I like this book. I think it is an excellent text for a beginning student or research person starting or thinking about using NMR as a method to obtain structural information about organic molecules. There are 15 chapters, which include topics such as obtaining an NMR spectrum; symmetry; ¹H and ¹³C spectra of toluene; correlating proton chemical shifts with molecular structure; chemical shift correlations for ¹³C and other elements; first-order (weak) spin-spin coupling; second-order (strong) coupling effects; dynamic processes; double-resonance techniques; two-dimensional NMR; NMR of biologically important molecules; solid-state NMR; and NMR imaging.

The format is a two-column presentation that is very easy on the eyes. I particularly like the presentation on two-dimensional NMR. It flows smoothly and reveals the usefulness of the technique without undue mathematics.

At first I questioned the appearance of 60 MHz ¹H and 20 MHz ¹³C spectra taken from the Sadtler Research Laboratory collection of spectra. However, they are well used in demonstrating the need for higher-field spectrometers and the shift to first-order spectra. The text also uses questions (with answers!) and two self-tests to monitor one's progress.

I did detect a few items that need to be corrected. (i) On page 113, "If the neighboring nucleus had I = 0, it could adopt only one orientation in a magnetic field." I understand I = 0 to mean the nucleus does not have a magnetic moment and therefore does not have a preferred orientation in a magnetic field. (ii) On page 201, "a component of M precessing on the +y¢ axis is ultimately detected as a positive signal, while a component precessing on the +x'or {x' axis gives zero signal." My experience is that one detects an out-of-phase signal. Furthermore, the reference to Figure 3.22 in this regard is misleading. Figure 3.22 deals with spin inversion and not phase detection. (iii) The periodic table in appendix 2 has a wealth of information but is very difficult to read owing to the small print. The text does not go beyond the vector model description of NMR and there is no mention of the product operator formalism. Furthermore, neither the Bloch equations nor the names of Bloch, Purcell, or Ernst appear in the text.

In summary, the book is an excellent starting point for a student with an interest in obtaining structural information about organic molecules to obtain an understanding of the wealth of information obtainable from NMR spectroscopy.