BOOK REVIEWS
J. Chem. Inf. Model., Vol. 48, No. 8, 2008 1729
BOOK REVIEWS
Book Review of Molecules and Medicine Molecules and Medicine. By E. J. Corey, Barbara Czako´, and La´szlo´ Kurti. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2007 (hardcover 2008). xi + 253pp + bibliography, glossary, and index. U.S. $49.95. ISBN (paperback) 0-470-22749-4, 978-0-470-22749-7. U.S. $99.95. ISBN (hardcover) 0-470-26096-3, 978-0-470-26096-8. Although aimed at a wide audience, including the lay public and “curious and thoughtful” undergraduates, this well-written book can also be a reference for professionals and researchers in the life sciences and medicine. The authors accomplish this by integrating-into one concise text-chemistry, biology, drug discovery, pharmacology, and medicine, all based on chemistry and chemical structure. Part I is a concise but ambitious tutorial for those readers who need background or a refresher on the basic principles of chemistry with emphasis on organic chemistry. This part also includes a protein tutorial which covers 3-dimensional protein structures, essential amino acids, and primary and secondary structures and other structural information. This approach may attract criticism both for what is covered, how it is covered, and what is not covered. However, in this reviewer’s opinion, the tutorial is well done, and no major errors could be detected. The bulk of the text, Parts II-VI, includes overviews on diseases and medical conditions interwoven with one-page synopses or monographs on more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over the counter, used to treat the conditions. Part II covers inflammatory, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, in addition to receptors and signaling. Overviews include drug mechanisms, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. Drug monographs include aspirin, naproxen, Celebrex, prednisone, Claritin, glipizide, Lipitor, Zetia, Tenormin, and digoxin. Part III covers reproductive medicine, osteoporosis, glaucoma, and antiulcer agents along with an overview of osteoporosis. Monographs include oral contraceptives (several), testosterone, Oxytocin, Viagra, Fosamax, Prilosec, and Zantac. Part IV covers autoimmune diseases and organ transplants, infectious diseases including immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics, and antiviral, antifungal, antimalarial, and antiparasitic agents, with overviews on viruses and parasitic diseases. Monographs include cyclosporin, amoxicillin, Cipro, ribavirin, Tamiflu, retrovir, Lamisil, Alinia, and chloroquin. Part V covers malignant diseases with an overview of cancer. Monographs include Paraplatin, tamoxifen, Gleevec, and Taxol. Part
VI covers nervous system drugs in these categories: analgesics, hypnotics, neurodegenerative, and antidepressants. An overview on the brain, neurotransmission, and molecular neurotransmitters appears here. Monographs include lidocaine, morphine, Tylenol, Valium, Ambien, levodopa, and Aricept (for Alzheimer’s). Many find sources like The Merck Index invaluable for quick lookups and essential data, but this book, although less comprehensive and lacking data, can also be a valuable reference work. Each drug monograph lists years of discovery and introduction to use along with the organization responsible, drug category, primary uses, and related drugs. Structures are shown in line drawings, stick and ball, and spacefilling formats. The rest of the monograph describes treatment of the syndrome in general and the mechanism and pharmacology of this drug in particular. The overviews provide good background for the biochemistry, pharmacology, and medicine necessary for better understanding of the drugs discussed. In some cases, the glossary does not cover some of the medical terms, so that additional references may be needed for those less familiar with the jargon. References are included for each part at the end of the book followed by the glossary (often illustrated) and a good index. Overall, this is an excellent book, very well done. It is highly recommended to a variety of audiences. Most of the diseases and drugs that we are exposed to are covered well and succinctly, and it should be a valuable reference for the lay public. It is also a good reference for students, both as a resource for the sciences (possibly even as a text for medicinal chemistry) as well as a mentoring tool for career guidance. Professionals in the related sciences, including chemical, pharmacological, biological, and medical, could also find this book valuable as a reference, especially in those areas they are less familiar with. A note to librarians, both public and scholastic: this book should be made available to students ranging from high school through college and graduate school.
