Book Description
Ira N. Levine's fifth edition of Physical Chemistry provides students with an in-depth fundamental treatment of physical chemistry. At the same time, the treatment is made easy to follow by giving full step-by-step derivations, clear explanations and by avoiding advanced mathematics unfamiliar to students. Necessary math and physics have thorough review sections. Worked examples are followed by a practice exercise.
Customer Reviews:
Very good introduction to physical chemistry.......2007-07-23
A previous reviewer stated that physical chemistry is complicated. As a retired NASA researcher with 44 years experience specializing in physical chemistry I readily acknowledge that physical chemistry can be a very challenging subject. But, personally, I have also found it to be immensely fascinating and rewarding. There are several good textbooks on physical chemistry but, in my opinion, none is better than this one. Levine has done a very good job of presenting the material contained in an understandable fashion without compromising scientific rigor.
An earlier reviewer stated that this book is full of inaccuracies, but I strongly disagree with this statement. One example of an alleged inaccuracy which this reviewer cited is Levine`s statement that, at the velocity of light, photons have mass. This is a true statement; photons do indeed have both mass and momentum and thus can cause pressure on objects they strike. I beg you not to be biased against this outstanding book by this flawed review.
The topic of physical chemistry -- in which chemistry, physics, and mathematics overlap and interact -- clearly does not appeal to everyone. Even many chemists shun the rigors of physical chemistry as much as possible. But for those studying this important subject, I highly recommend this book. And some of you may even come to love this fascinating subject as I do.
for those who don't like Levine.......2007-04-25
If you want the most student friendly book get Physical Chemistry , 4/e by Laidler, Meiser, Sanctuary, ISBN 061815292X.
Description on their website says "With its clear explanations and practical pedagogy, Physical Chemistry is less intimidating to students than other texts, without sacrificing the mathematical rigor and comprehensiveness necessary for a junior-level physical chemistry course. The text's long-standing reputation for accessible writing provides clear instruction and superior problem-solving support for students." I second that.
see my review here Physical Chemistry I mention the alternatives as well.
Terrible semester.......2007-03-31
Physical Chemistry is complicated, there is no way of getting around that. This book will go through the derivations, but never include units. That is a huge problem.
Terrible. Absolutely terrible........2006-09-24
I don't know why so many other people think this book is good. I feel just the opposite.
First, it is filled with factual inaccuracies. Let me quote just one howler, from page 604. "At speed c, the photon has a nonzero mass m." Yes, you heard right, Dr. Levine thinks photons have mass. He then goes on to give an incorrect statement and explanation of the De Broglie wavelength. (Among other things, he uses "mv" instead of momentum, which is of course true only in the case of Newtonian mechanics with massive particles. Sigh.) These gaffes are rarely typos, they are generally the sort of thing which someone with a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics cringes at.
Second, Levine is incapable of going a paragraph without interrupting himself. Given the choice of stating something simply, or filling a paragraph with fifteen references (placed in the text, not in footnotes) and a few asides, he always goes for the latter. References are a fine thing, but placing them inside the text and doing it constantly interrupts the reader's thinking.
Taking an example a few pages earlier in the text, it is not sufficient for Levine to start to explain the photoelectric effect, he has to add in a few lines about practical applications of photocells. All fine and well, but it distracts from the flow of the logic, and frankly the applications of photocells aren't germane to what is being taught here, which is that light is quantized. Levine can never resist the temptation to add a little aside -- there are even spots in the book where he interrupts his own interruptions.
Third, Levine is also incapable of writing without making what he discusses somehow seem meaningless and uninteresting. Take thermodynamics. In the hands of a bad author, thermodynamics can seem like a swirling vortex of formula manipulations, but if you read, say, Enrico Fermi's pamphlet from the 1930s, you instead feel as though you're seeing the power of a few ideas applied rigorously to an interesting domain -- you feel the relevance of the topic to the world and you feel the sparkle of the author's intellect. Levine takes this same topic and makes it feel like an endless parade of noise.
Indeed, Levine can take all sorts topics that are full of inherent interest and relevance and make them seem utterly abstract, boring and lifeless. In order to cover up for this, he throws in lots of asides (see above) and the occassional several paragraph digression about the life of some famous scientist. Sadly, you don't make a topic more "interesting for the kids" by throwing in random asides and distractions -- you do it by knowing how to teach. A good teacher can make anything interesting -- a bad one can't make up for it by doing a few juggling tricks.
Between Levine's self-interruptions, asides and dry presentation, somehow the length of the text always seems an order of magnitude longer than necessary to explain any given subject. I often mentally scream "get to the point already!" as I read.
