本书是诺贝尔化学奖得主Linus Pauling的经典作品，自首版出版后深受读者欢迎，如今三次改版。书中以非数学的形式介绍了对分子和晶体的结构以及化学键的本质的综合研究成果，这是作者长期深耕化学键领域的成果集大成之作，行文风格简练直接，便于理解，每章附有相应练习，可供读者进行自我检测。第三版的新增内容包括详细的缺电子物质（如硼烷和二茂铁）的共振价键理论；金属和金属间化合物电子结构的化学理论；氢键在蛋白质和核酸结构中的作用；电中性原理；以及其他分子结构的新原理。

Prefaces
CHAPTER 1 Resonance and the Chemical Bond
1-1. The Development of the Theory of Valence
1-2. Types of Chemical Bonde
The Chemical Bond Defined
The Ionic Bond and Other Electrostatic Bonds
The Metallic Bond; Fractional Bonde
1-3. The Concept of Resonance
1-4. The Hydrogen Molecule-Ion and the One-Electron Bond
The Normal Hydrogen Atom
The Hydrogen Molecule-Ion
The Viríal Theorem
The Hellmann-Feynman Theorem
The Conditions for the Formation of a Oné-Eleotron Bond
1-5. The Hydrogen Molecule and the Eleotron-Pair Bond
Condon's Treatment of the Hydrogen Molecule
The Heitler-London Treatment of the Hydrogen Molecule
Partial Ionic Character and Deformation
The Conditions for the Formation of an Electron-Pair Bond
CHAPTER 2 The Electronic Structure of Atoms and the Formal Rules for the Formation of Covalent Bonds
2-1. The Interpretation of Line Spectra
2-2. Stationary States; The Bohr Frequency Prinoiple
2-3. Stationary States of the Hydrogen Atom
2-4. The Electronic Structure of Alkali Atoms
The Selection Rule for l.
2-5. The Spinning Electron and the Fine Structure of Spectral Lines
2-6. The Electronic Structure of Atoms with Two or More Valence Electrons
2-7. The Pauli Exclusion Principle and the Periodic System of the Ele-ments
2-8. The Zeeman Effect and the Magnetic Properties of Atoms and Monatomic Ions
Hybrid Atomic States
2-9. The Formal Rules for the Formation of Covalent Bonds
CHAPTER 3 The Partial Ionic Character of Covalent Bonds and the Relative Electronegativity of Atoms
3-1. The Transition from One Extreme Bond Type to Another
Continuous Change in Bond Type
Discontinuous Change in Bond Type
3-2. Bond Type and Atomic Arrangement
3-3. The Nature of the Bonds in Diatomic Halogenide Molecules
3-4. Bond Energies of Halogenide Moleoules; The Energies of Normal Covalent Bonds
The Postulate of the Geometric Mean
3-5. Empirical Values of Single-Bond Energiee
3-6. The Electronegativity Scale of the Elements
The Formulation of the Electronegativity Scale
3-7. Heats of Formation of Compounds in Their Standard States; The Complete Electronegativity Scale
3-8. Relation to Other Properties
3-9. The Electronegativity of Atome and the Partial Ionic Character of Bonds
3-10. The Enthalpy Change in Organic Rearrangemente and the Electro- negativity Scale
3-11. The Correlation of Color and Bond Character
CHAPTER 4 The Directed Covalent Bond; Bond Strengths and Bond Angles
4-1. The Nature and Bond-forming Power of Atomic Orbitals
4-2. Hybrid Bond Orbitals; The Tetrahedral Carbon Atom
Derivation of Results about Tetrahedral Orbitals
Quantum-mechanical Description of the Quadrivalent Carbon Atom
4-3. The Effect of an Unshared Pair on Hybridization
……
CHAPTER 5 Complex Bond Orbitals; The Magnetic Criterion for Bond Type
CHAPTER 6 The Resonance of Molecules among Several
CHAPTER 7 Interatomic Distances and Their Relation to the Structure of Molecules and Crystals
CHAPTER 8 Types of Resonance in Molecules
CHAPTER 9 The Structure of Molecules and Complex Ions Involving Bonds with Partial Double-Bond Character
CHAPTER 10 The One-Electron Bond and.the Three-Electron Bond; Electron-deficient Substances Valence-Bond Structures
CHAPTER 11 The Metallic Bond
CHAPTER 12 The Hydrogen Bond
CHAPTER 13 The Sizes of Ions and the Structure of Ionic Crystals
CHAPTER 14 A Summarizing Discussion of Resonance and Its Significance for Chemistry
Appendices and Indices