[cammi]

Hi,

Can anyone suggest a good inorganic chemistry textbook. I am looking for a good basic / foundation textbook for inorganic chemistry.  Something like the "demystified" or "made simple" series, but, of course, covering more topics in detail.

I don't care if the textbook treats me like I don't have a brain. I just want to get through this course with a decent grade. I need inorganic chem broken down in steps to understand, but I can get it.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Cammi
 

[Borek]

Are you sure you need inorganic chemistry, and not some general chemistry book? You asked about predicting reaction outcome - while some inorganic knowledge won't hurt, it must be placed on the solid GC base; without it it will simply not work.

[Dan]

What course are you doing? It's difficult to recommend anything without knowing exactly what level you are at.

Inorganic Chemistry by Shriver & Atkins is a good starting point. It was useful for the first 1 1/2 years of my chemistry degree course. It brushes over quite alot of stuff, and goes into detail on a few things, eg. it is very good for getting to grips with crystal field theory and ligand field theory. It's generally well written, especially the more in depth chapters, and has lots of nice diagrams and a CD ROM, although I've never given it a spin myself.

Only downside is that if it's not in your library, it's pretty expensive.

[enahs]

I could recommend books not to get, unfortunately I have yet to find what I would consider a decent inorganic chemistry book.

[cammi]

Hi everyone,

Many thanks for the replies.  I heard about the Atkins book on Inorganic Chemistry.  C. Housecroft's book was recommended as well.

Has anyone any thoughts on Housecroft's "Inorganic Chemistry"?

Cammi
 

[Mitch]

Atkins is the gold standard for undergraduate texts.

[cammi]

OK, I will definitely look at finding the gold standard.

Many thanks again for all of the suggestions!

[wildstar]

In my opinion, the best basic Inorganic chemistry textbook is "Concise Inorganic Chemistry" by J.D. Lee.

[harami]

Housecroft & Sharpe is a good text, and so far the best I've seen. It does have its downfalls though, in particular: it assumes some knowledge and goes through material quite quickly, especially when concerning molecular orbital diagrams. Also, its layout can be confusing. What I often find is that they make you refer to a diagram or graph which is on the next page, so you're often flipping between pages. It is clearly written though, and there are good aspects to they layout: the column based text makes it easy to read and its in full colour which really helps. Some of the chapters are excellent, especially at the back of the book, and it's quite detailed and current, making it probably the only introductory text you will need.

[orpheus]

Hi there,

Shriver and Atkins is a good textbook, and goes into more detail than is required for some areas of inorganic chemistry. It is however, difficullt for some people to read at first until you have broader knowledge of chemistry.

Housecroft is highly recommended and approaches many areas in a more logical and methdical way.

My favourite book on inorganic chemistry is Cotton and Wilkinson, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry - this is good for giving specific examples of reactions and solving problems (or giving you the answers).

I use all three books, and if you have the interest and the time, then it wont do any harm to have a number of textbooks.

[natrium]

I liked the basic inorganic chemistry textbook by Cotton... It was useful in my chemistry course even if it is not the most popular

[flightman233]

Hey Guys,

I was wondering if anybody had a good recommendation for some inorganic books.

I have taken just a basic intro course on the subject, however the book really seemed to lack graspable topics.  I own a few of the different inorganic books and most seem to shoot on a phD level, which I was looking for something a little more user friendly.

[Alpha-Omega]

Basic Inorganic Chemistry, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)
by F. Albert Cotton (Author), Geoffrey Wilkinson (Author), Paul L. Gaus (Author)

Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity (4th Edition) (Hardcover)
by James E. Huheey (Author), Ellen A. Keiter (Author), Richard L. Keiter (Author)

Inorganic Chemistry (Paperback)
by Gary L. Miessler (Author)

Inorganic Chemistry, Third Edition w/CD (Hardcover)
by Duward Shriver (Author), Peter Atkins (Author)

Inorganic Chemistry, Fourth Edition
by Peter Atkins (Author),, Tina Overton (Author), Jonathan Rourke (Author),  , Mark Weller (Author), and Fraser Armstrong (Author)

Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 6th Edition (Hardcover)
by F. Albert Cotton (Author), Geoffrey Wilkinson (Author), Carlos A. Murillo (Author), Manfred Bochmann (Author)

Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry
By Gillespie and Popelier

Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory
By Robert carter (Author)

Chemical Applications of Group Theory, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)
by F. Albert Cotton (Author)

I bolded the 4 that I used in undergarduate classes.

[flightman233]

Thanks a lot, I'll look into some of these.

I do own one or two by Cotton, one of which is an advanced inorganic book.

[Alpha-Omega]

Cotton Rocks!!!!