[hmx9123]

One excellent book is the Organometallic Chemistry of the Transition Metals by Robert Crabtree.  It is geared more toward organometallic chemistry, as you may expect, but it is written on a very understandable level and is quite good at explaining simple concepts like electron counting.

If the Inorganic Chemistry book by Shriver and Atkins is the same one but a newer edition of the Shirver, Atkins and Langford book, I don't have very high hopes for it.  The original was a giant turd.

The Advanced Inorganic Chemistry by Cotton and the Chemistry of the Elements by Greenwood and Earnshaw are both excellent reference texts, but aren't so hot for reading through.

I never bought the Basic Inorganic Chemistry by Cotton, as I wasn't enthralled by it.  Not to say that he doesn't have a lot of good things to say, as his Advanced Inorganic book is excellent, but his Basic book wasn't to my tastes.  I am unfamiliar with the other books.

I have Chemical Structure and Bonding by DeKock and Gray, but it is more geared toward molecular orbital theory.

[Doom91]

Does anyone has any recommendations for inorganic chem textbooks

[sm2345]

I use the book "Concise Inorganic Chemistry" by JD Lee and I think it's good.

[c0d3]

Inorganic Chemistry by Shriver, Atkins for me. I think it covers quite detail

[brian]

the shriver atkins books is simply terrible it explains things soo poorly ive worked with much better texts before

[Rabn]

I've found that the Zumdahl text is pretty good. anyone else use it?

[McCoy]

Besides the books suggested, try Inorganic Chemistry
by Prof Catherine Housecroft (Author), Alan G. Sharpe (Author) 3rd edn.
It's quite good too.

[McCoy]

Yes I  agree on shriver...atkin inorganic not being thorough in explaining things. for example (just one e.g) it has topic on electronic transtion, yet says nothing! Chapter on transtion metal chemistry too is just annoying. I think Atkin Pchem is Atkin's best(well better).
[/quote]

[408]

Housecroft and Sharpe is cool.

But no inorganic is complete without supplementation by  Cotton and Wilkinson, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry.

[CrazyAssasin]

Could anyone suggest good inorganic chemistry textbook which involves coordination complex chemistry? It should involve like only one chapter not the whole book. I read some in Atkins chemical principles but it wasn't enough. I want a bit broader information.

[orgo814]

"Principles of Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry" by Gary Wulfsperg is an excellent introduction to inorganic chemistry

[Big-Daddy]

Any texts that cover the whole first 2 years of a typical undergraduate course without missing anything out? I don't think Atkins quite cuts it.

[GabrielMoon18]

norganic Chemistry, Second Edition [James House] is also a nice one

[unsu]

Unfortunately, many modern inorganic chemistry textbooks do not describe chemistry of the elements very well, they are very brief and not well-structured, and bloated with too much of unnecessary information at the same time. They describe so many exotic molecules, bonds, quantum-mechanical features, etc. Many students and even instructors nowadays are not familiar with many basic reactions, typical compounds and their properties.

Housecroft&Sharpe = just a very good encyclopedia, chemistry of the elements and their compounds is just briefly mentioned in the paragraphs, but there are so many nicely coloured figures and pictures of rare compounds extracted from the research papers. There are some typos there. But I like it anyway.
Shriver&Atkins also lacks the chemistry of compounds, focusing too much on bonding and quantum chemistry. The font is too small.

James House = too brief

Meissler Tarr = good text but the main focus is on the complex compounds

Many inorganic chemistry textbooks do not cover the binary phase diagrams and non-stoichiometric compounds and phases. Anthony West "Solid state chemistry and its applications" is a good addition to your library collection, you will like it.

In my opinion, Cotton-Wilkinson and Greenwoods "Chemistry of the elements" build the necessary basis of inorganic chemistry despite being "old".

[darkhunter]

Please tell me about the book vacuum? I want to talk to those who know the vacuum.