About the bookProfessor N. Glinka's textbook systematizesthe theoretical aspects and includes an extensivecollection of reference data tor the course in generalchemistry. Great attention is given to the structureof atoms and molecules, the laws of chemical reactions,and oxidation-reduction, processes. The book has beenvery popular in the Soviet Union and other countriesfor many years. During the author's life, it saw 12editions in Russian and was repeatedly publishedin other languages. The time that has elapsed afterthe author's death, however required the introductionof appreciable amendments into the book, first of allbeause of the deep penetration of chemistry into manybranches of the national economy and of the tremendousgrowth in the volume of the factual material of chemistry.The required revision of the textbook was carried out in itssixteenth Russian eoition (1973).An additional revision of the book mainly due to thetransition to SI1 units of physical quantities and the associatedalterations in the terminology was carried out in the nineteenthRussian edition (1977). The present English text has beentranslated from the 21st Russian edition (1980), and to facilitatework with the book, has been divided into two volumes.The book is intended for students of higher educational institutionsnot majoring in chemistry. It will also be very helpful for personsstudying the fundamentals of chemistry independently, and forstudents of chemical technical schools and the senior classesof secondary schools.