dures. The entire book seems to he remarkably free from errors and i t is well organized. Approximately 20 per cent of the book consists of a section an Essentials of Elementary Chemistry which "serves as a fulcrum far the less-advanced student and a review for the more-advanced student." A large proportion of this is devoted to basic techniques, the preparation of solutions, snd the operation of colorimeters. The material is accurate, but many of the basic facts and principles of chemistry are either entirely omitted or simplified to such a large degree that students dependent u m n this book for a workine h o w l e . l ~ eof chmlistry cnu hardly Iw e x p t w d tu l,n.~mwrcli.ddc iucdirql Iwhrwlogistr, unless t l q are under 1 1 rlasr ~ suprrvisiuu of persons well trained in chemistry. A large number of National Regjgisy type questions and answers are included. There is also a small bibliography, hut several of the references are out of date because more recent editions have been puhli~hed. The book should be useful to students snd practioing medical technologists who need to use only the more conventional and simple chemical methods of analysis, but it will not be very helpful in preparing them to understand and use more complicated methods and ideas.
ening agents, and pesticide residues. The author could well have brought many of the figures up-to-date. Chapter 18, Inorganic Determinations, isquite out of date, for many of the methods are 20-30 yeara old. Chapter 2, Physical Chemical Methods, could have been brought more up t o date. Although new tables have been introduced, none of the earlier objections have been corrected. This is not an educational text but is a compilation of difficult to find methods of food analysis. As a compilation this book is of value t o those interested in such analyses; particularly if one realizes that it should be used in conjunction with the "Methods of Analysis of the A. 0. A. C." and such journals as The Analyst and Anolytical Chemistl-21.
Of the nineteen preparations, the Illinois group was responsible for checking twelve procedures, with Dr. Vestling personally involved in three checkq. One preparation was submitted by this same department. Perhaps future editors of this series might profit by seeking an even greater international flavor to their volumes. No checks were reported from non-U.S.A. labs, although five preparations were submitted from foreign labaratories. Previously expressed concern about the overlap between this series and the "Methods in En~ymology"series has been largely dispelled. The continual revision of the "Methods" series would obviously be too costly. Thus "Biochemical Preparations" makes its most useful contribution to the biochemist by introducing especially timely J l a r ~ shf. PAPPENHAGEN procedures which have not been repeated Kenyon College elsewhere. Ganzbier, Ohio EARLFRIEDEN Florida Sfate University Tallahassee
Biochemical Preparations.
Carl S . Vestling, Editor-in-Chief. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1958. 105 pp. 15.5 x 23.5 cm. $5.25. ix
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HARRYG. DAY Indiana Uniuwsit~ Bloomington
The Chemical Analysis of Foods and Food Products
Morris B. Jacob, Consulting Chemist and Microbiologist. 3rd ed. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, N. J., 1958. xxiv 970 pp. 88 figs. 106 tables. 16.5 X 23.5 cm. $13.75.
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For 20 years through two editions and soveral reprintings this book has served as a standard text for the food chemist and analytical chemists in general. The first edition (J. CHEM.Enuc., 16, 100 (1939)) contained 537 pages; the third edition, 970 pages. Thus, one can see the increase in scope, data, techniques, and procedures which has occurred over 20 years. The book contains 24 chapters, an appendix with certain tsbles, and a subject index. In the body of the text are 106 tables and many figures. Representative chapters and areas of analysis include: Coloring Matters in Foods; Milk and Cream; Oils and Fats; and Jams, Jellies, and Fruits. The many analytical prooedures usually are adequate, but the treatment of dsta, and interpretation of results are not always clear. I t is unfortunate that theintroduction of new material was not accompanied hy the deletion of much of the earlier material. The reviewer believes that many pages of this book could well have been omitted. There has been only a little rewriting of the material which appeared 20 years ago, and in this respect one might say that the value of the new editiou lies in the introduction of new topics such as radiochemical determinations, artificial sweet-
422
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Journal of Chemicol Education
Volume 6
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Volume 6 of "Biochemical Preparations" is the best of the recent volumes of this useful series in providing carefully ohcoked nrocedures which lead to reasonable amounts of needed, difficultly obtainable research materids. This "olume also has educational value in illustrating many of the modem preparative techniques of biochemistry. Many of the shortcomings of the t,wo previous volumes noted by this reviewer (J. CHEM. EDUC., 33, 1358 (1956); J. CHEM.EDIIC.,35, A616 (1958)) have been eliminated from Volume 6. Preparations essentially biochemical in character have been emphasized. Chromatographic and adsorption methods are used for the isola tion of crystalline animal eytochrome C, L-a-glyoerophosphoryloholine and old yellow enzyme. The purification of insulin by fibril formation is unusual. An enzymatic method is employed for the preparation of rihulose diphasphate. Especially timely are the description of the isolation of rihonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid. Standard biochemical methods are employed for the isolation of 2,3-diphasphoglyceric mid, lanosterol, Leucine aminopeptidese, crystalline horse oxyhemoglobin, crystalline papain, and orystalline muscle phosphorylase a and b. Typical procedures in organic chemistry are described for the synthesis of 3-hydroxyanthranilie acid, (3- hydroxy - 8 -methylglutaric acid, a-methylserine and his(hydroxymethyl)glycine, heneoyl-L-srgininamide, phosphoserine, and DL-tryptophan7%-C14. While the versatility of the selected compound@is impressive, it is hoped that in future volumes more peptides, e.g., those related to oxytocin and vasopressin, will be included, since peptides are in tremendous demand in many meas of biochemicel research. The extensive contribution of the editor, Dr. Carl S. Vestling, and his associates a t the University of Illinois deserves mention.
Growth and Pelfaction of Crystals
Edited by R. H. Doremus, B. W . Roberts, and Daaid Turnbull. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1958. xviii 609 pp. Many figs. 23 X 28.5 cm. $12.50.
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This is the best edited set of papers it has been my pleasure to see: the report of a. meeting held a t Cooperstown, New York, August. 27-29, 1958, the printed volumes were distributed in December, 1958. In spite of this short interval, there are very few errors, the illustrat.ions are exreptionally well done, and the format and binding most satisfactory. The real worth of the collection lies in the individual papers, of course. An introductory paper is followed by sections on: Growth of Whiskers (6 papers), Properties of Whiskers and Crystal Imperfeetions ( l l ) , Growth of Crystals of tho Solvent Phase (9), Growth of Crystals of the Solute Phase (7), and Crystallization of Polymers (8). Each seotion begins with an introductory paper of its own. The papers are of a high quality, almost without exception, recount exceptiondly current work, and are presented Lucidly and fully by some of the best workers in the field. The illustrations are superb, and are probably the best ~olleetionof phatographs available in this field. The volume justifies its purchase in terms of them alone. Most of the papers have an introductory statement, abstract, or summary, are divided editorially by appropriate subheadings, are followed by comments, both oral and written, and conclude with good bibliographies. Both an author and subject index are included for the whole volume. If the sponsors of future symposia. can attain the excellence of this report we may have a. new and very valuable type of addition to the scientific literature.
J. A. CAMPBELL Harvey Mudd College Clarernmf, California
