Customer Reviews

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd Edition

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Very useful and very relevant, nearly all the chapters of this edition of "CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics" have been revised. The book is up-to-date, and provides extensive coverage on all the significant physico-chemical phenomena. Chemists, physicists, biochemists, engineers, pharmacists, and other scientists and professionals would value this textbook. Its CD-ROM version would be of great benefit to mobile users.
I was impressed by the way it analyzed molecular interactions in each of the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Electron transfer, and transformations of pure substances were the focus here. Its biochemical section simplified many of the physiological reactions that are often considered complex.
In the same vein, I am certain that most readers would appreciate the classical exposure which optics, thermodynamics, geophysics, nuclear chemistry, and atomic physics sections received. All the recent advances in rotational and vibrational spectroscopy were included. David Lide did a commendable job in moulding this 2700-paged single-volume gem.
Each chapter indulged in practical analysis; with suggestions on how to improve day-to-day applications. Safety measures, as well as guidelines on how to cope with industrial and laboratory hazards were provided. Also, further information sources were made avalaible in one of its numerous appendices.
This is surely an outstanding text: no major weaknesses! It is a formidable reference tool that would please scientists and allied professionals. I recommend it with all pleasure!

If I were allowed only two reference books, they would be the OED and this.

This book doesn't have everything, it just seems that way. Listing the content would take pages, and much of it is chemical or physical arcana - if you need the data, you already know what to look for. At a more accessible level, it lists the frequencies of notes in several musical scales, information about common wire sizes, astronomical information, the chemical makeup of the human body, and ways to create carefully controlled humidity. That last one can be helpful to woodworkers; this book really does have something for almost everyone.

Although it comes out every few years, most people won't need to update very often. The definition of a volt, for example, changes rarely and only in small ways. This is a pricey book, but it holds its value pretty well.

This is the scientific reference book to have. If you know a student interested in any of the sciences, it's also a great book to give, and it's something that will be valued for years to come.

//wiredweird