There is also the question of order of presentation. Honestly, I think that starting a discussion of thermodynamics without first at least glossing to the kinetic theory of gases is a mistake. Abstraction has to be tempered with good mental models of what is going on and why it is going on or the student becomes lost. Even a couple of pages showing that the Ideal Gas Law is an emergent result of a simple classical mechanical model would ground the student better to the material. This sort of thing happens over and over in Levine, with discussion being often both too rigorous and unfounded in basic principles at the same time -- quite a trick to pull off.
Levine's text is, of course, in its fifth edition. Presumably, had the earlier revision been left alone, sales might have flagged as used copies from bored students uninterested in holding on to them filled the market. The publishers have therefore done the usual thing and produced trivial updates every few years to assure that used copies become worthless. Does this new fifth edition come with snazzy new diagrams and all the other stigmata of the modern textbook industry? No. The diagrams in the text -- a text you pay a kings ransom for -- were clearly done in MacDraw and MacPaint in the mid-1980s. I am not that upset about this -- I just find it another irritation. Truthfully, I don't need snazzy illustrations -- my favorite physics and chemistry texts are often decades old -- but if you're going to pretend that you're doing a new edition for some reason other than to keep your sales numbers up, at least have the decency to spend a small amount of money on production to keep up appearances. Milking the students is an embarrassment, especially at the inflated price this book commands.
Oh, and did I mention that the book is insanely heavy? That's not a small thing if you have to haul it around a campus constantly.
As I said, I don't know why other reviewers like this book so much. I'm a confirmed science geek who loves reading science texts for their own sake and I'm having a great deal of difficulty reminding myself that this text (which is being used for a class I'm taking) is not reason enough to find the entire subject of physical chemistry an unbearably boring waste of time -- the topic is in fact interesting, it is this book which is the problem.
To survive the course I'm taking with my mind intact, I've used a succession of small texts by people like Fermi and Pauli. The contrast between people who understand a topic well enough to explain it clearly and simply and the people like Levine that churn out heavy uninteresting textbooks is striking. If you're a professor considering the use of this book, please, please, please don't do it. Find something else. there has to be a decent book on this topic out there somewhere.
As a final comment, let me say this is not the worst text I've ever used. That would be H.J. Pain's "The Physics of Vibrations and Waves". To damn Dr. Levine with faint praise, this book doesn't even come close to being as bad as that other text.
Great Book.......2006-04-22
I took both semesters of P.Chem, failing the first because I took way too many upper level Chem Classes & working as well as a weak background in Calc 3. After studying Calc III by myself over the summer and retaking the class, I am able to absorb so much more and I'm ripping a new one in this class. It is truly an amazing book. Having a solid math background helps one to 'connect the dots' so-to-speak whenever Dr. Levine makes these 'shortcuts'. Tons of worked examples, difficult yet definitely possible homework problems and an acutual intelligent sense of humor are woven into the this book making an extremely complex and difficult subject..... engaging, lol. I spend close to 40hrs. per test and I'm thankful I'm putting myeself through this. Great book, just make sure you have a solid understanding of partial diff eqns. and complex algebra before you take it. Not meant for the weak of mind.
Product Description
This Student Solutions Manual, which provides complete solutions to all of the nearly 600 exercises in the accompanying textbook, will encourage students to work the exercises, enhancing their mastery of physical organic chemistry. When used properly by students to compare their solutions with the detailed solutions provided in the manual, it will serve as an excellent tool for sharpening skills and encouraging a deeper understanding of the concepts that are covered. Like the accompanying text by Anslyn and Dougherty, this manual also includes Going Deeper highlights on selected topics, where students can explore exceptions to the rule, discover surprising connections between topics, and gain insights into practical aspects of the material. Problem-solving strategies will be enhanced by students' coordinated use of the textbook and this manual.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book.......2007-10-09
This book is excellent. If you study Physical chemistry, you must have one. Most content in this book is quite new, that you can not find in other books.
I love it very much! Service in Amazon is very goog!
Slow shipping and handling.......2007-09-19
The book is in fine condition, I just had to wait longer than I have ever waited for a book in my life.
Excellent.......2007-01-04
The book arrived on time in a good shape as I hoped it to be. I'm very glad I choose to purchase book from the seller and I will highly recommend it.
Outstanding Text for Grad School.......2006-12-09
I completed my first semester of Physical Organic chemistry using this textbook and I am pleased beyond words. The book is very well written, yet sophisticated enough to help advance new graduate students like myself to the level that our Professors understand concepts at. The problems at the end of the chapter are very useful and the answer guide (sold seperately) explains them quite well.
