2 comments about Introduction to X-Ray Powder Diffractometry.

1. This book provides an introduction to powder diffraction theory as well as a comprehensive list of everything involved with the actual diffractometer. This is not just a theory book nor a technical manual. It describes clearly all the factors involved in the production of x-rays, the workings of motors and detectors to the reasons for using divergence slits as well as the principles of phase identification and quantitative analysis. It is a great book for someone who will be using a diffractometer for the first time and will be doing the work themselves. This is not a crystallography text. It is more a handbook of practical applied powder diffraction. Well worth the money.



2. I would suggest reading this book if you want to learn about powder XRD technique. This book is really good...

1 comments about Electronic Processes in Organic Crystals and Polymers.

1. This new edition contains a corrected first edition as Part I. Part II focuses on technologically relavant electroactive polymers chapter by chapter as well as relevant electronic processes. This book belongs on the desk of everyone working and publishing in the field of solid state organic electronics.

No comments about Electron Crystallography of Biological Macromolecules.

3 comments about The Diamond Makers.

1. This is an absolutly riviting books documenting the science and the people behind the centuries-old pursuit to make the first synthetic diamonds, as well as the new science of ultra-high-pressure that was developoed along the way. You'll leanr how peanut butter can be made into diamonds, how bombs are exploded underground to make ultra-fine diamond crystals, and how the highest pressures ever obtained by science are done with an apparatus that can fit in the palm of your hand. An absolute must for students of science and technology.



2. In this book Mr. Hazen presents a comprehensive, interesting, and fair history of the development of synthetic diamond. His treatment of some of the controversial historic elements is even-handed and accurate and he presents complex scientific information in a way that is easy to understand. This book is a must read for anyone interested in high pressure research and a you'll-be-glad-you-did for anyone interested in science at all.



3. People have been fascinated by diamonds for centuries, and scientists tried for about a century to produce them in a laboratory for about a century before they succeeded in a General Electric lab in 1954. This is the story of that quest. It is told with a liveliness and thoroughness quite unusual and delightful. Hazen describe the failed attempts of the early researchers, in some detail, and shows how one of the legends taught to me long ago as a child are bogus. Moissan could not have produced diamonds by the method he described.
   
   The story of Charles Parsons' (the inventor of the steam turbine) attempts was new to me and made me respect him all the more. Thirty years of failed attempts by one of the foremost mechanics of the early twentieth century showed the world just how challenging the synthesis was. Hazen gives a lively account of Percy Bridgeman's exploits in opening up the whole field of high pressure research to systematic study. His clever double-piston apparatus is clearly described, and I was entertained to learn how he published a couple of papers on how to measure pressure in it without divulging its geometry.
   
   The final breakthrough by Hall and coworkers at GE is described in some detail, and the controversy over credits and rewards is laid out for all it is worth. The personalities and their foibles and eccentricities of giants are always quite something. I hugely enjoyed this, and wound up sympathizing with Hall. Then Hazen goes into the modern developments of the scale-up to a quite profitable business, which is very impressive stuff. This is all still developing and changing decades later, and Hazen even includes some well-informed speculation on the importance of the newer vapor phase processes as well.
   
   I really enjoyed the fact that the book included lots of pictures and diagrams of the apparatus. Adds a lot. This is thrilling science and you'd have to be quite the cynic to think otherwise.

5 comments about The National Gem Collection.

1. If you have visited the National Collection and want a souvenir to remind you of the stunning array of unique World Class Gems then this is the book for you. Both the format of the book and the superlative quality of the photography make this book the next best thing to being in the exhibition hall. There is a fairly light weight coverage of the gemmology in the text, but it mostly focusses on the history and ownership of these fabulous gems. The National Collection is unique, no where else in the world is there such a concentration of fabulous jewels with such an interesting history, with the possible exception of the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. This book is a fitting celebration of such a marvellous collection.



2. This is a beautiful book with lots of interesting information on the gem collection.



3. "The National Gem Collection," by Jeffrey E. Post, features photographs by Chip Clark. The book is a beautiful celebration of the title collection, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The informative text discusses the history of the collection, facts about types of different gemstones, and specific pieces in the collection.

   The full-color photography is really stunning, and brings a rich assortment of gems to glorious life. Some of the historic pieces pictured are the blue Hope Diamond, the diamond Napoleon Necklace, the Hooker Emerald, and more. Also shown are a colorful collection of "fancy" diamonds, a rare red diamond, the 858-carat uncut Gachala Emerald, the delightful "pink tutu" (a band of dainty rose quartz crystals on a large smoky quartz crystal), a dazzling group of fire opals, a lapis lazuli carving from Afghanistan, and more.

