organic synthesis. Research on coordination chemistry shows a trend towards studying compounds of ever increas- ing complexity, with improvements in the reliability of syn- thesis through control of reactions proceeding alongside de- velopments in analytical methods.

It is therefore not surprising that most of the articles in this volume are concerned with the area of “supramolecular structures”, including clusters, with special attention not only to structure and chemical selectivity but also to physical and catalytic properties and the factors controlling them. Here it becomes evident that the intelligent design and skill- ful synthesis of complex organic ligands now plays a very important role. Mono- und polynuclear complexes with spe- cially designed bgands are the subject of the contributions by See1 and Vogtle, Braunstein, Gatteschi et al., Hancock, Den- ti and Balzani et al., Hosseini, and Lehn. The related area of bioinorganic and relevant model systems is represented in articles by Fenton, Shilov, Luchinat et al., and R. J. P. Williams. Cluster formation and its coordinative aspects are also relevant to some current problems of solid-state chem- istry, as shown in the articles by Dance, Corbett, Burdett, and Biirgi. The latter, in outlining the fascinating Burgi- Dunitz concept, leads into studies of reaction mechanisms, which are represented in this volume by the articles by van Eldik and Ryabov. The role of solvents in relation to coordi- nation compounds is discussed in articles by Burger and Enderby. Other aspects of coordination chemistry are treat- ed in the articles on high-resolution optical spectroscopy (Giidel et al.), the 6 bond (Cotton), and the reactivities of organoinetallic compounds (Carmona, Sanchez, et al.), while the special relevance to organic synthesis is discussed by Biickvall et al.

There are. of course, differences in the nature and degree of complexity of the various contributions, varying from laboratory reports through informal essays to short reviews. For example, whereas Hancock’s review of the size-selective complexation of metal ions by polydentate chelate ligands can be commended even to advanced students (cf. also a similar recent article in the Journal of Chemical Education), the article by Lehn suffers from the disadvantage of having no diagrams or structural formulas whatsoever, so that any- one who does not keep up with the details of published work on supramolecular structures will have the irksome task of referring to the cited papers to discover the structures of compounds such as helicates, carcerands, or speleands.

Altogether the book presents an up-to-date and represen- tative overview of the current state of coordination chem- istry, its many different aspects, and its future potential. Because of the central position that this subject occupies, linking such widely different areas as solid-state research, biochemistry, organic synthesis, and industrial catalysis, it is essential to learn something about it o r to renew one’s knowledge. even for nonspecialists.

Wolfgang Kaim Institut fur Anorgdnische Chemie

der Universitiit Stuttgart (FRG)

Chemistry. The Central Science. By i? L. Brown, H. E. LeMay. Jr., and B. E. Bursten. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (USA), 1991. XXX, 1045 pp. (glossary and index 40 pp.), hardcover ca. D M 120.--ISBN 0-1 3-1 2621 0-6

This book provides a.first text in chemistry for students at universities and colleges, and presents the core material typ- ically followed at such institutions in the United States. Its aim is to help instructors to plan a coherent and well-orga-

nized course, and to give the students parallel material which amplifies, exemplifies, and illustrates the material they re- ceive in lectures and classes.

The fifth edition of this text represents a considerable achievement. From the very beginning the authors convey the excitement and variety of their subject matter, while de- veloping a very careful and rigorous presentation of con- cepts and material. Many beautiful color illustrations are one tool used to this end. But there is also a wealth of supple- mentary sections interspersed in the text. These are of three types; the “Chemistry at Work” sections introduce applica- tions of the concepts being presented, those entitled “A Clos- er Look” tackle a topic more deeply and would enhance subsequent readings, and the “Historical Perspective” sec- tions, which are rather fewer in number, give some sense of the way our fundamental chemical ideas evolved. These learning aids, together with an attractive and colorful layout, serve to complement the central text, which is the heart of the book. It is in the text itself that the thoughtfulness and craft of the authors is most evident. The presentation is lucid and easy to read. The organization and ordering of the introduc- tion of ideas, concepts, and facts is very impressive and can hardly be faulted.

Any successful course book for instructors and pupils must contain good exercises, and “Chemistry. The Central Science” is no exception. Numerous problems at the end of each chapter help reinforce the material presented.

On the physical side of chemistry one can gain a clear idea of the level of the presentation by the mathematical knowl- edge presumed. The student needs to have mastered simple proportion; logarithms are used in presentation of pH and so forth, but there is a helpful appendix on them and on exponential notation. Differential calculus is not employed, so the treatment of rates, thermodynamics, and the Schrodinger equation is only descriptive. In the context of the British educational system, this places the book as one most likely to be useful to Advanced Level courses in schools, and as such would be a good addition to a school library. The coverage of descriptive inorganic and organic chemistry is less than that expected in most A-level syllabus- es, so it would not serve as a central sixth-form text. How- ever, it can be strongly recommended to chemistry teachers as an exemplary presentation of the core of the subject, and to prospective university students to reinforce their school work and whet their appetites for further study.

Jennif2r Green Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory

Oxford (United Kingdom)

Simple Views on Condensed Matter. (Series in Modern Con- densed Matter Physics, Vol. 4.) By P . G. de Gennes. World Scientific, Singapore, 1992. X, 408 pp,, paperback 2 25.00, hardcover !L 44.00.--ISBN 981 -02-0910-X (paperback)/ 981 -02-0909-6 (hardcover)

In 1992 Professor de Gennes was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in recognition of his numerous scientific achieve- ments, which relate to a wide range of different phenomena. The great variety of his research activities and their import- ance to scientific progress resulted in many awards and hon- ors, culminating finally in this Nobel Prize. All de Gennes’ work up to now is contained in four books and over 350 scientific papers; to these is now added this new book “Sim- ple Views on Condensed Matter”. in which the author pre- sents a personal selection of important publications. Thus it is not a textbook in the ordinary sense, but a collection of

Afigeiir C‘h?iii. In/. Ed. Engl. 1993, 32. N o . 6 4; VC‘H Verlug~~esellsrhair7u/i mhH, W-6940 Weinheiin. 1993 0570-0833193/06(16-0917 $ 10.00+ . Z / O 91 7