BOOK REVIEWS THE CHEMICAL BEHAVIOR Or ZIR- COtqIVM, by W. B. Blumenthal. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, N.J. 1958. 425 pages, illustrated and indexed, size 6 X 9 inches. Price $11. The author who has written on the subject considerably has brought all of his knowledge and skill coupled with what has been done by others into co. mpact yet detailed account of zirconram chemistry. Both early and recent literature have been covered. Zirconlure has been con- sidered "as an element and as a com- ponent of compounds, interstitial so- lutions and alloys." The subject is surveyed in nine chapters, starting with the element zirconium and ending with organic compounds of zirconlure other than carboxylates. A two line sentence reviews the three patents granted on its usefulness in deodorants. But if you do not know the inventors' names, it will take quite a bit of searching to find these on page 333. The index is quite inadequate and will hamper the use of this valuable reference, the first text on zirconlure since Veneble's book appeared in 1922. The vast literature and pat- ent examination is an endless time saver. A casual check of the text failed to find any errors in spelling or in- dexing. The book is a recommended ref- erence on zirconium chemistry.-- M. G. DENAVARRE. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMISTRY SUPPLEMENT, by George L. Clark and G. G. Hawley. Reinhold Pub- lishing Corp., New York 22, N.Y. 1958. 330 pages, size 10•/4 X 7 inches, indexed. Price $10. An additional 200 articles on chemical subjects are intended to make the "Encyclopedia" which appeared a year earlier, the most complete chemical encyclopedia published. The style here is the same as in the earlier volume, alphabetical by subject. The first item is "acidim- etry and alkalimerry," the last is "zone refining." Though the jacket of the book states that no further volumes are to be added, this reviewer finds it difficult to believe this. For the present supplement complements the earlier volume as subsequent additions will enhance existing one. Though there is a wide variety of subject matter included between both volumes, there are still nu- merous voids. This is due to the overlapping of disciplines today. It is no longer a question of whether one is a chemist, but what particular kind of chemist. Even Chemical ztbstracts recognizes over thirty dif- ferent divisions. But to men{ion a few voids--pharmaceutical and cosmetic preservatives (food pre- servatives are discussed in the second volume) sunscreens (al- though a brief discussion of ultra- violet absorbers is given) dextrins 115

sapogenins are important enough to be described separately and sap- onins. A note to the editors: these volumes, according to the book jac- ket are for "layman and expert," alike, yet quite often the layman would be unable to follow the material for lack of a science degree. Some authors are more able to simplify a complex subject than others. These few observations do not detract from the over-all excellence of the encyclopedia. They are intended for subsequent revisions. The two editors have done a true service to chemistry and chemists. If you have the first volume, you will need this one, too. If you do not have Volume I, you need to get both.--M. G. DENAVARRE. COMPREHENSIVE INORO^NIC CHF•M- •STR¾, edited by M. C. Sneed and R. C. Brasted. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, N.J. 1958. Volume VI, 234 pages, 1957. Price $6.00. Volume VII, 302 pages, 1958. Price $7.50. Volume VI of this series is de- voted to the alkali metals, material authored by John F. Suttle, and to hydrogen and its isotopes written by R. C. Brasted. The alkali metals considered are lithium, sodium, potassium, rubid- ium and cesium. Because of the similarity of the reactions of these elements, sodium is most often dis- cussed if the consideration holds true for the others. In this section is a good review of the phosphates, although a bit more could be said about the branched, chain and cyclic types. The material appears to be well presented. Volume VII deals with the ele- ments and compounds ofg.roup IVA, carbon, silicon, germanram, tin, lead, the borides, carbides, silicides and related compounds. This is written by H. P. Klug and R. C. Brasted, one of the editors. Other contributions are by O. H. Johnson and C. L. Mantell. It is interesting to note that cala- mine is zinc silicate, a source of zinc, page 61, and Willemite also being a zinc silicate, page 134. A chapter is devoted to the study of organic silicon compounds, the silicones. There is a good discussion of the clay minerals which are of consider- able cosmetic interest. Both volumes are well indexed. The text goes all the way from sim- ple chemistry to the most compli- cated molecular structures. Add these to the previous ones for a worthwhile reference set.--M. G. DENAVARRE. 116