July 20, 1960
3803
BOOK REVIEWS Schrodinger equation, though the analytic solutions are given. Another four-chapter group follows: Steady-State Perturbation Theory. h-ondegenerate Case; Steady-State Perturbation Theory. Degenerate Case; Identical Particles; Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory. About a hundred pages of text are devoted t o this material. For ;2merican readers a more revealing title of Professor The last chapter, fifty-two pages, is titled: The RelaNetter’s book might be “biophysical chemistry,” since its tivistic IYave Equation and the Origin of Electron Spin; general structure is the development, followed by the apthe necessary matrix methods are introduced as part of the plication, of various topics in physical chemistry t o probexposition. lems of current interest in physiology. Complete success in This is an excellent book. Sherwin has a nice facility for writing such a book is scarcely t o be expected; here and the selection of simple examples and analogies and these there a critic can prove t h a t in certain instances the are scattered throughout the t e s t . The emphasis on physical chemistry presentation is so brief as t o be supernumerical rather than analytic methods tends constantly ficial, or t h a t the biological context aud significance is lost to bring home t o the student the fact t h a t quantum meamongst simplifications and approximation
