An excellent book, 15 Jun 2007
An asset to undergraduates and even postgraduates who need a refreshing short book on the basic NMR principles. The book is of course good for how NMR is used for ascertaining inorganic processes/stuctures i.e. fluxionality and isomerism. The book is also just as useful to organic chemists.

For a primer, the book covers a lot of good information on the actual physical theory made use of in attaining an NMR spectrum, which is more important than an UG might appreciate, and they should make an effort to understand these things if the are to fully use NMR at the research level.

Content summary: 1) fundementals - does talk about coupling and relaxation mechanisms in good detail 2) structure determination 3) solid state.

An excellent book, 15 Jun 2007
An asset to undergraduates and even postgraduates who need a refreshing short book on the basic NMR principles. The book is of course good for how NMR is used for ascertaining inorganic processes/stuctures i.e. fluxionality and isomerism. The book is also just as useful to organic chemists.

For a primer, the book covers a lot of good information on the actual physical theory made use of in attaining an NMR spectrum, which is more important than an UG might appreciate, and they should make an effort to understand these things if the are to fully use NMR at the research level.

Content summary: 1) fundementals - does talk about coupling and relaxation mechanisms in good detail 2) structure determination 3) solid state.

The best undergraduate book for spectroscopy., 19 Jul 2004
The aim of this book is to explain different methods of spectroscopy, from how they work to how to read the spectra. It goes through IR, H and C NMR, UV and so on. Many consider this to be the best book on spectroscopy and it has earned itself quite a reputation. It's also useful for postgraduates because it's more than just a teaching aid; it has many tables inside outlining where you might find that IR peak for a particular functional group or what the chemical shift of something is. On the other hand, if you want a reference text and that's all then there are probably better books than this. I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 mainly because it lies somewhere between a teaching aid and a reference text and despite it being very useful and worth getting, it excells at neither. I'd recommend it.

An excellent book, 15 Jun 2007
An asset to undergraduates and even postgraduates who need a refreshing short book on the basic NMR principles. The book is of course good for how NMR is used for ascertaining inorganic processes/stuctures i.e. fluxionality and isomerism. The book is also just as useful to organic chemists.

For a primer, the book covers a lot of good information on the actual physical theory made use of in attaining an NMR spectrum, which is more important than an UG might appreciate, and they should make an effort to understand these things if the are to fully use NMR at the research level.

Content summary: 1) fundementals - does talk about coupling and relaxation mechanisms in good detail 2) structure determination 3) solid state.

The best undergraduate book for spectroscopy., 19 Jul 2004
The aim of this book is to explain different methods of spectroscopy, from how they work to how to read the spectra. It goes through IR, H and C NMR, UV and so on. Many consider this to be the best book on spectroscopy and it has earned itself quite a reputation. It's also useful for postgraduates because it's more than just a teaching aid; it has many tables inside outlining where you might find that IR peak for a particular functional group or what the chemical shift of something is. On the other hand, if you want a reference text and that's all then there are probably better books than this. I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 mainly because it lies somewhere between a teaching aid and a reference text and despite it being very useful and worth getting, it excells at neither. I'd recommend it.

Classic Book for Mass Spectrometry, 22 Jul 1998
The book is commonly used as a text book on Mass Spectrometry at graduate or undergraduate level. Very nice for organic mass spectrometry. I even read a Chinese version back home.

The examples are good, exercises have answers at the end of book: great for self-practicing. It is too bad that this book does not cover the currently very hot biological mass spectrometry. Anyway this is a book you have to read at least twice if you want to be in the field of mass spectrometry.

A good mass spec reference., 10 Feb 1998
A good reference to have on your desk. Best for graduate students or undergrads. Largely irrelevant for todays working chemist.

An excellent book, 15 Jun 2007
An asset to undergraduates and even postgraduates who need a refreshing short book on the basic NMR principles. The book is of course good for how NMR is used for ascertaining inorganic processes/stuctures i.e. fluxionality and isomerism. The book is also just as useful to organic chemists.

For a primer, the book covers a lot of good information on the actual physical theory made use of in attaining an NMR spectrum, which is more important than an UG might appreciate, and they should make an effort to understand these things if the are to fully use NMR at the research level.

Content summary: 1) fundementals - does talk about coupling and relaxation mechanisms in good detail 2) structure determination 3) solid state.

