JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
398 0
ADVANCES
M VIRUS RESEARCH. VOLUME I11
Edited by Kenneth M. Smith, Vius Research Unit, Molteno Institute, Cambridge, England, and M a x A. Lauffer, Department of Biophysics, University of Pittsburgh. Academic Press 339 pp. Figs. and tables. Inc., New York, 1955. ix 16 X 23.5 cm. $8.
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TUEreviewer, who finds increasing difficulty in keeping abreast with the ever expanding literature of virology, weloomes the appearance of the reviews found in Volume I11 of the "Advances" because about 1000 published papers are cited and considered. In accord with the plan of previous volumes, the seven reviews cover different aspects of plant, animal, and bacterial virology. The titles and contributors are: (1) "Comparative biochemistry and virology," S. S. Cohen. (2) "The chemotherapy of viruses," R. E. F. Matthews and J. D. Smith. (3) "Tumor viruses," J. W. Beard, D. G. Sharp>and E. A. Eckert. (4) "Morphology and development of insect viruses," K. M. Smith. (5) "Multiplication of plant viruses in insect vectors," K. Maramorosch. (6) "Cross protection between strains of yellows-type viruses," L. 0. Kunkel. (7) "Current status of bacterial transformations," H. Enhrussi-Tavlor. '1n their cgoicice of authors and subjects, the editors continue to maintain the high standards of previous volumes.
The authors have been successful in devising experiments and writing the text for them. A course based on this book could be set up in British schools easily because the sources of chemicals and equipment are named. It would not be difficult for U. 8. schools to obtain most items from American s u ~ d i e rbut s modificationsof the book's directiona and diaerams w i d d be reauired where there are differences in nppnmtus. Thc urc of certain Ehglish cvprcssionn, like tnp funnds for dropping funnels, should giw no difficulty. I.nl,orn~ryrnsnunl~in orgmir chemistry written by American authors vary in the range of techniques required. Some manuals contain certain experiments which would be suitable far use in an advanced course such as that given at Imperial College. Possibly the closest analogous text in this country is "Labom tory Technique in Organic Chemistry" (MORTON, A. A,, McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 1938,261 pp.) Because of the earlier publioation date this does not emphasize such newvr techniques as paper chromatography, for example. Also, Morton devotes much more space to the discussion of the theory of crystalliaation, distillation, extraction, etc. The typography and format are satisfactory. The binding seems to be typical of many hooks published abroad in that the covers warp quickly. A compilation of chemicals and apparatus would be helpful. These, however, are minor criticisms. This is a well-oreoared text to meet the need far advanced training in experimental organic chemistry, and it could be well adapted to a senior or firs&yeas graduate course taught in this country.
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OLIVER GRUMMITT W ~ T E RREBERTE N UN~ERBITP-
S. G. WILDMAN
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A COURSE IN MODERN TECHNIQUES OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
R. P. Linatead, 1.A. Elvidge, and Margaret Whalley, Imperial College of Seienee and Technology. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1955. x 190 pp. 91 figs. 4 tables. 14.5 X 22 m. 55.
BIOCHEMICAL PREPARATIONS. VOLUME 4
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W. W. Westerfeld, Editor-in-Chief. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1955. vii 108 pp. 2 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 53.75.
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INVOLUME 4 of "Biochemical Preparations," it8 editors continue to pursue its two major goals of supplying reliable checked procedures for the preparation of substances of biochemical Tms is a laboratory text used in a new course (1951) in ad- interest and to illustrate tecbnioues and methods which mav be vanced organic chemistry at the Imperial College of Science and usrful to n wimh rsorkcra. 'Jltc inmy dciir:~trlrfcnturcs uf t h i ~ Technology. It is designed to train the advanced undergraduate wries llwc lrcrn cnllrlra4znl in rcvicwz of previous nurnhcrs. or beginning graduate student in laboratory techniques which \Vl~ilet l e lawet in this scrics ia propceeing in thr proper dircchave not been employed in the elementary course and which are tion, several suggestions are in order. The range of compounds selected is broad, but one may necessary for research work. The book is divided into three major sections: I, Techniques question why the preparation of a relatively obscure substance of Purification and Separation; 11, Special Reaction Techniques; as bmgiuinic acid is selected instead of "hot" compounds suoh An&& and Allied Phvsicd as Sadenosylmethionine or 5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. and 111.Teehniaues of Quantitative "~~ Jlensurernmts. TIwx srvrions xrr :rp- On the other hand, the timeliness of such preparations as dit+m; ewh rlnpter gives tlw prinriple of rhe p n > ? d u r ~ourlinrs , pdmitoyl-bcrlecithin, urocanic acid, N-acetylimidazole, nthe ~ m c r a m l e t l d , and gives in
