40s
CLIE31ISTR.Y AND INDUSTRY Mu)' 6, 1017 slio\vti t l i n t :inti-pinking coiiipomids Iiavc no a p p a ~i i t effect 011 the setting up or 011 the speed of detoliilt,ioli i i i gns mistures.
of keeping iii touch witti the prcsciit trend of rcsenrcli on problems of gnseoiis co~~ib~istioii. The rcporf will I)c found iiiclispciisn1)lc to thosc dc.:' .11'011s \v. 1'. I.-:r REAT I S IE 0s y: II K M I 0 1) Y SA .\I ICS. 13)' 1>1{. .\I Ax Ptasclc. the sewiit.Ii Geritinii edition by DR. A. Oaa. 1027. Price 1.5s. net. JlacJlocu~ LI,, 31 .A, P!t .Jl. Second ctlit,ioii. PI'. vii + 41.1. New York : ,John W e y "?. Soils, Tnc. ; Loiicloii : Clinpiiiiiu k Hall, Lttl., I!)%. l'ricc 27s. Gtl. net. I.-lt is gratifying t o fiiitl t l i n t tliere is st,ill :i tlctiiiite, il restricted deiiiiiiid for itti English trniislntioii of this 011 tlieriiioilyiiniiiics by otlicr writers wlio o w it i i i i ackno\vledged rlcl>t. The divcrsity of ii~~~)lict1ti011s nf tfic scieiicc hnve, of coiirsc, been dealt with in iiiiicli grciltcr detail elsewhere. Tlie periiiniteiit wluc of Pltinck's work, however, lies in .his lucid method of presentntioii of blie fuiidnincittnl principles of tlieritiotlyiiniiiic tlieory. 111 re-reading the int,rotluctioii mid " proof " to tlie Sccond .Law, it is Iiiird t.0 npprcc.inte tlic distnst,e wliicli clieiiiists, up till recent ycnrs, I t n w cvincctl lor ciitropy :is n tltertnodyti:irnic tool. Entropy is tlie Iiittdiiiiiciitiil fiinct.ioii from wliiclt tlic otlicr tlieriiiodyiiiiiiiic fiiiict,ions arc tlerivcd, niid tlic conceptioii, ns ititroiliicetl I J ~ l'liiticl;, 1)rcsciits no difficulties. Fiirtlicr, tliere is iio qiicetion tliat tlic worker in tlicrinodyiiniiiics will find liis Ialmirs grcntly liglitcticil if he is not restricted to tliinlt i i t tcriiis of free ciiergy only, but his tlic ability to c h o s e iilwiiys thc function best suited to tlic probleiii in Itniirl.