   I appreciate how the book celebrates gemstones at various stages: uncut, cut, and set in artfully crafted pieces of jewelry. Many different types of gemstones--aquamarine, garnet, spinel, chrysoberyl, turquoise, etc.--are covered. Features such as a scanning electron microscope photo of the inner structure of an opal give the reader a deeper understanding of the science behind gems. From start to finish, this book is a marvelous feast for both the eyes and the brain.




4. This review is for the paperback version of the book, which I loved. It has a lovely balance of terrific photos & explanations of the various sources of the featured gems. It serves as a nice beginning reference when you have heard the terms sapphire & red sapphire (huh? I thought red gems were rubys or spinels) and would like to know more about which gems are related to others.
   
   And did I say the photos are just wonderful? Enjoy!



5. Excellent information on the history of gemstones, understanding color and cuts. Exquisite examples, beautifully photographed. A must for anyone interested in gemstones or the history of jewelry.

No comments about Organometallics 2: Complexes with Transition Metal-Carbon p-bonds (Oxford Chemistry Primers, No 13).

2 comments about Vogel's Qualitative Inorganic Analysis (7th Edition).

1. A good practical guide for students doing undergraduate inorganic experiments. Description of techniques are clear and comprehensive which makes it useful for a laboratory reference.



2. Vogel's book is the Bible of analytical chemists. Vogel has compiled all the most common analytical procedures and results into an easily followed book that is both treasured and guarded by chemistry teachers in the country. The best gift any chemist could hope to receive.

1 comments about Synthesis and Technique in Inorganic Chemistry: A Laboratory Manual.

1. A course on inorganic synthesis and reactions should involve the preparation of inorganic compounds using vacuum line, air- and moisture-exclusion, electrochemical, high-pressure and other synthetic techniques. It should investigate the kinetic and mechanistic studies of inorganic compounds.

   "Synthesis and Techniques in Inorganic Chemistry" simply fulfills all the above purposes. While undergraduate chemistry usually doesn't focus on inorganic laboratory, text written with this much details is a rarity.

   With 23 experiments and an appendix on techniques, this lab text covers cutting-edge research type of experiments on superconductivity, molecular sieve zeolite-X and buckminsterfullerene (C60). Organometallics is also covered with experiments on organoiron and metal carbonyl cluster. The classical coordination compounds synthesis and mechanism and vacuum line synthesis can also be found in this text.

   Students can pace and select experiments from all major topic areas over the course of one semester. This is a great resource and reference for modifying existing experiments and shaping up lab techniques.

4 comments about The Biological Chemistry of the Elements: The Inorganic Chemistry of Life.

1. If you are a biochemist working on an enzyme with inorganic cofactors or an inorganic chemist with an interest in biochemistry, you'll like this book. As chemistry texts go, it's really readable, with great figures and diagrams. The authors cover chemical speciation, the possible role of evolution in cofactor incorporation, and give lots of useful references. The only down side is that this is not a book for someone with little or no background in chemistry.



2. I'm a fourth year going next year to grad school in bioinorganic chemistry. This is the kind of book I wanted to have as reference for a long time. It covers the biological chemistry of each element, explaining why different metals are used in different systems. It is the first book that I found in which it is explained why only Co and Ni form organometallic bonds and not the rest of the transition metals. It is true, it is a chemistry book, but that's what I needed. The figures and the language are great, and the references at the end of each chapter are very useful. It is updated (october 2001), something very important in biochemistry. In short, a great reference!



3. Wow, "really readable"? You must be kidding (directed to the reviewer from Wisconsin)! The writing is dreadful - the authors repeat themselves, write 2-page long paragraphs and paragraph-long sentences, contradict themselves, and fail to adequately explain figures. Sure, we all know that scientific writing is dense, but this is truly ridiculous. Where was the editor when this book was being writtten and published? That said, this book is packed with GREAT information that you just don't find anywhere else! It really helps chemists understand how biology uses elements (especially METALS) and is thought-provoking and useful for biologists, biochemists, and geochemists. So, buy this book but don't expect a fun and easy read.



4. The biological Chemistry of the Elements: The Inorganic Chemistry of Life is an excellent text to provide some valuable resources for chemist.

1 comments about The Defect Chemistry of Metal Oxides (Monographs on the Physics and Chemistry of Materials).

1. This book is an excellent introduction to defect chemistry of materials. But, as an added bonus, it also comprehensively covers most of the fundamentals in the defect chemistry theory making it an excellent textbook.