Customer Reviews

Molecular Spectroscopy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the few textbooks I have encountered which I consider well written from a both a scientific and a stylistic perspective. Jeanne McHale provides the clearest, most coherent presentation of the book's topic that I have seen. If the reader is encountering the material for the first time, I'd suggest using this book in conjunction with another, as there are details which are skimmed over here in the interest of presenting a cohesive development. But for a clear picture of the field, I don't know a better place to turn!

I used this text in my graduate-level spectroscopy class and my opinion is that it is completely worthless! It is unreadable and frustratingly lacking in examples and instructive ability. Stay away - you are better off using Harris and Bertolucci.

First impression of this book was good, but after closer inspection, I feel like Dr. McHale just gleaned what she felt was important from Herzberg and slapped it in her own book. It is heavily math based with a significant lack of phenomenological descriptions and big picture items, therefore making the content even more difficult to follow. In multiple cases, concepts were briefly mentioned, but not enough information is given in the text to really understand what she was talking about (satellite transitions/lines for example). Another very bothering issue is the problems at the end of the chapter. The problems are not on the same level of difficulty at the text, making many of them nearly impossible to solve without further explaination which is not contained in the text book. If you are in the market for a low level Spectroscopy book, consider Bernath's, or better yet, just get Herzberg's books, which are the seminal books on this very beautiful portion of Physics and Chemistry.

It is OK, except that it is not hardcopy, which I knew when I bought it. And I have to protect it very carefully.

A little wrap in the right corner,i didn`t know where is from,maybe in the delivery. That`s what i unsatisfied with!

This book is a good source for individuals trying to learn the concepts of molecular spectroscopy. It takes care to not jump over the student's head in the presentation of the material, but it does lack the in-depth treatment of subjects needed to really understand why spectra must be the way they are. For graduate level analytical course it would be great, but I think physical chemists might walk away without the understanding they need.