Sciencemadness Discussion Board - My library

My library

Chemetix - 25-12-2016 at 16:44

How many of us have favourite books on our shelves?

Some pics or a list of some of the notable copies you'd like to brag about I thought would be some fun.

PirateDocBrown - 25-12-2016 at 17:55

Well, when I was in grad school, one of the members of my committee passed away, and the department offered his students the books from his office library. Oddly, few of my colleagues availed themselves of this boon, so I did! I acquired in a single blow hundreds of books, including several obscure monographs, numerous references, and most of all a huge number of sample copies of instructional texts, some dating back well over 100 years.

Later, I dwelt with a physics grad whom I gifted with most of the advanced books in that topic, but I kept to this day most of the lion's share of chemistry ones, adding more over time. I'll try to get some photos of my bookshelves.

Chemetix - 25-12-2016 at 18:19

That would be awesome!

diddi - 25-12-2016 at 20:09

I have a 3 volume leatherbound set of the complete works of shakespeare from 1865. looks nice on my shelves. not that i am a high-brow or anything.

Heavy Walter - 30-12-2016 at 08:29

Hi, here are some of my loved ones!

ANTIQUE SECTION

Pascal, P.
Traité de Chimie Minerale.
Paris, Masson, 1931. 13 vols.

G. Porta
Magiae Naturalis
Neapoli, Salviani, 1589.

Curie, P. (Madame)
Traité de Radioactivité.
Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1910. 2 vols.

Rey, J.
Essays.
Paris, Ruault, 1777.

MODERN SECTION

Brauer, G.
Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry
New York, Academic Press, 1963.

Lerner, L.
Small-Scale Synthesis of Laboratory Reagents.
Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2011.

Plesch, P.
High Vacuum Techniques for Chemical Syntheses and Measurements.
Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Espe, Dr. W.
Materials of High Vacuum Technology (Three vols.: Metals & Metalloids; Silicates; Auxiliary Materials)
Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1968.

--------------------------------------

PirateDocBrown - 30-12-2016 at 09:44

I just got down my Thorpe, "Dictionary of Applied Chemistry", (1905). 3 vols, well over 2500 pages.

A little light reading.

Texium - 30-12-2016 at 13:11

My current chemistry library, mostly acquired as gifts or bought at Half Price Books:

Antiques:

Scott's Standard Methods of Chemical Analysis, Volumes I and II, 5th Edition, 1948 reprint

Gilman, Organic Chemistry, an Advanced Treatise, Volumes I and II, 2nd edition, 1948 reprint

Garard, Introduction to Organic Chemistry, 2nd edition, 1945 reprint

The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 3rd edition, 1942

Lange, Handbook of Chemistry, 10th edition, 1967 reprint

Modern:

World of Chemistry, 2000: a chemistry encyclopedia rescued from a high school library culling

Pavia et al, Introduction to Organic Laboratory Techniques, 2nd edition, 1982 (courtesy of Magpie)

Brewster et al, Unitized Experiments in Organic Chemistry, 4th edition, 1977 (courtesy of Magpie)

The Merck Index, 13th edition, 2001: also rescues from high school library culling

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 85th edition, 2004: also rescued from high school library culling

McMurry, Organic Chemistry, 4th edition, 1996

Brown et al, Organic Chemistry, 5th edition, 2009

Holtzclaw et al, General Chemistry, 7th edition, 1984 (courtesy of Magpie)

I also have an extra CRC handbook (66th edition, 1985) that I no longer need now that I have the newer one. It's not in the best condition, cover on the spine's torn, but if anyone who doesn't have a CRC wants it, send me a U2U and it's yours for the cost of shipping.

PirateDocBrown - 30-12-2016 at 14:17

Holtzclaw was my freshlyman Chem text! I still have mine, tho an earlier edition.

Magpie - 30-12-2016 at 16:24

I have the first 5 volumes of Inorganic Syntheses. I also have the first 4 volumes of the University Of Illinois (Urbana) bulletins put out by Roger Adams and C. S. Marvel shown below:

AvBaeyer - 30-12-2016 at 20:25

Magpie,

I am envious of the Adams/Marvel bulletins - what a find.

My most useful go-to books are

Fieser and Fieser "Reagents for Organic Synthesis" vols 1-15

"Organic Syntheses" Col Vols 1-7 and individual vols through 90 as well as the "Reaction Guide" and cumulative indices.

