Donald McQuarrie's name is synonymous with excellence in chemical education. As the author of landmark chemistry books and textbooks, from his classic text on Statistical Mechanics to his quantum-first tour de force on Physical Chemistry, McQuarrie's best selling textbooks are highly acclaimed by the chemistry community.  McQuarrie received his PhD from the University of Oregon, and was Professor Emeritus from the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis.  He died on July 6, 2009.Peter A Rock received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Boston University in 1961. He then went on to UC Berkeley, where he was awarded a doctorate in physical chemistry and chemical thermodynamics in 1964. That same year, he joined the faculty at UC Davis as an assistant professor, where he remained for the rest of his career. Rock wrote textbooks for students at all levels of chemistry and geochemistry, averaging a book every five years. Peter A. Rock died June 14, 2006 after an extended illness. Ethan Gallogly, joined McQuarrie as co-author on this new edition. He earned his BS from the University of Connecticut and his PhD from the University of California, Davis. Following completion of his doctoral studies, Gallogly, who is bilingual, worked as a foreign expert in Mainland China. Afterward, he accepted a position at the University of California at Berkeley as a Chemistry Lecturer and Laboratory Coordinator for three years before joining the faculty of Santa Monica College in 1999. Most recently, Gallogly has been awarded a sabbatical to research fuel cell technology at Sichuan University.

• 1. Chemistry and the Scientific Method;2. Atoms and Molecules;3. The Periodic Table and Chemical Periodicity;4. Early Quantum Theory;5. The Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure;6. Ionic Bonds and Compounds;7. Lewis Formulas;8. Prediction of Molecular Geometries;9. Covalent Bonding;10. Chemical Reactivity;11. Chemical Calculations;12. Chemical Calculations for Solutions;13. Properties of Gases;14. Thermochemistry;15. Liquids and Solids;16. Colligative Properties of Solutions;17. Chemical Kinetics: Rate Laws;18. Chemical Kinetics: Mechanisms;19. Chemical Equilibrium;20. The Properties of Acids and Bases;21. Buffers and the Titration of Acids and Bases;22. Solubility and Precipitation Reactions;23. Chemical Thermodynamics;24. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions;25. Electrochemistry;26. The Chemistry of the Transition Metals;Appendices A-I;Index

"An overwhelming majority of our students thought that the McQuarrie text and its accompanying online homework promoted their learning. Even though only a minority in the class were chemistry majors, nearly three quarters thought that the course material was intellectually stimulating! The engaging writing style and logical presentation of McQuarrie’s GEN CHEM text clearly resonates with students." --W.C. Trogler, UC San Diego "Atoms First seems to be the flavor of the year in chemistry textbooks, but many of them seem to be little more than rearrangement of the chapters. It takes a master like McQuarrie to go back to the drawing board and create a logical development from smallest to largest that makes sense to students." --Hal Harris, University of Missouri-St Louis "Because I have long appreciated McQuarrie’s writing style and straightforward approach in his classic Physical Chemistry text, I naturally jumped at the chance to use his General Chemistry text in my classes. The new book does not disappoint; McQuarrie’s elegant, yet step-by-step manner permeates the text." --Tom Kuntzleman, Spring Arbor University "I love the text and have no intention of giving up my relationship with one of the brightest lights in the chemistry text universe." --Steven H. Parkin, Copper Mountain College "Instructors looking for a no-nonsense yet comprehensive and pedagogically balanced general chemistry textbook need look no further than General Chemistry, 4th edition by McQuarrie, Rock, and Gallogly." --Journal of Chemical Education "Just as McQuarrie led intimidated seniors through the depths of physical chemistry, he now guides freshmen through the snares of general chemistry in this brilliantly written text." --J. W. Barr, Freed Hardeman University "McQuarrie and Rock have been mainstays in the diet of every student studying the physical principles of chemistry. It is with this insight and understanding that they have written a tremendously useful and clear text for students entering the study of chemistry. This, combined with a publisher bucking the trends of current publishing practices, makes the field of chemistry and the students thereof the beneficiaries." --Michael R. Salazar, Union University "McQuarrie is a genius." --Harry Gray, Caltech "McQuarrie’s atoms-first approach is a well-structured and accessible survey of the fundamental principles — and, more importantly, their hierarchy — by which modern chemists understand their discipline." --Steve Miller, Gustavus Adolphus College "McQuarrie’s book is extremely well-written, the order of topics is logical, and it does a great job with both introductory material and more advanced concepts. Students of all skill levels will be able to learn from this book." --Mark Kearley, Florida State University "My students absolutely love this text. It’s not encyclopedic, but a readable text. We covered 16 chapters in the first semester and they understand the material. Now we have the time to cover special topics." --Richard Squire, West Virginia University "Recommended!" --Choice "Teaching Gen Chem with McQuarrie is great. In this course, we do a fair bit of nuclear, organic and biochemistry, so we are making good use of the interchapters." --John Magyar, Barnard College "We absolutely love this book." --Tiffany Maher, Northeastern State University "What was true for McQuarrie’s Quantum Chem, Stat Mech, Chem Thermo and Phys Chem is now true for McQuarrie’s Gen Chem. If you want to learn (or teach) the subject, the McQuarrie Brand isn’t a question — it’s the answer." --James Vivian, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs