Analyst, February 1996, Vol. 121 17N Book Reviews Principles and Applications of Electrochemistry. 4th Edition By D. R. Crow. Pp. xi + 282. Blackie. 1994. Price f16.99. ISBN 0-7514-0168-4. This book has been written along conventional lines describing the classical concepts fundamental to electrochemistry. This edition of the book is the fourth, the first having been published in 1974. It is aimed at a level suitable for second and third year undergraduate students. Each chapter has set problems with brief solutions in the back of the book. No specific references are given in the text but a listing (topic-wise) of books for further reading is provided in the back. The book is in two halves: the first sets out the fundamentals of electrochemistry such as ionic interactions and equilibria, then it goes via conductivity and double-layers to electrode potentials and electrode processes.The second half is devoted to the principles of applications including electroanalytical techniques, determi- nation of fundamental physical parameters such as stability constants, and corrosion and batteries. ‘this book is very well written: it clarifies the theory and manages to make it look compar- atively simple and interesting. I warmly recommend this book as a course text to teach students the principles of electro- chemical theory. ’ It is difficult to make a book at the introductory level of this topic interesting. There is (for me at least) sufficient mystery in equations on chemical potentials that I would like to do without them. However, this book is very well written: it clarifies the theory and manages to make it look comparatively simple and interesting.The classical electrochemical theory on electrical double-layers, and topics like the double-layer thickness and zeta-potential, and models by Helmholtz, Goey and Chapman, and Stern, are fascinating attempts to explain physico-electro- chemical phenomena theoretically. Fortunately the actual derivations have been placed in appendices making the book more readable and interesting. I warmly recommend this book as a course text to teach students the principles of electrochemical theory. Dr. C. M. G. van den Berg 4/90185A University of Liverpool Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence. Fundamen- tals and Applied Aspects Edited by A. K. Campbell, L.J. Kricka and P. E. Stanley. Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on 5ioluminescence and Chemiluminescence, Cambridge, UK, September 7994. Pp. xviii + 672. Wiley. 1995. Price f90.00. ISBN 0-471-95548-5. Chemiluminescence (CL) and its enzyme-catalysed version, bioluminescence (BL), are currently greatly in vogue for research in many fields. Not least of these are its analytical applications, resulting from its great sensitivity, selectivity and wide variety of systems that can be used. This book provides short papers (maximum of 4 pages) of lectures and posters presented at the above conference, and published with com- mendable speed. The conference itself is highly respected, well attended and truly interdisciplinary. The papers are divided into sections covering CL itself (19 articles), CL and BL as a signal (6), luminescence in the environment (12), in medicine (48), and in education (5), methods for ATP and firefly luciferase analyses (25), molecular biology (25) and imaging (10).A large number of the articles refer to analytical applications, including immunoassays, enzyme assays, ATP and bacterial testing, etc. There is a subject index. Alan Townshend 5190053 K University of Hull S I Chemical data. 3rd Edition By Gordon Aylward and Tristan Findlay. Pp. xii + 180. Wiley. 1994. Price f9.95. ISBN 0-471-33554-1. This is the third edition of this compendium of chemical data and follows some twenty years after the second. Its primary aim is to provide a concise and inexpensive source of data for teachers and to this end, as far as possible, all the constants are given for a temperature of 25 “C.The authors admit that this is not the normal convention, but it is more convenient in a teaching environment, where comparison of the various con- stants is often required. An additional feature of this edition, is the inclusion of Safety Data for all the compounds that are listed. This is effectively abbreviated and uses the terminology used by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). While it is not a substitute for full safety data sheets, it does provide a swift check on the properties of many compounds. The book consists of a series of tables, starting with the ‘S I System’, a list of fundamental constants and conversion factors. Up to thirteen properties are listed for each of the elements, while for inorganic compounds, up to eighteen properties are listed, including a considerable amount of thermodynamic data.This table is sixty-five pages in length and while it does not contain as many compounds as the CRC Hand Book, it lists most of the common compounds and supplies more data for most of them. Properties of organic compounds occupy twenty- five pages and only the most common compounds and twenty amino acids are included, but again the data is extensive, including standard enthalpy, Gibbs energy and molar heat capacity, as well as the usual properties and the hazard data. The book continues with some forty pages containing twenty-seven tables covering a wide range of topics from crystal forms, shapes of molecules and bond length, to stability constants, electronegativities and ionization potentials as well as a wealth of enthalpy information. A table showing the electronic configuration of the elements is followed by an Appendix which fully explains the use of the hazard information and lists a large range of materials by hazard. ‘modest price means that it is very good value for money for anyone who requires access to such data.’ The sources of the data are well indexed and the tables appear to be essentially error free. The book certainly meets the needs of its target audience, but is also a useful source of reference data, on the more common materials, of use to any chemist. The modest price means that it is very good value for money for anyone who requires access to such data. Colin Watson 5/90060C Ilford