The authors have utilized a chapter format that is simple in concept yet creates a positive attitude toward the material to be presented. Every chapter begins with a list of conceptual questions that relate to major topics covered in that chapter and most of the questions are interesting and easy to relate to. For example, the chapter on thermochemistry begins by asking, "Why does the floor feel `cold' but an adjacent rug feels `warm' on a cold winter night, when both objects have the same temperature?" Discussions in the text are then related to the initially posed questions and after developing the relevant theoretical background, answers are clearly explained. I found this approach to be thought provoking and motivating, and I think most students will also.

The authors have utilized pedagogical features that most instructors will find useful including "intersection essays" that establish connections between sets of related chapters, and "bridge icons" that refer students to previous relevant discussions. I particularly liked their inclusion of "Research in the 90's" sections in each chapter that are successfully used by the authors to portray chemistry as an "active field in which students can participate" instead of the impression that freshman chemistry topics are "`dead' or at least `dying" that is produced by many freshman chemistry texts. I also liked the "special topics " sections that are used to introduce slightly more advanced topics at the ends of chapters and can be assigned or not at the discretion of the instructors. The authors also include numerous photographs of lecture demonstrations that should appeal especially to those instructors who do not have the proper facilities to perform lots of demonstrations. There also are numerous worked-out examples throughout the text and "checkpoints" that are used to verify student comprehension of concepts. In addition, all of the typical supplements are available including computerized test banks and lecture demonstration manuals and videotapes.

The first edition of this text was reviewed in this Journal (1989, 66, 11, A279--280) by T. C. Ichniowski, and one major flaw alluded to involved captions and legends of some of the photographs used to illustrate concepts or to supplement descriptive sections. I found that this problem still persists in the second edition. In one case I was not able to find a photograph specifically referred to in the text (nor could three other colleagues), and in several instances photographs and diagrams were not labelled adequately. Except for this one flaw, I was very impressed with this text and feel that it is a very well written and well-organized textbook.