The book is also binded very solidly. The other people in my research group keep this text on their lab bookshelfs for reference and I have no doubt that I will do the same.
The long wait is over..........2006-09-19
Phys. Org. Chem. has always been one of my favourite subjects. As I graduated from school and college into university for my master's, I began to realise that it represents not so much a separate topic as a philosophy and approach; to treat chemical and biological systems from the perspective of structure, conformation, and reactivity, which are after all the most fundamental aspects of any such system. I reached the conclusion that phys org chem is a truly interdisciplinary framework, and any one who has a solid background in it can be a good computational chemist, synthetic organic chemist, and/or bioorganic/biochemist.
Unfortunately, all the classic phys org books until now have been of the 'pure' kind, focusing on mechanism and reactivity, but not discussing the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, especially for biological systems. My wait is over; Modern Physical Organic Chemistry by Dennis Dougherty and Eric Anslyn has completely and satisfactorily reinvented the phys org chem textbook. Now, one can look to a wholesome treatment of phys org as a multidisciplinary, fundamental, and exciting approach to both chemistry and biology. The book is worth its price, and covers the gamut of topics, including basic ones like mechanisms and bonding, but also is interspersed with lots of boxes and discussions explaining the applications of basic phys org concepts to host guest systems, proteins and nucleic acids, strained molecules, and materials science. Fantastic reference. It should make you a well-rounded chemist, which is the need of the day in today's era of collaborative research.
Book Description
Ever since
Physical Chemistry was first published in 1913 (then titled Outlines of Theoretical Chemistry, by Frederick Getman), it has remained a highly effective and relevant learning tool thanks to the efforts of physical chemists from all over the world. Each new edition has benefited from their suggestions and expert advice. The result of this remarkable tradition is now in your hands.
Now revised and updated, this Fourth Edition of
Physical Chemistry by Silbey, Alberty, and Bawendi continues to present exceptionally clear explanations of concepts and methods. The basic theory of chemistry is presented from the viewpoint of academic physical chemists, but detailed discussions of practical applications are integrated throughout. The problems in the book also skillfully blend theory and applications.
Highlights of the Fourth Edition:
- A total of 170 computer problems appropriate for MATHEMATICA
TM, MATHCAD
TM, MATLAB
TM, or MAPLE
TM.
- Increased emphasis on the thermodynamics and kinetics of biochemical reactions, including the denaturation of proteins and nucleic acids.
- Expanded coverage of the uses of statistical mechanics, nuclear magnetic relaxation, nanoscience, and oscillating chemical reactions.
- Many new tables and figures throughout the text.
Customer Reviews:
Review of Levine's solution manual, 4th edition.......2000-11-28
This solutions manual was almost impossible to read because it was written with a typewriter and not professionally typeset. The equations are often typed with no spaces between them and I could not tell where one equation ended and another began. Hopefully the author will have the next edition typeset. Physical chemisty is hard enough without having to decipher a solutions manual like this.
Customer Reviews:
This book rules!.......2006-11-03
Evolution rules, science proves, and creationism fools!
The National Academy of Sciences has done us all a great justice by so succinctly putting the case together for the theory of evolution that even the most ignorant creationist can understand it.
Too bad that most die hard ignoramuses like the creationists and "I.D. Theorists" won't get it. It just doesn't sink into their thick skulls. The scientific method doesn't satisfy them. A natural explanation of the world doesn't satisfy them as they would rather have a completely un-provable supernatural explanation for the world we all live in.
Word to the wise folks, there is a natural explanation for everything and that means everything. No need to posit supernaturalism to explain anything in the natural universe. There is no need for the hypothesis of supernaturalism, because science does an excellent job of explaining natural phenomena without it.
Since creationists and "I.D. Theorists" are so against science when it comes to evolution, then perhaps they shouldn't even benefit from the advances in medical technology that comes from a firm understanding of the theory of evolution! Perhaps they shouldn't be the hypocrites they are and stop benefiting from medical advances that are based entirely on the founding principles of biology and the fact that all biology is best explained in the light of the theory of evolution!
But no, they hypocritically enjoy the benefits of advanced medicine while decrying the theory of evolution upon which much of it is based!
This book is short, but sweet. It highlights the facts, not the pseudoscience of creationists and "I.D. Theorists." To evolutionists it is an entertaining read. To creationists and their ilk they probably won't even understand a word of it since they all seem to be science illiterate and revel in the ignorance of the scientific facts.