"Dictionary of Organic Compounds" 4th edition including all cumulative supplements and indices.

I also have a large collection of chemistry history volumes which I enjoy very much. Overall my chemistry library is several hundred volumes many of which are library discards purchased on ABE Books. There is no greater pleasure (ok maybe there is) than just paging through a good chem book with a tumbler of fine Scotch while the Mrs is consumed by Downton Abbey reruns.

AvB

Heavy Walter - 31-12-2016 at 03:58

Hi AvBaeyer
I would do a slight correction to your statement about pleasure:
The pleasure of paging through a good chem book is only surpassed by the pleasure of finding a new rare title browsing in old book stores.
In between lies the pleasure of remembering past succesful hunts...

PirateDocBrown - 31-12-2016 at 07:25

So, here's the shelf of books I keep in the living room (Not the library), just for easy reading.

Morrison & Boyd 3rd edition "Organic Chemistry" (1973)
My University text.

CRC 64th edition (1984), also from undergrad days.

Carey, "Advanced Organic Chemistry Part B: Reactions and Synthesis" 2nd edition (1983).
My first year grad school text.

Elschenbroich, "Organometallics" (1992), also a grad school text.

Shulgin, "PiKHAL" (1991). Hell of a good read.

Carey, "Organic Chemistry" (1987). This is the text I taught OChem out of, as a grad student.

Thorpe, "Dictionary of Applied Chemistry" (1905) 3 vols., noted above.

Lengfield, "Inorganic Chemical Preparations" (1911)

Walton, "Inorganic Preparations" (1948)

[Edited on 12/31/16 by PirateDocBrown]

[Edited on 12/31/16 by PirateDocBrown]

Corrosive Joeseph - 31-12-2016 at 12:12

Hmmm, I am so jealous..........................

I have a huge collection of books but all in .pdf format so I guess that doesn't count.

It would be great if more books could be scanned and added to the SciMad library...................

/CJ

AvBaeyer - 31-12-2016 at 14:29

I love those old books! And indeed pleasure is finding new volumes to add to the collection. I just bought ApSimons's "Total Synthesis of Natural Products," Vols 1-7 and a 1940's era heterocyclic chemistry book all for less than $50 including shipping. A few weeks ago I bought Nakanishi's "Natural Products Chemistry" Vols 1-3 for about $30 delivered. It's such a shame that all these books are essentially worth nothing. They collect together some of the most fascinating organic chemistry ever done.

AvB

The Volatile Chemist - 31-12-2016 at 17:48

My former AP Chem teacher has Morrison and Boyd.
Attached is a picture of my shelf and a more clarified photo of my science books. Missing from both photos are my biblical research books and my 'Mercky Index' (aka a Sigma Aldrich Biochem catalog).

PirateDocBrown - 1-1-2017 at 02:10

So, this is Young's "Elements of General Chemistry" (1960).

I spotted this when I was a boy, on some clearance book table in a discount store, maybe a K-Mart, circa 1972. This was in Huntsville, Alabama, where Dad was working as a NASA engineer.

I asked for it, Dad expressed reservations that it was over my head, but he is no fool, when a child asks for a book, especially a science book, you get it for him.

Dad was right, it was over my head, (it's a pretty good high school-level text) but I liked reading it anyway. Eventually I understood it, long before I actually took chemistry for the first time in Jr. High.

I can fairly say this book, and Dad's wisdom, and later ownership of several chemistry sets, made me want to be the chemist I am today.

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

PirateDocBrown - 1-1-2017 at 02:17

But here's some more show-off, from my library.

The first shelf, and half the second, are all Physical Chem, including lab manuals.

The rest of the second shelf is wet-lab Analytical texts.

The third is General Chem texts, with some teaching aids.

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

PirateDocBrown - 1-1-2017 at 02:29

Here's the next three:

The first is (laying down) texts on Instrumental Analysis, and (standing up) Physical Organic, the purple one is the Part A of Carey, mentioned above.

The second is mostly Organic lab manuals, with a few Organic classroom texts on the left.

The third is Quantum Mechanics on the right, and one each on Theoretical Chemistry and Biochemistry on the left.

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

PirateDocBrown - 1-1-2017 at 02:43

And the last four:

The first has the rest of General Chemistry on the right, Inorganic Chemistry on the left, including Holtzclaw, far left, and Young, mentioned above.

