
This volume maintains the high standards of the series. The properties and structures of a variety of conducting or semi-conducting materials are investigated by spectroscopic techniques. The three largest contributions consider the vibrational spectroscopy of polymers containing either conjugated olelin or acetylene bonds, with the charge-transfer, infra-red, and Raman spectra of both chargetransfer crystals and ‘molecular conductors’ and with pulsed-neutron spectra of materials in general. The remaining articles review the non-linear optical spectroscopy of conjugated polymers, the photoluminescence
spectroscopy of thin-film semi-conductor materials, and the spectroscopic and photoexcited properties of polyaniline, proposed as a model for doped conducting-materials without the coulombic corrections required for those systems. I found that all the articles were readable without recourse to other texts, even when the technique was unfamiliar to me. The principles of pulsed-neutron spectroscopy were explained clearly with examples ranging from simple compounds to recent investigations of high T, superconductors. Abbreviations and units have convenient keys and there are 883 references. I expect few academic or industrial chemists without a direct interest in the field, will purchase this book at a price even many libraries cannot afford. This is a pity, as I think the articles are of interest to a wider readership. R.M. Laird
Mountains of Fire. The Nature of Volcanoes. By Robert W. Decker and Barbara W. Decker. Pp. 198. Cambridge University Press. 1991. Hardback f30.00, US $39.95 ISBN 0 521 32176 X; paperback f 70.95, US $15.95 ISBN 0 521 31290 6.
This book is aimed at the non-specialist market, giving a broad-based introduction to volcanoes and their activity. In such a book it is a difficult task to establish the necessary compromise between the need to attract the interest and provide an informative account for those with no background in the subject and yet maintain academic rigour in the delivery of the scientific concepts. Decker and Decker succeed admirably in achieving this delicate balance. The book covers volcanoes in the widest sense. Traditional aspects of volcanoes in terms of their activity and the products they generate are described. Issues including the impact of volcanism on climate and the nature of volcanic activity on other planets are discussed. Most of the topics are introduced with an anecdotal account of an appropriate eruption. This is a fairly standard format in books on volcanoes, with the same classic eruptions being quoted. The authors, however, manage to avoid the appearance of repetition and to blend these narrative accounts effectively into the text. The presentation of the book is good and the diagrams and photographs are of high quality. Though as in any book one might take issue with certain points of interpretation, such as pyroclastic flows being turbulent in nature (p. 105), the quality of the description is of a high level despite the introductory nature of the text. Teachers of all levels will find much useful material in this book to support any work they do on volcanoes. Even though the book is clearly designed as an introductory text it was a pleasure to read and indeed I found it surprisingly informative. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in volcanoes, whatever their background. Angus Duncan
Six articles are concerned with colloid and surface science, including lipid monolayers, colloidal suspensions, sol-gel transformation, the dynamics of polymers and proteins, and protein conformation in solution. Three especially physical chapters deal with intermolecular forces in supercooled liquids, annealing of crystals, and quasi-crystalline structure. The spectroscopy of organic ions and radicals, of large molecules, of zero kinetic energy photoelectrons and of van der Waals complexes are presented in four articles. Metals and their catalytic activity occupy three chapters on metallic clusters, reaction selectivity, and electrode reactions of adsorbed molecules. Three chapters of a theoretical character present computer simulation of electron transfer, electron correlation, and electronic structure in large molecules. Finally, there are chapters each about xenon clathrates, diamond chemical vapour deposition, and stratospheric ozone depletion. The customary autobiographical chapter is by Eizi Hirota and entitled ‘From highresolution spectroscopy to chemical reactions’. The diversity of these topics amply illustrates the range of ideas and experiments which occupy physical chemists. The Editors and authors deserve the thanks of the scientific community for maintaining, in this volume, the excellent standard which it has come to expect from their Annual Review. Aitken Couper The Science of Crystallization: Microscopic Interfacial Phenomena. By William A. Tillier. Pp. 391. Cambridge University Press. 1991. Hardback f40.00, US $69.50 ISBN 0 52138138 X; paperback f 15.00, US $27.95 ISBN 0 521 38827 9.
