4 April 1960

Dear Peter,

I am writing to ask about your opinion on a matter that my be of importance to us.

In 1932 I started to write a high school textbook of chemistry from the chemical bond and molecular structure approach. I didn't work very much on it, and shortly gave up - the notes were of some use to me in writing General Chemistry for college use.

I enclose a clipping from Chemical and Engineering News saying that 4,000 students in 50 U.S. high schools will be studying the Chemical Bond Approach course in their chemistry classes next year. I don't have the copy of Chemical and Engineering News for 30 November 1959 la which something is said about this course, but I have heard something about it. It is, of course, in my opinion the right way to teach high school chemistry. The main thing that bothers me about this activity is that the textbook is not being written by one author or two authors, but by a committee, and the experience of the physicists in having a committee write a textbook for physics for use in high schools has made me skeptical. I think that usually a better textbook can be written by one or two authors.

Now, to get down to business, I am writing to ask if you think that it would be worthwhile to get out a high school textbook in chemistry - that is, for you and me to get out such a textbook. It probably should not be much different from high school textbooks as they exist at present, except that it should be better, and to be based more upon molecular structure. Writing such a book might be a fine way for you to add to your income, during the whole of your life. I would be glad to help, and we might be able to divide the labor in a satisfactory way. Perhaps you could write to Kent Wilson or to somebody else and get some information about the chemical bond approach, or perhaps it would be better to wait until later before doing that.

This matter was brought to my attention a couple of days ago in Kansas City, when two young men who work for Addison-Wesley approached me, asking if there was any chance that I would write a high school chemistry textbook, perhaps with a collaborator. They said that Addison-Wesley would like to publish one.

Much love from

[Linus Pauling]

4 April, 1960

Dear Linda and Barclay,

I hope you had a pleasant trip and have arrived safely and are enjoying the good life by Lac Leman. It is quite nice there, and I think Copenhagen is quite nice. I hope you stopped long enough and were able to see something there.

You must come to Cambridge and bring the boys. I am negotiating for 19, Portugal place, furnished and with French girl. The house next door has been incorporated and there will be enough room I think. I am planning to take Julia and Thos. and Sarah. We can have one long superb party, though perhaps the parents should not be told yet. Cambridge has been very dull since we left according to my informants and it needs a bit of oomph.

God I would like to see you. Bloody country this. Still it is getting warm and the trees and flo[wers?] are coming out and my sinuses don't hurt any more and Julia is feeling much better so things are not so bad. The flat is still in need of some shelves and things. There is a lot of work to do.

What kind of cooked cereals are there in Switzerland? I am getting tired of porridge.

There is a lecturship in mineralogy and petrology for a crystallographic min. and pet. its advertised in Cambridge in case you want to stay there the rest of your lives. Might be quite nice. £1100 - £1800 plus possible £120 plus children (£50).

See you sometime

Love from

[Peter Pauling]