Robert E. Buntrock Buntrock Associates CI800185G 10.1021/ci800185g
Book Review of Google Version 2.0 - The Calculating Predator Google Version 2.0 - The Calculating Predator. By Stephen E. Arnold. Infonortics: Tetbury, England. October 2007. 260 pp (including annexes). Available only in an online downloadable PDF version. U.S. $640/460. This is Steve Arnold’s second book on the more technical aspects of Google. The first book, The Google Legacy: How Google’s Internet Search Is Transforming Application, was reviewed in J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2 years ago. [The Google Legacy: How Google’s Internet Search Is Transforming Application Software by Stephen E. Arnold. Infonortics: Tetbury, England. September 2005. 280 pp (including annexes). Available in online downloadable PDF version only. U.S. $180/***145. Heller, S. R. J. Chem. Inf. Model. (Book Review) 2006, 46 (3), 1533-1533. DOI: 10.1021/ci068004w.] While the first book was aimed at Google, its search capabilities and money making ability with advertising, this second book goes into the aspects of what Google has and is patenting (since it started in 1998) and talks about why and what this means now and may mean in the future.
As with the first book, Arnold stresses the fact that Google has not helped, supported, or pretty much done anything to help him write this book. Between the title of The Calculating Predator and his use of the word “Googzilla” to describe what he believes is Google’s current incarnation, one would certainly consider this a fact. Arnold points out that Google works hard to present a very benign public image, but it does not necessarily behave that way in practice and seems to be very secretive in many ways. Google tries very hard to keep a low profile with its very talented people, in part to keep Microsoft or Yahoo from poaching its staff. What I found most interesting is that very few people at Google have business cards. Apparently cards are printed up for only those few that ever deal with the public. The book contains 10 chapters, and most I found interesting to fascinating. The book starts off with a technical description of the Google database technology, which they have developed on their own to support their massive operation. “Bigtable” is the internal name for
1730 J. Chem. Inf. Model., Vol. 48, No. 8, 2008 Google’s database project. For Google, size does count. In fact, that is all that matters. The Google patents that are described throughout the book have three main themes: efficiency, clever math, and automation built on knowledgebase. The last of these three comes from the fact that more people use Google for searching than the other search engines, so they have many, many more data points to use in improving their system. As for efficiency, Google has created its own programming language, Sawzall, a modification of C++ to make programming for “Bigtable” much more efficient. In 2006, Google announced it expects to be a U.S. $100 billion company in terms of revenue. While advertising revenue will continue to grow, it seems unlikely that it will take Google to U.S. $100 billion. So Arnold covers the areas he thinks Google plans to expand into, such as shopping (commerce), publishing, phones (telecommunication), etc. What I got from this book is that Google is not first, just better, at taking something and running with it. Overture/GoTo started Web ads, but they are gone and Google has most of the marketplace. However, as a recent article in Newsweek points out, there are a lot of bright people and organizations who believe Google is vulnerable to new innovations and inventions. [“Searching for the Best Engine”, News-
BOOK REVIEWS week, November 5, 2007, pp 42-28. http://www.newsweek.com/id/ 62254.] With the market for such products being so huge, Google’s continued growth is not a sure thing by any means. The computer field is littered with many dead bodies: Digital Equipment, Osborne Computer, Netscape, etc. An interesting feature of this book is the way you obtain it (http:// infonortics.com/publications/google/google-predator.html). Like the first book on Google, this publication is only available as an e-book in PDF (printable) form, as a Web site download (6 megabytes). There are approximately 260 pages of text. On receipt of the order form and payment, purchasers will receive a password and access code to allow them to download the PDF file for one-person use. Then, one must print off the book-preferably with a printer that allows for two-sided printing. This is a neat and (for the publisher) inexpensive way to sell a book; but for the user/reader, this is a somewhat expensive book which uses your own paper and ink to print it.
