340 BOOK REVIEWS

The long delay in appearance of this volume, which contributes to this impression, was apparently caused by late receipt of only one paper (by eight months), and perhaps its omission would have resulted in a more timely publication. The production and appearance of this book are of high quality, with the exception of the index, which seems rather arbitrarily selective. The relative cheapness may make this book an attractive purchase for mass spectrometrists and others interested in the areas it covers.

J. Electroanal. Chem., 2o (I969) 339-34 °

M. I . BRUCE, University of B r i s t o l

Polarography : Plenary Lectures from the International Congress of Potarography, Kyoto, Japan, September, i966, Butterworths (for IUPAC), London, 1968, 124 pages, 5 ° s.

This slim volume collects the seven plenary lectures which have already appeared in Pure and Applied Chemistry, 15 (1967). The names of the distinguished authors lead one to expect a valuable collection and this expectation is indeed fully justified. Every electrochemist will find material here to stimulate his interest at a variety of levels.

I{ORYTA provides a compact and lucid summary of the theory of polarographic currents with a useful historical perspective. He emphasizes particularly the effect of adsorption both of reacting species and of other species from the solution. LAITINEN discusses the techniques of polarography and its relations in molten salts, giving helpful comments about each. He also reviews recent work on the equation for the polarographic wave. BARKER'S article on the Theory of the current in a.c. polarography describes his method of treating the impedance of an electrode interface by equivalent circuits using transmission lines, voltage generators and current generators as well as the more usual resistors and capacitors. In my opinion this is a clearer account than he has given previously and should be the starting point for those planning the annual reading of BARKER'S papers recommended by REINMUTH (Anal. Chem., 40 (1968) 185). I t also forms an excellent commentary on DELAHAY'S recent work on the nature of the separation of faradaic and non-faradaic currents. The article by FRUMKIN AND DAMASKIN contains the distilled wisdom of many years ' work from the first series of papers culminating in the classic review (FRuMKIN, Ergeb. Exakt. Naturw., 7 (1928) 235) to the present day. Tile adsorption of a variety of types of organic compounds at the free water surface and the mercury -wa te r interface is compared and contrasted. KEMULA discusses the sensitive method of deposition and stripping for trace analysis of metals. Practical details are described and the advantages of the method persua- sively argued. ELVlNG summarizes recent workin organic polarography. He hasin many cases provided a "review of reviews" which will be useful in finding one's way through this vast field. Finally, BREYER gives a sort of condensed supplement to A.C. Polaro- graphy and Tensammetry (BREYER AND BAUER, Wiley, 1963). The multiplicity of applications of these techniques is truly remarkable. If anyone is short of material for a research project, there is plenty here.

The book is well produced and well worth reading. ROGER PARSONS, University of Bristol

j . Electroanal. Chem., 20 (1969) 34 °