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.
