Customer Reviews

Principles of Physical Chemistry: Understanding Atoms, Molecules and Supramolecular Machines

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By Giovani_Bassi@Hotmail.com

This book is really, really new in its disposition. I admire that someone still has courage to follow his (or hers) own ideas, instead of just going with established trends, that are not necessarily very good. The authors are brilliant scientists, and the sharpness of their intellects and their passion is with you all the time. I must again be very brief, but can give the following comments on this masterpiece:

- The authors accomplish "the impossible": the book allows the reader to refer to individual chapters - as reference, then, thanks to very lucid, simple mathematical derivations, always with the weaknesses in the models used clearly defined - as well as to read the entire book and "survive" - i.e. understand what one is reading - without using any other sources parallel.

- The authors start with defining the few q.m. notions, very simply and lucidly, that are then used throughout the book (modern as it is!), rather than using the archaic introduction comprised of abstract classical-thermodynamic discussions, that set out to uselessly "reinvent the wheel", by refusing to take help of the fact that we know about the discontinuity of matter (i e atoms). No more q.m. is presented than that which is needed in the rest of the book, otherwise a great danger to coherence, in my opinion (a disesase of most modern "phone-directory texts"). And this is typical of the book: no more is introduced than that which is needed - and then, those concepts are used throughout, afterwards, which is wonderful for the user: it both lets him experince control and also is the best sort of review, to actually use the concepts learned.

- Almost every theory presented is immediately afterwards applied to actual, down-to-earth chemistry, always involving familiar undergraduate topics, mostly from organic and biochemistry. Again, this is valuable as review for this courses and further reflection. Note that the examples are always VERY, VERY INTERESTING.

- As indicated, the book presents one whole, unified view, and what will be to the immense joy of all students, these authors point out, carefully, whenever something is observed that should be surprising (surprising to all those that are not already post-doctors in this area; again a stupid habit in other books of the "anthology" variety, like Atkins, Moore..., that just give you a wild array of topics, naturally RELATED, but in the books only slightly CONNECTED). Actually, often an observation is first presented, and then the situation is investigated - very beautiflly and simply.

- More advanced material is collected in boxes, but is still referred to, at later times, when appropriate.

- The authors have taken much trouble in presenting some "science philosophy", asking you to become aware of your own thinking process, and even questioning the habit of assuming correctness of our mind. I just love this.

- The introduction to Supramolecular Machines is extremely fascinating, BUT although it acts as a "carrot" for the reader to get through the earlier chapters, it is not so strongly connected with the rest of the book that it deserves mentioning in the title itself. I see this as "advertising" on the part of the authors for this area - which I do not criticize. This area (hard to define!) might well become as important as biotechnology.

*A WEAKNESS in course use: there are no unsolved exercises or problems. But somehow, exercises would have marred the fantastic coherence. This could be seen as the best HANDBOOK of the PRINCIPLES of physical chemistry ever in print - like the title says. Many short, self-contained chapters, with solved problems that are anything but routine... it's perfect. Anyone can use it - and enjoy its exciting style, simultaneously. *Other weaknesses: poor-quality pictures (but with good descriptions). Not very good index. Rotten binding, as always, these days: the book just falls apart, almost at once.

This is, as Dr Bassi points out, really a new and modern book. It starts with Q.M. and introduces only formulas that are simple enough to be able to find use throughout the rest of the text. The whole book is just so coherent! The author knows all the time what you know, from following his book carefully, and pushes you all the time to your limit - but not beyond, as the mathematical derivations really are "neat". All other books are broken up into three major parts, between which there is only superficial connection. Here, the same equations govern every concept touched upon. It gives you a great feeling of satisfatcion and understanding! Overall, the book feels more like a novel, for its exciting style of writing and, again, continuity! (In spite of using very few words - this is definitely not the work of a graphoaniac!) If this is a textbook, then it sure is one of an all new breed... I look forwards to the next edition, with better binding and fewer misprints. And perhaps a supplementary volume with excercises, too. Get this book now! Even if you know this stuff, following the golden threads that the authors lay out, in a very personal and novel way, might let you experience some connections anew, or at least test your own skill agianst some unusual conclusions that pop ur here and there.