Johnson and Scott's 166-page workbook is divided into eight small sections covering elementary material that beginners should, but usually don't, master. A very brief recall of the concepts that will be used is given at the start of each paragraph; it is usually followed by an example of calculations. One or more fill-in exercises are then proposed to the student. A summary of the equations and concepts with which the student should be familiar is given at the end of each section.

The first section reviews powers of 10. It is very elementary and could have been omitted. The second section goes on with Calculating Masses of Atoms and Molecules. Relative masses are clearly distinguished from actual masses; molar masses from molecular masses. Binding energy of atoms is obtained from the mass difference between total masses of all atomic particles and the atomic mass. Reduced masses, momentum, kinetic energy, de Broglie wavelength as well as moments of inertia and rotational constants of diatomic molecules are calculated.

The third section deals with Units: Dimensional Analysis. The chapter begins by recalling the SI - basics as well as derived units. The Guggenheim notation for tables and graphics is explained. The material of the section is quite appropriate for a student in experimental sciences. The fourth section goes on with Calculating Frequencies, Wavelengths and Energies. The authors discuss the photoelectric effect. Exercises cover various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum: X-rays to microwaves. Section five deals with calculations involving Pressure, Volume, Temperature: Concentration and Density. The chapter assumes ideal gases.

Graph Craft is the subject of section 6. It would have been more appropriate to put it after section 3. "Reading graphs" treats a single type of graph: a phase diagram. The next paragraph deals with "Plotting Graph". Again, only one type of graph, an Arrhenius plot, is examined. Not very much is given to help the student to craft good graphs; the approach is intuitive. The section ends with a brief presentation of regression analysis and how to estimate the quality of a straight line. The approach is very elementary but it has the merit of getting the student aware of some of the tools used to interpret experimental data.

Section 7 deals with the Kinetic Theory of Gases. Number density, speed and collisions between gaseous molecules in pure gases and in mixtures, collisions with walls and surfaces, and mean free paths, are calculated. Perfect gases are always assumed. A synopsis of the notation used in the section is given at its beginning; it is the only chapter for which this is done. Why?

Finally, section 8 deals with Chemical Thermodynamics. The 40-page section contains problems with work and heat, Gibbs energy, enthalpy and entropy changes during chemical reactions, heat capacities, equilibrium constants, yields, pH and solubility.

Everywhere in the text, students are trained to use a rigorous language: amount of substance rather than number of moles, Avogadro's constant not Avogadro's number, etc. However, some deviations from this rigor are noted: the comment following the graph on page 37 says: "where the points have been joined by a smooth curve" when, in fact, the points are joined by straight line segments. In Figure 4.1, page 49, the names of the colors in the visible spectrum are upside down. On page 154, it is written that "K_a values are usually quoted with the unit M (mol/dm^-3)." What does "usually" mean? Equilibrium constants are dimensionless. The authors have missed the opportunity to present the notion of "standard states". K values are not obtained from "concentrations" but from ratios of "concentration" divided by standard state, and are therefore dimensionless units, since standard states have the same units as "concentrations" units.

Many of the exercises illustrate "real" problems. However, their number is too limited. As a rule, there is only one solved problem (example) followed by, at most, three exercises.

Overall, new students in chemistry will find the workbook useful to review basic concepts and develop abilities in learning how to solve problems in introductory physical chemistry.