Elements of Physical Chemistry

In the 3rd edition of Peter Atkins, the author does a very admirable job because of the subject matter and the time phrame this course is evidently set for. Look at the the subtitle before you rag on him so much: with applications in biology. He craftily keeps most of the subject material straight to the point, and cleverly seeks to cover in about 500 pages a subject that usually requires much more than three that. I know all of his photos are black and white, and not color as we get used to, but his writing is not that bad. I liked the book, and could see how it would be very useful as a beginning P chem book. For you that think it is the worst ever, let me suggest the world's greatest loser as a physical chemistry book: Advanced Physical Chemistry by Jeff C Davis (Wiley and Sons). That truly is the worst P chem book on the market. It deserves the garbage can, but I just cannot seem to throw a book away no matter how bad it is. Adkins in this book does a good job, and I liked it. guyairey

Atkin's analysis of the integration of physical chemistry and biology I believe made a much better model for future biophysics. The text is an informative resource for one, and also an excellent educational tool. Also, its implications are almost frightening in their scope and degree. This was an excellent book, indeed. It is still an excellent text, and probably will be a worthwhile read for many years to come.

Like all the books that Atkins has written entirely on his own, the "Elements of Physical Chemistry" is a work of extremely high quality. With this, I mean that Atkins has succeeded entirely in achieving what he aimed for - writing a condensed booklet that collects in one place all the physical chemistry there is in General Chemistry, with very slight additional depth. The layout does not interfere, organization of material is perfect; but then, most General Chemistry texts would of course be very much easier to read and understand if all the flow-charts, dialogue boxes, summary boxes, review boxes, review question boxes, exercise boxes, problem boxes, concept question boxes, application boxes, margin notes and hundreds of flashy pictures were removed. As a child, a man that one day would become my professor, on one occasion said to me "you simply must know every WORD of this book, for it contains the elementa of the discipline". I followed this and other advice of his, and today I enjoy the effects of his wisdom. WelI-meaningly I now say to all people taking General Chemistry - get this book and learn every WORD. I urge you. With concentration, you will have learned everything well in one week-end. (You will be the best in your class with only this minimal investment of effort, if that is perhaps your concern.) The [elementa]of Physical Chemistry is really an inadequate title, as the foundations of Physical Chemistry come from many disciplines that must be studied separately; some catch-all volume is impossible. The "Postulates of General Chemistry" would be more descriptive, but extremely unlikely... Thus, do not be grightened by the title - this is GENERAL chemistry at its best. If you know what a definite integral is, you will be perfectly alright. The only weakness is the binding (as with the last edition of the Physical Chemistry proper and its accessory manuals) but that is no different from other books. Soon, the greed of publishing houses will have wiped out the last memory of that book binding really is an art. (Those who dream of obtaining a conscientous understanding of chemistry and physics, I also urge to read this book - since it will, as said, require only three days of work and will definitely save you many, many hours of inefficiency that a loose understanding of General Chemistry would steal from your restless struggle in your first Physical Chemistry or any other post-G-chem. course! Besides, conscience is always in constant movement and no one book, or even a thousand, good or bad, can anchor it securely for you! I take this opportunity of warning against trusting oneself too securely in the gentle arms of pedagogy: you should naturally listen to your masters carefully, admire their skill and persistence and remember all their words, but the only truth is that which you wholeheartedly believe in yourself. Now, as you try this out, you might find that believing is an infini