Rating: 
Summary: Not a good Inorganic chemistry text
Review: I am a chemistry major and have used this book for both semesters of Inorganic chemistry. If you have had quantum mechanics prior to reading this book it may be more helpful. However the extensive reference to point-groups and character tables is way overdone, only because the book does a horrible job of explaining point-groups and the creation of character tables. Our prof had to constantly omit sections from the book because it often overcomplicated many concepts. This book was far more helpful the second semester inorganic where the constant reference to point groups decreased somewhat. The concepts explained in the second half were also much more readable.
Needless to say this was one of the few chemistry texts I have sold back, since I know I can find other more useful texts as references.
Rating:
Summary: Not a good Inorganic chemistry text
Review: I am a chemistry major and have used this book for both semesters of Inorganic chemistry. If you have had quantum mechanics prior to reading this book it may be more helpful. However the extensive reference to point-groups and character tables is way overdone, only because the book does a horrible job of explaining point-groups and the creation of character tables. Our prof had to constantly omit sections from the book because it often overcomplicated many concepts. This book was far more helpful the second semester inorganic where the constant reference to point groups decreased somewhat. The concepts explained in the second half were also much more readable.
Needless to say this was one of the few chemistry texts I have sold back, since I know I can find other more useful texts as references.
Rating: 
Summary: A good one semester advanced inorganic chemistry text
Review: It's hard to write an inorganic textbook that will please everybody. In general, there are three different types of undergraduate inorganic chemistry courses offered:
1) One semester Descriptive Inorganic (pre P. chem)
2) One semester Advanced Inorganic (post P. chem)
3) Two semester sequence (post P. chem) Missler and Tarr's text is written for the second audience. If you are interested in a book that (i) is written at the jr/sr level; (ii) emphasizes group theory, molecular orbital theory, coordination chemistry, spectroscopy, reaction mechanisms and organometallic chemistry; and (iii) can be covered in one semester without killing the average undergraduate, then this is going to be a good text for you. If you are interested in descriptive chemistry or want a complete overview of inorganic chemistry, then you aren't going to be happy with M&T. In my opinion, this is the best textbook on the market for a one-semester advanced inorganic course. My student's opinions of M&T were somewhat lukewarm, but at least it didn't inspire the scathing criticism that two other texts received in previous years. It's not a perfect book, but it is concise and well written for the audience it is intended to serve.
Rating:
Summary: A good one semester advanced inorganic chemistry text
Review: It's hard to write an inorganic textbook that will please everybody. In general, there are three different types of undergraduate inorganic chemistry courses offered:
1) One semester Descriptive Inorganic (pre P. chem)
2) One semester Advanced Inorganic (post P. chem)
3) Two semester sequence (post P. chem) Missler and Tarr's text is written for the second audience. If you are interested in a book that (i) is written at the jr/sr level; (ii) emphasizes group theory, molecular orbital theory, coordination chemistry, spectroscopy, reaction mechanisms and organometallic chemistry; and (iii) can be covered in one semester without killing the average undergraduate, then this is going to be a good text for you. If you are interested in descriptive chemistry or want a complete overview of inorganic chemistry, then you aren't going to be happy with M&T. In my opinion, this is the best textbook on the market for a one-semester advanced inorganic course. My student's opinions of M&T were somewhat lukewarm, but at least it didn't inspire the scathing criticism that two other texts received in previous years. It's not a perfect book, but it is concise and well written for the audience it is intended to serve.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding textbook for the money!
Review: M&T do an admirable job of covering the wide and rapidly developing field of inorganic chemistry. Their coverage of electronic spectra and symmetry are especially notable. While this book is maybe one notch below Huheey, Keiter, et al textbook, M&T cover plenty for a one-semester junior/senior level course. There use of illustrations is informative and tasteful. Less dense and more readable than Huheey, I have been advocating for the past year for the department to change the standardized inorganic text to M&T. It is more approachable for the non-chemistry major while still covering everything you need to know for more advanced studies. Clearly, THE inorganic book to buy if you are only going to use one for your undergraduate experience.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding textbook for the money!
Review: M&T do an admirable job of covering the wide and rapidly developing field of inorganic chemistry. Their coverage of electronic spectra and symmetry are especially notable. While this book is maybe one notch below Huheey, Keiter, et al textbook, M&T cover plenty for a one-semester junior/senior level course. There use of illustrations is informative and tasteful. Less dense and more readable than Huheey, I have been advocating for the past year for the department to change the standardized inorganic text to M&T. It is more approachable for the non-chemistry major while still covering everything you need to know for more advanced studies. Clearly, THE inorganic book to buy if you are only going to use one for your undergraduate experience.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding textbook for the money!
Review: M&T do an admirable job of covering the wide and rapidly developing field of inorganic chemistry. Their coverage of electronic spectra and symmetry are especially notable. While this book is maybe one notch below Huheey, Keiter, et al textbook, M&T cover plenty for a one-semester junior/senior level course. There use of illustrations is informative and tasteful. Less dense and more readable than Huheey, I have been advocating for the past year for the department to change the standardized inorganic text to M&T. It is more approachable for the non-chemistry major while still covering everything you need to know for more advanced studies. Clearly, THE inorganic book to buy if you are only going to use one for your undergraduate experience.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good...if you know what you're getting into...
Review: One must look at this book from the standpoint of the authors. This book is written from a symmetry and point-group standpoint. Having met the authors, I learned that the symmetry and point-group chapter (3?) was written first, then everything thereafter came from that. Also, this was NEVER meant to be a comprehensive textbook. It's designed to be used for a 1 semester course. What is excellent is that the basics are taught really well (the point-group stuff, and the ligand-field theory chapter) and that there are literature references to almost all topics in the book. If you feel like you don't get it, this book faciliates extended learning by pointing the reader to primary resources. If you like learning and have a good prof, this is a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good...if you know what you're getting into...
Review: One must look at this book from the standpoint of the authors. This book is written from a symmetry and point-group standpoint. Having met the authors, I learned that the symmetry and point-group chapter (3?) was written first, then everything thereafter came from that. Also, this was NEVER meant to be a comprehensive textbook. It's designed to be used for a 1 semester course. What is excellent is that the basics are taught really well (the point-group stuff, and the ligand-field theory chapter) and that there are literature references to almost all topics in the book. If you feel like you don't get it, this book faciliates extended learning by pointing the reader to primary resources. If you like learning and have a good prof, this is a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: student review
Review: The language of the text is decent, ie somewhat easy to follow. Not enough detailed examples and problems. I used this book for my first quarter of Inorganic Chem, and my second quarter inorganic prof. refused to use it.
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