The best undergraduate book for spectroscopy., 19 Jul 2004
The aim of this book is to explain different methods of spectroscopy, from how they work to how to read the spectra. It goes through IR, H and C NMR, UV and so on. Many consider this to be the best book on spectroscopy and it has earned itself quite a reputation. It's also useful for postgraduates because it's more than just a teaching aid; it has many tables inside outlining where you might find that IR peak for a particular functional group or what the chemical shift of something is. On the other hand, if you want a reference text and that's all then there are probably better books than this. I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 mainly because it lies somewhere between a teaching aid and a reference text and despite it being very useful and worth getting, it excells at neither. I'd recommend it.

Classic Book for Mass Spectrometry, 22 Jul 1998
The book is commonly used as a text book on Mass Spectrometry at graduate or undergraduate level. Very nice for organic mass spectrometry. I even read a Chinese version back home.

The examples are good, exercises have answers at the end of book: great for self-practicing. It is too bad that this book does not cover the currently very hot biological mass spectrometry. Anyway this is a book you have to read at least twice if you want to be in the field of mass spectrometry.

A good mass spec reference., 10 Feb 1998
A good reference to have on your desk. Best for graduate students or undergrads. Largely irrelevant for todays working chemist.

An excellent undergraduate textbook of atomic spectra, 14 Jun 2000
Softley has produced a concise well-written introduction to the field suitable for the undergraduate student and beyond. All the essential elements of a first or second year chemistry course are discussed with a clarity of explanation rare in other books on this subject. Following a brief introduction to the quantum mechanical principles of spectroscopy subsequent chapters deal with the hydrogen atom, alkali metal atoms, before moving on to the helium atom and many electron atoms in logical preogression. Illustrative examples at the end of each chapter allow the student to test his/her progress. This is a book which students of all abilities find accessible and useful and has rapidly become the choice text for atomic spectroscopy courses.

An excellent book, 15 Jun 2007
An asset to undergraduates and even postgraduates who need a refreshing short book on the basic NMR principles. The book is of course good for how NMR is used for ascertaining inorganic processes/stuctures i.e. fluxionality and isomerism. The book is also just as useful to organic chemists.

For a primer, the book covers a lot of good information on the actual physical theory made use of in attaining an NMR spectrum, which is more important than an UG might appreciate, and they should make an effort to understand these things if the are to fully use NMR at the research level.

Content summary: 1) fundementals - does talk about coupling and relaxation mechanisms in good detail 2) structure determination 3) solid state.

The best undergraduate book for spectroscopy., 19 Jul 2004
The aim of this book is to explain different methods of spectroscopy, from how they work to how to read the spectra. It goes through IR, H and C NMR, UV and so on. Many consider this to be the best book on spectroscopy and it has earned itself quite a reputation. It's also useful for postgraduates because it's more than just a teaching aid; it has many tables inside outlining where you might find that IR peak for a particular functional group or what the chemical shift of something is. On the other hand, if you want a reference text and that's all then there are probably better books than this. I gave this book 4 stars and not 5 mainly because it lies somewhere between a teaching aid and a reference text and despite it being very useful and worth getting, it excells at neither. I'd recommend it.

Classic Book for Mass Spectrometry, 22 Jul 1998
The book is commonly used as a text book on Mass Spectrometry at graduate or undergraduate level. Very nice for organic mass spectrometry. I even read a Chinese version back home.

The examples are good, exercises have answers at the end of book: great for self-practicing. It is too bad that this book does not cover the currently very hot biological mass spectrometry. Anyway this is a book you have to read at least twice if you want to be in the field of mass spectrometry.

A good mass spec reference., 10 Feb 1998
A good reference to have on your desk. Best for graduate students or undergrads. Largely irrelevant for todays working chemist.

An excellent undergraduate textbook of atomic spectra, 14 Jun 2000
Softley has produced a concise well-written introduction to the field suitable for the undergraduate student and beyond. All the essential elements of a first or second year chemistry course are discussed with a clarity of explanation rare in other books on this subject. Following a brief introduction to the quantum mechanical principles of spectroscopy subsequent chapters deal with the hydrogen atom, alkali metal atoms, before moving on to the helium atom and many electron atoms in logical preogression. Illustrative examples at the end of each chapter allow the student to test his/her progress. This is a book which students of all abilities find accessible and useful and has rapidly become the choice text for atomic spectroscopy courses.

Molecular Spectroscopy rules!!!!!, 24 Jan 2001
When a lecturer recommends a book, it usually spends many months gathering dust on my bookshelf and I end up wondering who paid the lecturer to recommend it in the first place. However, this book, I wholeheartedly recommend myself, as a student. It was recommended by my lecturer BUT!! it is easy to read, easy to understand, maybe not easy to remember, but that is due to my lack of functioning memory cells and not the authors skill.

...It looks boring, blue and green on the outside....but it's awesome. Buy it right now, even if you're not studying chemistry, just to impress your mates.