The Instant Notes series of books, including this title, is aimed at concise presentation of main topics in a field. This title covers all standard areas of analytical chemistry, including both instrumental methods and classical wet chemistry topics, in about one-third the length of a traditional textbook. The book is divided into eight major sections, including an overview of analytical chemistry, and sections on data, solution chemistry, separations, spectroscopy, combined techniques (for example GC–MS), thermal methods, sensors, and automation. Sections contain four to 14 subsections, each beginning with three to five main points, highlighted and briefly summarized. Concise expansions on these topics follow, with illustrative figures and useful tables of information.

The book nicely identifies main ideas throughout analytical chemistry, and summarizes them clearly. It brings home the key ideas in the way that a good lecture does, and which full-length textbooks rarely do. Indeed, the content is most similar to the level of detail a course lecture would provide—highlights, main ideas, some details. For example, one of only four summary points about ion selective electrodes reads “Selectivity: The ideal electrode should respond to a single ion, but this is not often the case. The effectiveness of any indicator electrode is determined by its selectivity.” This key point is concise, and clear. The following material fleshes this discussion out, including equations to quantitate selectivity.

While some instructors will find this brevity a refreshing and welcome change when choosing a course textbook, most will see this text as suitable only as a supplement. Brevity clearly has some costs. For example, when discussing statistical treatment of data, only tiny snippets of standard t-tables and F-tables are included, not enough for general use. When discussing the impact of protonation on EDTA complexation, a table of α₄ values is provided only at some pH values and only for EDTA, with no information on calculating α and no information on other pH values. Mass spectral interpretation is covered in only eight pages, half of which are taken up by spectra. Clearly the reader is expected to have other, more detailed resources available, and to know how and when to access them. Another limitation when considering this resource as a standalone text is the total lack of practice problems or review questions: none are provided.

The depth of coverage of topics does vary. The separation science section (about one quarter of the book) is sufficiently detailed to serve as a standalone text, and is quite satisfying. The treatments of classic wet chemical techniques are on the other end of the spectrum, too brief to be more than a review.

Overall, this text seems best suited as an affordable companion to a traditional textbook. Together they would provide full depth (and practice problems when needed) and a concise, to the point, understandable overview emphasizing main points clearly—a fine study aid for a student preparing for an exam. It would also serve well as a review and resource for any practicing analyst.