My Notes
Categories
Miessler and Tarr is an inorganic textbook which is is best suited to an upper-division one-semester inorganic course, though there is more material than can be covered in a single semester, so some choice of topics is necessary. It is very well suited for a course oriented around structure, bonding, and reaction chemistry of transition metal compounds, but is very limited in its treatment of solids, main-group, descriptive chemistry, and bioinorganic. Pchem would be helpful but is not necessary. In particular, the treatment of MO theory is very in-depth. The quality of end-of chapter problems is generally good. The book is fairly readable, giving it an advantage over some of the more "reference work" style textbooks, but as a result, is a less useful text to have on your bookshelf five years hence. Pearson Higher Ed. suggests a retail price of $144.20.
I feel like I have used nearly every inorganic text out there, and this is the one I've settled on for the last few years for our one-semester pre-P Chem inorganic course.
I really like the way the authors treat atomic structure (especially orbitals) and, like Maggie, the qualitative approach to MO theory works well for me. I introduce character tables, but skip the section on molecular vibrations in order to jump straight into molecular orbitals.
I also skip the chapter on electronic spectra of coordination compounds.
I supplement the solid state chapter with an exercise that uses the ICE solid state model kits. I have posted the activity to VIPEr. It's called "Solid-State Model Building Exercise."
Joanne Stewart
Here is an alternative use for this textbook.
http://thereifixedit.com/2010/01/11/another-problem-solved-with-science/
One of the commenters, Rissa at 1:27 pm on Jan 11 says, "Having studied inorganic chemistry, I can tell you with authority that this is the only good use for that book."