When this innovative textbook first appeared in 1984,
it rapidly became a great success throughout the world
and has already been translated into several European
and Asian languages. Now, the authors have completely
revised and updated the text, including more than 2000
new literature references to work published since the
first edition. No page has been left unaltered but the
novel features which proved so attractive have been
retained. The book presents a balanced, coherent and
comprehensive account of the chemistry of the elements
for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. This
crucial central area of chemistry is full of ingenious
experiments, intriguing compounds and exciting new
discoveries. The authors specifically avoid the term
'inorganic chemistry' since this evokes an outmoded view
of chemistry which is no longer appropriate in the final
decade of the 20th century. Accordingly, the book covers
not only the 'inorganic' chemistry of the elements, but
also analytical, theoretical, industrial,
organometallic, bio-inorganic and other cognate areas of
chemistry.The authors have broken with recent tradition
in the teaching of their subject and adopted a new and
highly successful approach based on descriptive
chemistry. The chemistry of the elements is still
discussed within the context of an underlying
theoretical framework, giving cohesion and structure to
the text, but at all times the chemical facts are
emphasized. Students are invited to enter the exciting
world of chemical phenomena with a sound knowledge and
understanding of the subject, to approach
experimentation with an open mind, and to assess
observations reliably. This is a book that students will
not only value during their formal education, but will
keep and refer to throughout their careers as chemists.
It is completely revised and updated, has a unique
approach to the subject, and is more comprehensive than
competing titles. |
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