This book and its companion by the same author (‘The Science of crystallization: macroscopic phenomena and defect generation’) aim to give a complete coverage of crystallization processes. Emphasis in this book is given to the underlying physical chemistry behind crystallization, in particular to the thermodynamics associated with both bulk
98
and interfacial regions, and the kinetics of the different processes that occur during crystallization. The book is not an easy read; there are too many equations for that, many of which are given without derivation. Anyone hoping to find practical details of crystal growth processes or experiments will also be disappointed. Examples of particular materials, especially Si and GaAs, are used to illustrate key points, but these are almost incidental in that the book aims to set out the fundamentals of all crystallization processes. The book is written at the senior undergraduate/postgraduate level. It should be suitable for any students of chemistry, physics, geology, or materials science who have the time or necessity to get to grips with the underlying principles of crystallization. It is well-produced and reasonably priced. A. R. West Unified Equilibrium Calculations. By William Benton Guenther. Pp. 313. Wiley, Chichester. 1991. f56.00 ISBN 0 47153854 X.
This book deals in considerable detail with equilibria in aqueous solution; it covers Bronsted acid-base, metal ion-ligand, and solubility equilibria. Many other types of chemical equilibrium are not included: e.g., those in non-aqueous solutions and in other homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. The book’s title is, therefore, somewhat misleading. The text is principally concerned with the detailed algebra of the equilibria covered. It presents the author’s preferred method for setting-up the various equations needed to analyse the often complex equilibria involved. A very experienced teacher, on top of his subject, he has developed a unified approach which he claims is simpler, and more chemical, than those in other current texts. The first impressions made on a reader are unfortunate: there is a plethora of unfamiliar-looking symbols, and the style of writing leaves much to be desired (try the first sentence of the Preface), but perseverance is rewarded. This is a useful book. It is aimed at advanced students. D. P. N. Satchel1 Spectroscopy of Advanced Materials. Edited by R. J. H. Clark and R. E. Hester. Pp. 405. Wiley, Chichester. 1991. f 7 15.00 ISBN 0 47192981 6.
This volume maintains the high standards of the series. The properties and structures of a variety of conducting or semi-conducting materials are investigated by spectroscopic techniques. The three largest contributions consider the vibrational spectroscopy of polymers containing either conjugated olelin or acetylene bonds, with the charge-transfer, infra-red, and Raman spectra of both chargetransfer crystals and ‘molecular conductors’ and with pulsed-neutron spectra of materials in general. The remaining articles review the non-linear optical spectroscopy of conjugated polymers, the photoluminescence
spectroscopy of thin-film semi-conductor materials, and the spectroscopic and photoexcited properties of polyaniline, proposed as a model for doped conducting-materials without the coulombic corrections required for those systems. I found that all the articles were readable without recourse to other texts, even when the technique was unfamiliar to me. The principles of pulsed-neutron spectroscopy were explained clearly with examples ranging from simple compounds to recent investigations of high T, superconductors. Abbreviations and units have convenient keys and there are 883 references. I expect few academic or industrial chemists without a direct interest in the field, will purchase this book at a price even many libraries cannot afford. This is a pity, as I think the articles are of interest to a wider readership. R.M. Laird
Mountains of Fire. The Nature of Volcanoes. By Robert W. Decker and Barbara W. Decker. Pp. 198. Cambridge University Press. 1991. Hardback f30.00, US $39.95 ISBN 0 521 32176 X; paperback f 70.95, US $15.95 ISBN 0 521 31290 6.
This book is aimed at the non-specialist market, giving a broad-based introduction to volcanoes and their activity. In such a book it is a difficult task to establish the necessary compromise between the need to attract the interest and provide an informative account for those with no background in the subject and yet maintain academic rigour in the delivery of the scientific concepts. Decker and Decker succeed admirably in achieving this delicate balance. The book covers volcanoes in the widest sense. Traditional aspects of volcanoes in terms of their activity and the products they generate are described. Issues including the impact of volcanism on climate and the nature of volcanic activity on other planets are discussed. Most of the topics are introduced with an anecdotal account of an appropriate eruption. This is a fairly standard format in books on volcanoes, with the same classic eruptions being quoted. The authors, however, manage to avoid the appearance of repetition and to blend these narrative accounts effectively into the text. The presentation of the book is good and the diagrams and photographs are of high quality. Though as in any book one might take issue with certain points of interpretation, such as pyroclastic flows being turbulent in nature (p. 105), the quality of the description is of a high level despite the introductory nature of the text. Teachers of all levels will find much useful material in this book to support any work they do on volcanoes. Even though the book is clearly designed as an introductory text it was a pleasure to read and indeed I found it surprisingly informative. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in volcanoes, whatever their background. Angus Duncan