BOOK REVIEWS

ever, the author has succeeded in integrat- ing diseuslssions of the mechanistic and stereochemical aspects of most reactions very smoothly with the rest of the text. The overall result is as coherent and ra- tional a discussion as each reaction per- mits. Inevitably, t,here are especially pretty examples of some reactions not in- cluded in House's selection. For this reader, however, there are many more eases where previously unfamiliar but interesting examples of resetions are cited.

The most serious criticism of this book is the weakness of its index. The absence of any aubhor index is to be deplored, since msny organic chemists tend to associate reactions with their discoverers or ex- ploiters. This depersondization is most unfortunate, and can hardly he defended on the basis of the triviality of assigning priorities. A stronger subject index could also be desired. For example, although useful references to ruthenium tetroxide and lead tetraacetate are given on p. 81, these reagent,^ are not indexed a t all. Perhaps t,hese shortcomings can be cor- rected in a second edition, if not in later printings.

I n spite of these minor shortcomings, this book is a resounding success. A second volume, filling in some of the major gaps, would he most welcome. The only other recent book with similar orientation, Fuson's "Reactions of Organic Com- pounds," has the advantage of a broader

mope, hut is much less successful in its blending of practical m d theoretical con- tent. The smaller House volume has a more contemporary viewpoint, and probes more deeply into its material. "Modern Synthetic Reactions" ie certain to provide the nucleus for msny advanced organic chemistry courses; in addition, it deserves a p l ~ o e on the bookshelves of every active organic chemist.

JERROLD MEINWALD Cornell University Ifhaca, .lie?" l'ork

Conformaliond Analysis

Ernest L. Eliel, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, N o m n L. Allinger, Wayne State University, Detroit, Stephen J. Anggal, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and George A. Mowison, University of Leeds, England. Interscience Pub- lishers (a division of John Wiley and Sons, Inc.), New York, 1965. xiii + 524 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 om. $15.

This hook, appropriately dedicated to D. H. R. Barton, is excellent to the point of serving as a model for the modern organic chemistry monograph. The style is such that i t can he read enjoyably as well as rewardingly. I t is not abbreviated to that terseness which has marred some advanced works. I n style I would rani- pare it to the Fiesers' excellent "Sleroids" monograph.

I ts style is all the more commendable when one considers the joint authorship. The chapters are not identified as having been contributed hy m y individual and, in fact, the style is quite consistent through the book, suggesting very careful editing.

Although assuming a reamnahle so- phistication in stereochemistry, it starts with basic principles and works t,oward the more complex both through the book as a whole and within individual chapters. I t can be read comfortably by any first- year graduate student and would guide an undergraduate willing to do the sug- gested supplementary reading to an under- standing of the field.

The authors remained true to the title of the book and thus it is only those as- pects of stereoisomerism and stereochem- istry which are functions of conformatimal change which are discussed. The reader should not expect a general stereochemical treatise. Eliel's earlier text, "Stereo- chemistry of Carbon Compounds" (J. CHEM. EDUC. 39, 543 [1962]) provides a modern review of that topic.

Two introductory chapters are followed by a unique summary of the ways in which all of the common physical meas- urements have been applied to ron- formational analysis. Ring systems other than cyelohexane (covered in Chapter 2) are analyeed in Chapter 4. The fifth chapter examines the conformational aspects of steroids, triterpeneoids and alkaloids hut the steroids are more thor-

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A91 4 / Journal o f Chemical Education

lent, permitting the use of felt or bamboo deal of recent material. The emphasis on BOOK REV1 EWS markers without bleeding. Only a single the "realitf'of exchangeforcesonp. 189is

tyooaraphical error was noted. not coneistent with the more modern point

oughly covered in earlier chapters. I n fact, themajority of the examples through- out the book have been taken from the steroid field where, of course, the discipline first flowered. The discussion of alkaloids is quite brief. Chapter 6 considers carbo- hydrates and a short final chapter picks up a few loose ends and provides some tabulated energy data.

The reviewer particularly appreciated the generous use of clear structural dis- grams accompanied by arabic number identification. This makes i t entirely possible to follow eonformational reason- ing without specialized knowledge of the elass of compounds under discussion. The relabive paucity of such structures in the carbohydrate chapter is one of the few discontinuities in the work.

Extemive use is made of footnotes to elaborate points of the text. Their fonn suggests that they represent one author's reactions to the presentation of another, but, sourceaside, they forman integral and enjoyable portion of the book.

The documentation is superb and de- serves speoial mention because of its attempt to identify, as such, leading ref- erences and reviews. Over 1400 references, many multiple, guide the reader to the original literature. Each chapter is closed with a. short list of General Ref- erences to its subject.

The author and subject indexes are satisfactory. The paper quality excel-

. .

&VENTIN R. PETERSEN Wabash College

Cmwjordsville, Indiana

Structure of Matter

Wolfgang Finkelnburg, University of Erlangen - Nuremberg. Translated from the 9th/lOth ed. by the author in cooperation with Ottilia Matossi-nieche- meier. Academic Presa, Inc., New York, 1964. xii + 511 pp. Figs. and tables. 17 X 25.5 cm. $14.50.

An accurate subtitle for this book might be "An Introduction to Atomic, Molecu- lar, Nuclear and Solid State Physics." While keeping the mathematics used to a minimum and avoiding excessive experi- mentd detail, the author relates theoreti- cal concepts to experimental observations throughout the book. The book includes a detailed discussion of atomio spectra, including X-ray typectre, and the effects of electric and magnetic fields; a lengthy dis- cussion of quantum mechanics; an exten- sive treatment of nuclear properties, radioactivity and fundamental particles; molecular structure and spectra and the chemical band; and the physics of solids.

The philosophical viewpoint on quan- tum mechanics and the general tone of the book are reminiscent of the thirties, al- though the author has included a great

of view expressed on p. 398. The andogy of mechitnical resonance to quantum mechenicel resonance seems to this re- viewer to be taken too literally.

Deepite these criticisms, this is a useful reference book for students and teachers of chemistry and contains much useful infor- mation which no longer appears in the more modern textbooks of 8tomic physics with which it might be compared. This is a translation of the gth/lOth German edi- tion and is much larger and more up to date than the earlier translation published by MeGraw-Hill.

ROBERT M. ROSENBERG Lawrace University Appleton, Wisconsin

Infrared Band Handbook. Supplements 1 m d 2

Edited by Heman A. Szymamki, Canisius College, Buffalo, New York. Plenum Press, Xew York, 1964. 259 pp. 17 X 26 cm. Sl5.

Supplements 1 and 2 to the Szymanski I R Handbook (see THIS JOURNAL 41, A536 [1964]) cover the far infrared from 60Ck200 em-'. This coincides with the range of the KBr prism with which most

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A916 / Journal of Chemical Education