Nature's building blocks: an A-Z guide to the elements (new edn)
John Emsley
Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press 2011 | Pp720 | £14.99 (PB) | ISBN9780199605637
Reviewed by Simon Cotton

There is no political party that can unite such diversity within its membership as does the periodic table of the elements. 

This book pulls off the remarkable feat of combining essential information on all the known chemical elements with facts on their role in living systems, the history of each element, its uses, and its environmental role, all in a most readable way. In other hands this could well be dull, but in the hands of John Emsley it is a joy to read.

Since the previous edition, three more elements (110-112) have received their official names (darmstadtium, roetgenium, and copernicium) and they duly receive their sections in the book. There is also a whole chunk of information on the transfermium elements. Some of the elements 113 (ununtrium) - 127 (unbiseptium) are unconfirmed, whilst others have been predicted; each of these gets a page too. There is a section on the history of the periodic table and an extensive bibliography.

If none of this comes as a surprise to you, turn to the Element of Surprise  section at the end of each element. These are little snippets of surprising information. 

I defy anyone to read this book without learning new facts. In my case it was that gallium (as well as antimony) expands on freezing and that vanadium was responsible for the prized properties of Damascene steel, famous amongst sword makers. 

At a cover price that works out at about two pence per page, it is excellent value and is highly recommended.  

Chemistry for dummies (2nd edn)
John Moore
Hoboken, New Jersey, US: Wiley 2011 | Pp384 | £14.99 (PB | ISBN9781118007303
Reviewed by Ann Lewis-Kell

This recent publication from Wiley is aimed at the US market. It would be suitable for post-16 students who wish to improve their chemical knowledge either as a supplementary resource or to improve their understanding of where the subject fits in to the world around them, for example by looking at what you can do with a chemistry degree.

The book is divided into five sections over 22 chapters. The use of margin icons help the reader to prioritise their learning needs, eg the tip  icon for focusing on the easiest way to solve a problem or the remember  icon for the most important facts that should not be forgotten. 

Many of the topics are currently studied at AS, A2 and International Baccalaureate level eg chemical calculations, matter and energy, atomic structure, periodicity, gases, bonding, shapes and radioactivity. 

At the end of the second chapter the author gives a clear and concise explanation of how to handle significant figures. The fourth chapter on atomic structure is good, especially the section on the quantum mechanical model and the shapes of orbitals. This links very well with the molecular orbital theory covered at the end of the chapter on molecular geometry and hybridisation.  

Other topics that are explained well include the polarity of molecules and how to write chemical formulae. There is a useful overview of air and water pollution. Although there are no chapters on organic chemistry or nanotechnology, these areas may be covered in further editions. 

I especially enjoyed the last few chapters on famous chemists, useful chemicals and the great chemical discoveries. The glossary at the end of the book is comprehensive and a useful learning tool in its own right. 

This is not the book for the more visual learner, but I found it readable and would recommend it as a book that is good value for money and one that would be a useful library or departmental acquisition. 

Chemistry (4th edn)
Rob Lewis and Wynne Evans
Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan 2011 | Pp496 | £27.99 (PB) | ISBN9780230291829
Reviewed by Gan Shermer

This book is designed to cover the basics of chemical literacy for students studying access and foundation courses or for those who need a general understanding of chemistry. It covers a wide range of topics from the traditional inorganic, organic and physical subject areas, as well as common calculations and measurements associated with laboratory work. In addition, it contains a number of special interest topics such as forensic and pharmaceutical chemistry.

With such an ambitious scope, this book does well giving a basic introduction to most areas of chemistry. Each chapter includes clear objectives and starts at a level that an able GCSE student should understand. The size of the book and the use of colour and informal language makes it appear less daunting.

Each chapter contains example questions and exercises so students can test their knowledge and finishes with a set of revision questions. There are also references to the companion website which contains appendices of extension material, case studies of applications and even videos of experiments to illustrate the theory. The additional information provided in the boxes throughout each chapter adds interest and allows students to see the concepts they are learning in a real world context. All these features support students in developing their understanding whilst also allowing the most able to be stretched.

In several areas the book provides a good introduction to the first year of a chemistry degree. The chapters on spectroscopy, units and measurements and separations would be good revision for any first year chemistry undergraduate and would help with many topics encountered in practical classes. In addition, the chapters on atomic structure and bonding guide students 

The ultimate teaching manual: a route to success for beginning teachers
Gererd Dixie
London, UK: Continuum 2011 | Pp224 | £19.99 (PB) | ISBN9781441188861
Reviewed by Tom Husband

Gererd Dixie's handbook is written for new teachers and its content is well catered to its intended audience. The book covers all the essentials - from legal requirements to key pedagogy - and also provides useful advice. More importantly it outlines an ethos that puts the child first in every decision.

For PGCE graduates the advice may feel like yet another voice demanding more work. Dixie constantly urges teachers to do more to find out about each individual student, to know more about their background, to make more personalised provisions in their planning and to customise more tasks to preferred learning styles. Nevertheless, he argues that such 'extra work' is an investment that will ultimately make life easier, especially in the crucial area of behaviour management.

It is on this latter issue that Dixie's true passion comes through. The sections on legal requirements and pedagogy are often dry and the formal language occasionally hinders rather than illuminates. However, it is on the subject of behaviour for learning that the advice starts to stimulate and challenge. He repeatedly calls for teachers to empathise with their students and even, in a section on building relationships, invites teachers to honestly assess their own emotional intelligence. He makes a clear and well-argued division between the kind of teachers that thrive - and more importantly whose students thrive - and those that fail because they are unwilling to see things from the student's point of view.

In spite of some questionable stylistic choices, such as the book's 'Highway Code' theme, Dixie's manual is a useful text. It would make an excellent primer for anyone preparing to start teacher training. Meanwhile, it would be the graduate of only a superlative training course who could learn nothing new from this comprehensive manual.