THE BOY'S BOOK OF MODERN CHEMICAL WONDERS

Title trouble again: this is coed, of course, and more comprehensive -- if slightly less contemporary -- than it claims to be. After an introductory chapter on the discovery of basic chemical principles, the text follows the historical development of various practical applications of the science. Some of the sections are based on function -- photography, food preservation, insect control; some are based on substance -- synthesizing chemicals from coal tar, refining and concentrating metals from ore, exploiting oxygen and other gases. The broad scope of the subject-matter gives it usefulness; the straightforward explication of often complex processes and procedures gives it value. Chief drawback is the design -- small type set in double columns with illustrations of varying interest.