Evolution is a fact of life and a fact of nature. Get over it.
Lack of significant evidence from the "experts".......2005-08-11
I bought this book from the so-called "experts" expecting to learn a lot of scientific evidence and support for evolution and natural selection, having a scientific education myself. Instead the text was quite vague, generalized, and full of unproven rhetoric which the authors claimed was fully scientific. Ironically, despite the authors' claim of knowledge of the scientific method, their work provided me with very little genuine scientific evidence of evolution.
Atheist Propoganda.......2005-03-06
Atheist propaganda is a very fitting word for a book that was distributed to schools to try and combat Creationist pupils. In 1996, The National Academy of Sciences decided that too many students believed in the Bible, and too many teachers were realising that Creationism was scientifically superior to evolutionism. So the NAS wrote a very poor book and sent it to public schools to help teachers show the `fact' of the theory of evolution.
The book really seems to go along the lines of `tell a lie often enough and people will believe it'. And the book uses very deceptive tactics and some downright lies to do that. For example, it gives examples of variations and micro-evolution but does not bother to tell the reader that there is a huge difference between observed variations and macro-evolution. This is to try and convince the bewildered reader that variations and macro-evolution go hand and hand together when in fact, they do not. And part from these examples of variations, the book does not devote much time in trying to prove the theory of evolution (apart from presenting falsified `evidence' such as recapitulation and Archaeopteryx) and rather just state that evolution is a fact because some scientists say so.
The number of lies in the book shows the depths to which the NAS is willing to sink. For example, on page 56, in the FAQ section, it answers the question `Don't many famous scientists reject evolution?' with `No.' This is a complete lie. Most famous scientists in history have been Creationists (Newton, Mendel, Galileo etc). But of course, it does not mention them. And many scientists do not accept evolution today. It then moves onto character-smear Creation scientists by claiming they `use quotations from prominent scientists out of context'. This is a disgraceful allegation and along with the other Creationist straw-men set up in the book, is nothing short of brainwashing.
As I have said, this book is nothing more than atheist propaganda (books written by atheists are recommended and theism is mocked). If your school uses this book then I would strongly recommend reading `Refuting Evolution' by Dr. Jonathan Sarfati which exposes the book for the lies that it is.
An Excellent Presentation.......2002-04-25
..., it is an excellent, balanced presentation of evolution and how it should be taught in public schools. It presents clearly what most people, ..., fail to understand. That is the nature of scientific inquiry and what makes an idea qualify as a scientific theory... either imply or overtly state that there is much contradictory evidence left out in this book that would refute evolutionary theory and support what they call "creation science" No biologist would deny that there are problems with evolution and that there are many things that cannot be explained yet. This is the nature of science!!!!! As more evidence is collected, ideas and theories change. The overwhelming evidence supports evolution and that's why it's one of the fundamental ideas in science. Anyway, this is a great book for teachers, and every teacher who cares about scientific truth should read it.
Well written indoctrination manual.......2002-02-27
Teaching About Evolution is well written and easy to read. I would give it 5 stars for the quality of presentation. It is the content that needs help.
First, the NAS remove any doubt about their purpose. A statistic given in the introduction to explain the reason for the book is the fact that most Americans still believe in a Creator. The conclusion of the NAS is that, if this is the case, students must not be getting enough evolution teaching and something must be done about it. The book is part of their response to this 'problem.'
There are many issues with the content that I could address, but I will only mention one. Being an engineer and a certified math and physics teacher, I was particularly intrigued when the authors redefined fact and theory in such a way as to place those who don't believe in evolution in the same category as those who don't believe in gravity. The approach is far more subtle than the open ridicule presented by Gould or Dawkins, and probably more effective. They fail to mention that by the 'theory' of gravity they are actually referring to Einstein's complex Theory of General Relativity which attempts to explain the nature of gravity, not the typical reader's understanding of the existence of gravitational force. Apparantly, this is an important distinction only for authors who are not interested in misleading the readers.
I highly recommend reading this book along with its critique by Jonathan Sarfati, Refuting Evolution. Together they provide a balanced view that will allow an intelligent reader to draw his or her own conclusions.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Georgia Journal of Science, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2005. The length of the article is 6524 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Countering public misconceptions about the nature of evolutionary science.
Author: Keith B. Miller
Publication:
Georgia Journal of Science (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 63
Issue: 3
Page: 175(15)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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General & Reference
| Chemistry
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Experiments In Physical Chemistry
Schaum's Outline of Physical Chemistry (2nd Edition)
Inorganic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Fundamentals of Momentum, Heat, and Mass Transfer
