BOOK REVIEWS eomprenena nis wow: ' nucn a peaagogrcally realistic statement, by a man of high standing as a research scientist, is indeed welcome. I t partly explains why Professor Brey has a reputat,ion as a lucid instructor and whv this hook is one of the most efiective in the Reinhold series. The hook aont,ains eight chapters, the first being a brief introduction and the last a quick summary. The second chapter, 20 pages long, is a treatment of t,he nature of eiectrome~netieradiation. The diarussion of the elreet of matter on radiation is excellent. Almost before he expects it the reader has acquired an understanding of what aapectrophotometer does. The t,hird chapter, with 39 pages, is the longest in the book. The suhject of this chapter, to quote the author, is "the study of patterns of atomic arrangement by interpretation of the diffraction effects observed when x-rays, electrons, or even neutrons, are reflected or transmitted by solid or gaseous samples of matter." Among the achieve ments of this chapter is s. presentation of Miller indices that is crystal clear. (The author wrote it in plain English.) The fourth chapter briefly tell8 how dielectric constants are measured, how dipole moments are determined, and how bhe information is interpreted in terms of molecular structure. I n the fifth chapter the discussion shifts from wave theory to quantum theory. Three fundamental eoncepts are introduced: the quantization of
A256 / lournol o f Chemical Education
radiant energy, the quantization of angular momentum, and the Boltzmann distribu"..-w.
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moments of inertia, and the determination of interatomic distances from rotational spectra. In the seventh chapter the e l e menlary theory of moleculai vibrations and infrared spectroscopy is presented. A capable student in thesecond semester of general chemistry will be able to understand most of the material in this book. Nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry have purposely not been included. The author has used the limited space available to him to maximum advantage. He has made it apparent that the tools whirh the modern chemist uses in his work are not limited to heakers, test tubes, and flasks.
LAWRENCE P. EBLIN Ohio Univemit?, Athens
Basic Biochemistry
Max E. Rafelnm, Jr., and Stephen B. Binkley, both of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago. blacmillan Co., New York, 1965. iu 350 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24 em. Clothhound, $8.50; paperbound, $6.50.
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This brief textbook was designed for college students with backgrounds in
chern~stry, including organic rhemistry and a t least an introductorr mnwe i n nlocnemmry encompasses a large vnriety of topics and is dependent. on background knowledge so the success of a basic biochemistry text limited to 350 pages depends to a large degree on the selection of material to he presented. The authors thus might be expected to conserve valuable space by avoiding repetition of subject matter presented in prerequisite chemis try or biology courses. Unfortunately this hook fails in this regard. Virtually all the first three chapters and s, eonsiderable portion of the fourth rhaptpter are devoted to review of whet most. likely has been presented in beginning chemistry or biology courses. Some prerequisite material that is required for general understanding of biochemistry may not have been presented in beginning courses. However, it is more likely to be in the area of kinetics or thermodynsmics which is not explained rather than in orgauic chemistry to which major attention is given. Further illustrations of unfortunate topic choices are presentation of the menstrual cycle in a manner similar to bhat used in beginning high school or college biology courses, and a rather extensive discussion of blood physiology which may he more properly presented in physiology or physiological-chemistry courses. (Continued on page A860)
istry of the Amino Acids" is a two volume work which inoludes the following chapters: The Natural Amino Acids, The Role The authors indicat,e that they are of Amino Acids in Nutrition, Amino Arid aware of the impact of the recent explosion Antagonists, General Biochemical and Physiological Considerations, Formation of knowledge in biochemistry in the of Peptide Bonds and Protein Synthesis, preface. However, all but about 5% of Intermediary Metabolism of the Amino the book could have been written withAcids, and Some Disardera of Amino out this new knowledge and what is presented is not integrakd with the older Acid Metabolism in Alan. The format is material. essentidly the same as that whieh was Chapters which are most appropriate used in the first edition, with the exceptiou and are well done are those dealing with that t,he material on amino acid antagocarbohydrat,e and lipid metabolism. nists and protein synthesis has been inThese chaprerr are preceded by a simple rluded in two new chaoters. and quite effective int,roduction to enDr. Meister's qualifications for writing zymes and a brief description of proteins. such 8, treatise cannot be questioned and The strong physiological flavor of the he has succeeded in providing a very text coupled with the discussion of elethorough reference work. T o see this, mentary chemistry and biology suggests one needs only to look a t the extensive that the book will be most useful to those bibliography which has been included with people without strong prerequisite science each chapter. These two volumes uncourses wishing to become oriented in the doubtedly provide one of the most comrelationship between chemistry and physiplete bibliographies on srnino acid biooloev. chemltry. MANCOURT DOWNING As Dr. Meister states in the preface to Univerailu of Colorado the second edition, all chapters have been Boulder revised and brought up-to-date. However, the most extensive additions have been made in srens concerning the funeBiochemistry of the Amino Acids. tions of vitamin B. in amino acid metabVolvmar 1 and 2 olism, protein synthesis and metabolism Alton Meister, Tufts University Sohaol of the amino acids. The entire second of Medicine, Bost,on. 2nd ed. Acavolume is taken u p with the metabolism demic Press, Inc., New York, 1965. and disorders in metabolism of amino xxvi 1084 113 pp. Figs. and acids. Although the amount of material tables. 16 X 23.5 em. Vol. 1, 522; presented may seem overwhelming to the Val. 2, $20; set, $38. new graduate student, the author has
BOOK REVIEWS
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The second edition of "The Biorhem-
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Journal o f Chemical Education
(Continued on page 488.9)
