CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics

[goldsilverpro]

I just received a 44th edition (1962) of this book and paid a total of $8, including shipping. I am very, very happy. I've wanted one for a long time.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000NBGMRQ/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

A new one comes out annually and there have been 92 editions. Originally, the book was small (about 5"x8") but very thick. Now, it's about twice the size and a new one retails for about $150. In this link, go down about 2/3 to the listing of the page numbers in each one. In particular, check the difference between the 44th (3604pp) and 45th (1495pp) editions. That was when they switched from the small format to the large format. When they did that, they also eliminated several sections and about 800 pages of mostly good stuff applicable to my needs, never to be seen again in future editions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handbook_of_Chemistry_and_Physics

As refiners, we work with inorganic chemicals almost exclusively. Probably 98% of all inorganic chemistry knowledge was known in 1962 and was included in the 44th edition. Since then, about the only new stuff is the addition of info involving organic and not inorganic chemistry.

I have always used the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics daily. I have 3 editions, 44th, 52nd, and the 88th. Since I got the 44th, I never ever use the others. In my opinion, the best one ever printed for what I (we) do is the 44th edition, although I haven't used the really old ones. Second best is the 43rd, third best is the 42nd, etc. Actually, any edition from 1962 or before is better than any newer one. I hate the 88th one I have. It's very near worthless, at least for me. One of these days, I want to get a couple of real old ones, maybe from the 1920s.

 

[dtectr]

That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. What format is used for entries? Reason I ask, many otherwise helpful references are laid out with logic known only to the author and indexed just as erratically.
Thanks GSP

 

[goldsilverpro]

That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. What format is used for entries? Reason I ask, many otherwise helpful references are laid out with logic known only to the author and indexed just as erratically.
Thanks GSP

I don't know how to answer your question. Here's the 8th (1920) edition you can download for free. Click on the gear at the top right and then on Download PDF. I looked at the 8th and feel the 44th is laid out much better. I think they had it down pat by the 44th and had crammed about everything they could think to cram in there. In the 45th, they went berserk and uncrammed it in a big way. A lot of good stuff went missing.
http://books.google.com/books?id=yYcMAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=intitle:handbook+intitlef+intitle:chemistry+intitle:and+intitlehysics&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4tZ1T4XFEYnc2AWsq4TKDQ&ved=0CEgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=intitle%3Ahandbook%20intitle%3Aof%20intitle%3Achemistry%20intitle%3Aand%20intitle%3Aphysics&f=false

Lange's is excellent also. Here again, though, I would probably get an older one, since I usually don't give a hoot about organic chemistry. I once had a Lange's from the 60s or early 70s and used it a lot. It was ruined in a flood, along with other good books. Some people like it better than the CRC. I don't.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=lange%27s+chemistry&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=

 

[lazersteve]

That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. What format is used for entries? Reason I ask, many otherwise helpful references are laid out with logic known only to the author and indexed just as erratically.
Thanks GSP

The CRC Handbook I have is from 1974 and the chemical compound data tables are laid out with the compounds alphbetized down the left side (rows) and the properties across the top (columns). There is a table of organic compounds and separate one for inorganic compounds. The tables have a legend at the beginning that describe the abbreviations used in the table. The columns are items like chemical formula, compound name, molecular weight, boiling point, melting point, solubility, crystalline structure, notes, etc. To me it's very easy to understand once you read the legend at the beginning of the charts.

My edition has many sections on planetary data of all planets in the solar system, common lab reagents: mixing and standards, nuclear isotope tables, hardness charts, reaction kinetics, organic reactions, numerous properties of water in it's various forms including salinities of water due to various dissolved salts, and much, much, more.

It's one of my favorite texts that I own, despite the fact that it is over 3 inches thick. I've owned the book since I was 14 (I'm now 44) and I have been referencing it since the day it was given to me. I have spent hundreds of hours of research in this book alone over the years. In my opinion GSP is right, it's a must have for the serious researcher.

Steve

 

[goldsilverpro]

That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. What format is used for entries? Reason I ask, many otherwise helpful references are laid out with logic known only to the author and indexed just as erratically.
Thanks GSP

The CRC Handbook I have is from 1974 and the chemical compound data tables are laid out with the compounds alphbetized down the left side (rows) and the properties across the top (columns). There is a table of organic compounds and separate one for inorganic compounds. The tables have a legend at the beginning that describe the abbreviations used in the table. The columns are items like chemical formula, compound name, molecular weight, boiling point, melting point, solubility, crystalline structure, notes, etc. To me it's very easy to understand once you read the legend at the beginning of the charts.

My edition has many sections on planetary data of all planets in the solar system, common lab reagents: mixing and standards, nuclear isotope tables, hardness charts, reaction kinetics, organic reactions, numerous properties of water in it's various forms including salinities of water due to various dissolved salts, and much, much, more.

It's one of my favorite texts that I own, despite the fact that it is over 3 inches thick. I've owned the book since I was 14 (I'm now 44) and I have been referencing it since the day it was given to me. I have spent hundreds of hours of research in this book alone over the years. In my opinion GSP is right, it's a must have for the serious researcher.

Steve

The 52nd edition (1971-72) was the only one I had for about 10 years. It's probably nearly the same as the one you have. I liked it a lot but, when I first got it, I kept looking for items that were in the one I had before it (about a 1955 - small fat format) and they weren't in there. I just now counted the entries in the Table of Contents of my 3 editions. In the 44th, there are about 600 topics. In the 1971-72, 52nd, there are 400. In the 88th, 2007-2008, there are only 300. Keeps getting worse. The 44th is the best one out there. Were I you, I would snap one of those 44th editions up while you can. I guarantee you'll love it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000NBGMRQ/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

The one I bought said paperback also but it wasn't what I would call a paperback. I would call it a hardback with a thin, but stiff, canvas-like cover, just like the cover on all the small format ones I've ever seen. I doubt if any of the ones on that link are true paperbacks, but I could be wrong.