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The third edition of this textbook is designed for use in a brief course in organic chemistry. This edition shares much in common with its predecessors. It is comparatively short, is organized by functional group, possesses fine styling and carefully presented artwork, and is written in an exceedingly student-friendly manner. The table of contents of this edition, in terms of chapter headings, is identical to the second edition with the sole exception being the inclusion of an additional chapter (Chapter 17) entitled "The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways". This new chapter is well written and provides closure for the book with an array of tangible examples illustrating that the organic reactions of simple organisms, while being more complex than those typically performed in the laboratory, are governed, nonetheless, by the same principles that are taught in the earlier chapters. While the first 16 chapters possess identical headings with those from the second edition, some important changes have been made in terms of content. The greatest improvement comes in Chapter 1 where the authors have added review treatments on acid-base chemistry, electronegativity, and bonding. Further changes include a modest expansion in the number of end-chapter problems, the inclusion of more in-chapter drill problems, and the addition of full color to several chapters.
McMurry, like all his competition, treats spectroscopy (IR, UV, C-13, and H-1 NMR) as a self-contained unit in a late chapter (Chapter 13). The earlier chapters that deal with the common functional groups possess no spectroscopic component at all. This simplifies instruction if spectroscopy is de-emphasized by the instructor. If the instructor prefers the inclusion of structure determination throughout the functional group treatment, then the approach taken here will severely limit the utility of this book. The complete omission of mass spectrometry is a clear short-fall in this text.
On the absolute scale, this book has an array of strengths. The manner of writing and clarity of presentation is first-rate. An innovative vertical format to explain reaction mechanisms is utilized. The mechanisms are printed vertically, while explanations of the step-by-step changes are printed next to the reaction arrow. This approach works very well. An effective means for emphasizing key terminology is employed in that key terms are segregated from the text, being placed in the margin next to where they first appear in the text. Selected chapters conclude with well-prepared summaries of key terms and key reactions.
This reviewer can find no pedagogic or chemical weaknesses inherent to this book, but there is some unrealized potential. For instance, the author's mechanistic approach is excellent, however, it would have been better had he extended this approach to a broader array of reactions. The author also has included several "interludes" that show interesting applications of organic chemistry to industrial and biological systems. These end-of-chapter treatments are, indeed, engaging to the student, but once more are too few in number. And finally, while the chemistry of reactive intermediates is addressed adequately throughout the book (as applied to specific reactions), the initial treatment in Chapter 2 is far too brief and should be expanded to include the structure and reactivity of anions and free radicals in addition to cations.
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