The second is TiKHAL, some old Aldrich catalogs, "Chemistry of the Elements" (a fantastic book), Lange's Handbook, and some odds and ends that don't fit elsewhere.

Third is Org classroom texts and study guides, including the one for Carey, which is in the living room shelf.

Fourth is monographs, on wide variety of topics.

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

[Edited on 1/1/17 by PirateDocBrown]

PirateDocBrown - 1-1-2017 at 02:49

What's not shown is Medicinal Chemistry, which is folded into the Medical part of my library.

Magpie - 1-1-2017 at 10:17

I have a copy of Holtzclaw, 7th ed, which I bought for a refresher course in the early '80s. It is especially valued as it has a 61 page section on wet qualitative chemical analysis:

DJF90 - 2-1-2017 at 07:28

Here are a couple of pictures of my bookcase.

[Edited on 2-1-2017 by DJF90]

Dr.Bob - 3-1-2017 at 19:35

DJF90,

Nice collection, I have many of the same books, I'll have to take some photos one of these days. The oxford books (bottom left photo on the left) are a great mix of books, I had a bunch of them at one time. You have a nice mix of them. You have a few Pd books that don't have, those look interesting. I also don't have Paquette's series. Nice mix.

violet sin - 4-1-2017 at 00:42

here are the ones I keep home and available to read. rest are in boxes, storage, basement, closets... got a lot of books

we've got hobby stuff.....................................................we've got bigger reference

and we've got some more specific books

the red one center is hard to read, "tables for identification of organic compounds" supplement to handbook of chemistry and physics.

surprisingly all from yardsales, thrift store and 7 (3 chem,4 fungi) were bought for me by fam.

private Library

veganalchemist - 9-1-2017 at 12:54

Here are a few pics of my personal chemistry library.

I had run out of bookshelves so my dad helped me build one.

Maroboduus - 9-1-2017 at 20:30

Favorite chemistry books:
Plant Intoxicants (Von Bibra)
Drugs of Abuse (Monographs /w various authors)
Pharmacology and Toxicology of Amphetamines and Related Designer Drugs (Monographs, var authors)
The Nature of The Chemical Bond (Pauling)
Organic reaction mechanisms (Breslow)
The Technology and Chemistry of Alkaloids (Hammerslag)
Perfumery and Flavoring Synthetics (Bedoukian)
A Manual of Pharmacology (Sollman, 1950)
And of course the Merck index and an ANCIENT CRC manual (It has the element Columbium in it, but the copyright page is missing, so not sure just how old)

Fungus:
Mushrooms Demystified (Aurora)
One Thousand American Fungi (McIlvane)
The Mushroom handbook (Kreiger)

Politics:

Various biographies of Robert Taft, Estes Kefauver, Alban Barkley, Adlai Stevenson, Wayne Lyman Morse, Richard Brevard Russell, Harold Stassen, Henry Wallace, George Wallace, Paul H Douglas, Stewart Symington, Prescott Bush, Harry F Byrd, Hubert Humphrey, LBJ (Caro's multi-volume set is by FAR the best ), Harry Truman, Tom Dewey, Clare Booth Luce, William Knowland, Strom Thurmond, Earl Warren.

And Yes, my political biography collection is so huge that those actually are just my favorites.

Various political histories and analytical works of the 20th century (More histories than biographies)

Catch-22

DJF90 - 10-1-2017 at 04:46

Nice books, Veg. Thats quite a collection you've got there!

veganalchemist - 10-1-2017 at 14:44

Thanks.

I also have some e-books but am old school and prefer the real thing.

CalAm - 18-1-2017 at 07:18

Here is an odd assortment of books i have collected through out my studies and picking through University book fairs.

Downstairs shelf

PirateDocBrown - 8-5-2017 at 12:14

The downstairs shelf has the CRC Manual, Elschenbroich's Organometallics, Carey's undergrad Organic, and grad Org Synth texts, and the amazing Dictionary of Applied Chemistry (1905).

The last is light reading for summer, just acquired. Weygand's "Preparative Organic Chemistry, 4th ed, 1972.

Not seen is bedside reading, like my old 3rd ed Morrison and Boyd, and PIHKaL.

[Edited on 5/8/17 by PirateDocBrown]