ATOM HARVEST Leonard Bertin, Science correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 1957. 253 pp. 14.5 X 22 om. $3.25. Tnrs book will have a twefold interest to Americans. I t is, first of all, an excellent record, by a n experienced science reporter, of development of knowledge of atomic energy in Britain and the application of this both for military and peace time purposes. I t is largely nontechnical, hut nonetheless the author has done what seems to he a thoroughly accurate job of reporting. There are highly readable accounts of bomh tests and of the development of nuclear power plants, plus discussions of such problems as the genetic implications and the possible effects of the bombs on weather. Secondly-and perhaps of more importance for Americans-the book is a frank and forceful presentation of the British side of the controversy over security. It presents a record of oontributions by Europeans before and during the war which are all too often minimized in this country. For example, to quote one comment, "in the matter of the separation of uranium 235 by the process of gaseous diffusion, for which the British teem worked out both scientifie and technological details, no scientist or engineer was ever allowed to enter the plant a t Oak Ridge and our men were not even told whether the ideas that they had developed had worked satisfactorily." The author notes various instances in which the "need-to-know'' principle in security restrictions operated to keep our allies and supporters uninformed a t a time when our rivals were already making rapid strides in the field. H e also reports frankly certain instances which seem t o the British to raise serious questions of ethics with regard to our handling of "secrets." For example, he reports that
Rwsevelt and Churchill concluded an agreement for exchange of information a t Quebec, yet this was not mentioned a t the time of the Smyth report, nor was this mentioned to Senator McMahm and t o Congress when the Atomic Energy Act was under cansideration. None of us can, of course, gauge exwtly the accuracy of such statements. However, the book is not rabidly partisan and i t has the ring of sincerity. I t can, therefore, he highly recommended, both for an interesting report on developments in the application of atomic energy and for its exposition of some d the serious problems, which are of general concern to scientists and nonscientists dike, that must be faced whenever technical data become important in international relations. ROBBIN C. ANDERSON UNIYERBIIT OF T E X ~ A U ~ T I NT. E X * ~
GALILEO AND THE MAGIC NUMBERS S i d n e y Rosen, Assistant Professor of Physical Science and Education, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Little. Brawn and Co., Boston, 1958. 212 pp. 15 X 22 om. $3.50. DR. ROSENha8 drawn upon many books and translations to give us a biography of this remarkable man of science and one of the founders of modern experimental seientificinvestigation. Asked what heparticulady wished to put across to his readers, the author replied: "I would like them to know that mv book is about a eeniua who
century when men endured the tortures of the Inquisition because they dared to threaten the concepts entrenched by authority. The book not only reveals the world's attitude toward science s t the time of Galileo hut introduces the reader to personalities responsible for this attitude and tells of Galileo's struggle against it. "Donot be afraid to challenge authorityat anytime if a search for truth is inquestion," his father had taught him, and Galileo was to remember as he pursued the number magic of Pythagoras and Euclidian geometry and the new system of the world fashioned by Copernious. Thus Galileo made many enemies by differing from the prevdling Aristotelian philosophy. In 1632 we see him brought before the Inquisition by a special commission of Aristotelian professors who had persuaded the Pope that Gslileo was a heretic, condemned for a crime whieh was not crime in his own eyes, far revealing the great truths of nature whieh he had discovered to be true and declaring the mathematical order which governs all things. Older readers as well as young readers will enjoy Galileo and his introduction to the magic of numbers which turned his attention ta the then very imperfectly comprehended laws of bodies in motion and led t o his great contributions to physical science as we know it today. GRETA OPPE BALLHIGHSCXODL G*,,"~sl.on., T E X * ~
THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY DURING THE twistings and turnings of desperate men determined to preserve the status quo." Dr. Rosen has succeeded in doing that and has given us a picture of the sixteenth
REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE Lenard Berlin, Atom Harvest Sidney Rosen, Galileo and the Magic Numbers L. F. Haber, The Chemical Industry During the Nineteenth Century R. H. Atkin, Mathematics and Wave Mechanics K d z and Seabwg, The Chemistry of the Aotinide Element8 S. D. Hamann, Physico-Chemical Effects of Pressure Fisher, Johnston, Thompson, and V ~ e e h n dJr., , Dislocations and Mechanical Properties of Crystals E. F. Caldin, An Introduction to Chemical Thermodynamics Simonson and Ross, The Terpnnes. Volumes 4 and 5 Paul Pascal. editor. Nouveau Trait4 de Chemie Minhrale. Volume 3. E. Rancke ~ d n e nThe : Develo~mentof Titrimetrie Analvsis Till 1806 F . Burriel-Mmtz and J . Ramzrer-Monor, Flame Photometry
NINETEENTH CENTURY
L. F. Haber. Oxford University Press, New York. 1958. vii 292 pp. 16 X 24 cm. 57.20.
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"THEREare many histories of ehemis try, few of the chemical industry." Dr. Haber thus starts his unique and welcome effort to remedy this situation. Hie book is unique in selecting a few key industries, mainly sulfuric acid, soda and coal-tar-dye-stuffs, and i t is welcome in its ~ource-basedthoroughness. He describes the consequences of technical developments in production rates, prices and markets, with due emphasis on the human foroes responsible for these achievements. Thus he points out the economical side of scientifie research a t the academic institutions in the several leading countries. The dramatic changes in industrial leadership are clearly presented, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century when Britain and JOURNAL -OF CHEMICAL EDUCATlON
