book reviews especially unfortunate in view of the fact that the authors have pioneered the teach- ing of this subject matter and must have accumulated a coordinated set of exercises to help the student gain mastery of the ma- terial. Perhaps future editions will include some of these. Considering the work as a whole, its strengths far outweigh its weak- nesses. and it should serve as an instru- . merit to promote the inrlu~ion of the for- mal study of molecular dynamics in an in- creasing number of colleges and universi- ties. Departments which are not yet pre- pared to expand their curricula to include a new course would do well to consider use of this book as a supplementary text for exist- ing courses in reaction kinetics.

Melhods in Molecular Orblial Theory

Almon G. Turner, University of Detroit. Prentiee-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1974. xiii + 225 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 15 em. $13.95.

Professor Turner has set himself the goal of building an understanding of computa- tions by semiempirical MO methods and providing a perspective on newer develop- ments in nb initia computations, presum- ing no more than the knowledge of wave mechanics obtainable from an undergrsd- uate course in physical chemistry. To these ends, he summarizes some necessary quan- tum mechanics and molecular orbital theo- ry before turning to a utilitarian summary of the group theory and discussion of his central theme.

The strengths of this book are (1) the collection of the several tables (such as va- lence state ionization energies) used fre- quently in approximate MO theory, and (2) the very detailed examples of the use of group theory and the analysis of MO's. The author supplies a realistic guide to the types of questions whieh can be answered hy approximate MO theory (though the successes in the theory of reactivity are ig- nored).

Unfortunately the hook is flawed in sev- eral ways. The summary of quantum me- chanics is opaque and sometimes mislead- ing. For example, the nonrelativistic spatial wave function is said to depend explicitly on the particles' momenta as well 8 s eoor- dinates (p. 2). but no reference is made to momenta on p. 5 in the discussion of densi- ties as squares of the wave function. The superposition principle is illustrated but never stated. Indistinguishahility of parti- cles is said to lead directlv to the antisvm- metry of wave funrtmna, whereas there are other eho~ees (as for hosons) ruled out for electrons only by experience. A projection operator appears without warning or defi- nition on p. 38. The introduction to group theory is useful, particularly the illustra- tive examples. However, the discussion on p. 86 of reducing s reducible representation

is either tautologous or very difficult to fol- low.

The hook is written in an appealing col- loquial style, which encourages the reader to believe that the topics are not so terrihly hard. Unfortunately, the writer commits such solecisms as "Transferability to about the extent of 3% is observed. . . for (the) ki- netic energy" (in fact, the error is ahout 3%). "Suppositions of Configurations" is mentioned on p. 182. More serious than the verbal errors, which can be found in many hooks, are the occasional factual errors. A combination of functions (rp3 + rp4) is said to be a reducible representation (p. 173). According to statements on p. 155, one forms the elements of the matrix S'I2 by forming the square root of each element of S (true only if S is diaganalized first).

These errors or infelicities are not trou- blesome to the experienced reader, but in- terfere with the use of the book by its in- tended audience unless guided carefully by a good instructor. In its present form this book would be most useful as a source of il- lustrative material rather than a central text.

Carl Trindle Unhrenity of Virginia

Chsrbttesville, Virginia 2290 1

Laser Mbro-Spectrochemica1 Analysls

H. Moenke and L. Moenke-Blanken- burg, VEB Zeiss, Jena. Translated by R. Auerboeh. Crane, Russak & Company, Inc., New York, 1974. viii + 253 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 22 cm. $19.75.

This hook is a translation from the Ger- man of a monograph which attempts to de- scribe the state of laser miero-spectro- chemical analysis from an instrumental paint of view. I believe that it will be of lit- tle interest to scientists not directly in- volved in such analysis for the following E990nS.

1) The book presents no overview of the subject. No effort is made to explain the general idea of the techniques, nor to point out clearly the advan- tages over other techniques.

2) The English grammar is sufficiently paor that the book is indeed difficult to read. In fact, it appears to me to he almost a transliteration, undertaken by someone unfamiliar with scientific terms in the field.

3) The first (German) edition was pub- lished in 1965; the second slightly re- vised version in 1967. Although some additions have been made for the En- glish edition, the hulk of instrumental information is likely to be quite obso- lete.

4) The emphasis on instrumentation (and in particular, on instruments produced hy Zeiss, a company with which the authors are associated) cer- tainly provides little information of general utility to the scientific com- munity.

On the positive side, a number of spectra are reproduced which could be of consider- able use to workers in the field. In addition, a number of helpful references to the liter-

ature are provided, particularly to work carried out in the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries. Also, a num- ber of interesting examples of applications for laser miero-spectrochemica1 analysis are given.

Englneerlng Education: A Soclal Hldoq

George S. Ernrnerson, University of West- ern Ontario, Ontario, Canada. Crane, Russak & Co., New York, 1973. 384 pp. Tables. 22 X 14 cm. $16.75.

When undertaking a review of this book I questioned its suitahility for a journal di- rected primarily to chemistry teachers. A short period of reading persuaded me that not only was a review in order but that here was book of unique significance for anyone concerned with science and technology. The author has successfully developed the growth of technological education as a par- allel to the growth of technology itself.

There is an interesting discussion of the influence of the utilitarian views of Francis Bacon on Descartes in France, Locke in England, and Comenius in Germany and later on Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot in 18th century France. I t was in France that the rise of the military engineer revealed the potential of the engineering profession. With the creation of the Emle Polytechni- que early in the Revolution the education of engineers (still primarily for military purposes) received national sanction. The school would long serve as a model for edu- cation of engineers, particularly in the uti- lization of mathematics and science as foundation studies.

The pattern set by the French would not he duplicated quickly elsewhere. The Brit- ish, in the midst of their industrial Revolu- tion, would fail to recognize the importance of engineering studies at the university level, except for the Scots. The English did set up night schools for instruction in mathematics, drafting, and mechanics but these aimed a t the working artisan who sought to better his lot rather than a t young men seeking preparation for lifetime careers.

In America too there was s slaw start toward formal education of engineers de- spite the pattern of early instruction in science pioneered in the universities by teachers trained in Edinburgh under Jo- seph Black and later in London under Frederick Accum. The elder Benjamin Sil- liman utilized the Accum training to devel- op science instruction on a sound footing at Yale and to spread the gospel in his wide- raneine lecture tours. His student. Amos .. .. Entun, would project the pattern more ape- cif~cally toward applied science at Hensie. laer Institute. For the most part however, members of the engineering profession in 19th century America gained their training in the field in connection with the con- struction of canals, roads, bridges, rail- roads, and buildings. To some extent their experience benefited from contact with im-

A388 / Journal of ChemlcalEducatbn