Stephen R. Heller NIST, PCPD CI800190G 10.1021/ci800190g
Book Review of The Adobe Illustrator CS Wow! Book (WOW!) The Adobe Illustrator CS Wow! Book (WOW!), 9th ed.; By Sharon Steuer. Peachpit Press: 2007. 480 pp. Softcover U.S. $54.99. ISBN 0-321-51842-X, 978-0-321-51842-2. This book is an excellent introduction on how to make the most out of the Adobe Illustrator software. Adobe Illustrator CS3 is a well-known and widely used vector-graphics software package (http://www.adobe. com/products/illustrator/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_ Illustrator). This book is by a well-known illustrator and author in this area and covers both the PC and Mac versions of Illustrator. This book consists of some 460 pages and has 15 chapters that cover all sorts of
tips, tricks, and techniques and includes a CD-ROM with information and exercises. The book covers the basics, tips for various applications, and efficiency, exercises, techniques, and galleries on how to create images and references. An excellent and extensive guide and reference to anyone who uses either the Mac or PC version of Illustrator.
Stephen R. Heller NIST, PCPD CI800188F 10.1021/ci800188f
Book Review of Innovate Like Edison: The Success System of America’s Greatest Inventor Innovate Like Edison: The Success System of America’s Greatest Inventor. By Michael J. Gelb and Sarah Miller Caldicott. Dutton, New York. 2007. xv +299 pp + bibliography and index. ISBN 0-525-95031-1, 978-0-52595031-8. Hardcover, U.S. $25.95. This book is an excellent synthesis of technological history, biography, and business practices as well as the foundations of creativity and innovation. Written for a general although technically aware audience, Innovate Like Edison should also be of interest to readers of this Journal and to chemists, scientists, and innovators in general. Although some think otherwise, creativity and innovation can be taught, and this book is an excellent guide for both. As a graduate of Edison High School, Minneapolis, MN, this reviewer was immersed in Edison lore at an early age. Thomas Alva Edison led a very interesting life both professionally and personally. Widely regarded as one of the most prominent inventors ever (1093 patents, the last filed at age 84), he is presented as an excellent a role model and inspiration for overall personal success including creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and business acumen. Home schooled by his inspirational mother, Edison became a voracious reader on a wide variety of subjects, both technical and literary. The classics were as much an inspiration as his broad technical
reading. Of interest to this audience, he was especially fond of chemistry, both in his reading and research, exemplified in his publications. Edison established a winter residence in Ft. Meyers, FL, which included a subtropical garden. Although not covered to any extent in the book, Edison’s friend, Harvey Firestone, asked that he work on a substitute for rubber, embargoed during WWI. The garden eventually contained more than 5000 species of plants including many latex producers. Edison’s research in this winter laboratory led to a number of publications in the 1920s in biological and horticultural journals, including a description of the chemical components of these latexbearing plants. Edison did a lot of basic research, but his goal was always answering the needs of the consumer for useful products, and, as a result, he was very market-oriented. As a result, he is exemplified in this book as an entrepreneur with good business savvy. Along the way, he invented and developed the modern research laboratory. He was stubborn and made some big mistakes but never lost sight of a path to success. Not all work and no play, Edison not only was a legendary hard worker but also knew how to relax. He had a good sense of humor and was also noted for enlightened viewpoints on both women and their competencies.
BOOK REVIEWS
J. Chem. Inf. Model., Vol. 48, No. 8, 2008 1731
In the last part of this book, the values exemplified in the life of Edison are used as the basis for a “system for success” using the “Five Competencies of Innovation”. These span the entire breadth of the creative and innovative processes and are each composed of 5 elements. Sample titles of these elements include “Seek knowledge relentlessly”, “Align your goals to passions”, and “Apply the right business model”. The first of these should could be a mantra of researchers in general and readers of this Journal in particular. After absorbing these principles, prospective innovators can use the “Edison Innovation Literacy Blueprint” to evaluate their personal competencies as innovators.
Exemplifying this inspirational figure in history, chemist, scientist, and inventor, this book is recommended for all with an interest in the research, creative, and innovative processes as well as those who enjoy a well written historical biographical read.
Robert E. Buntrock Buntrock Associates CI800187T 10.1021/ci800187t
Book Review of Apple Pro Training Series: Motion 3 Apple Pro Training Series: Motion 3. By Damian Allen, Mark Spencer, Bryce Button, and Tony Huet. Peachpit Press: 2007. 552 pp. Softcover U.S. $54.99. ISBN 0-321-509102, 978-0321509109. With many graphics packages and books about Microsoft PC based systems, it is good to come across one which explains and shows off the benefits and abilities of using Apple’s motion graphics software, Motion 3. This book, part of the Apple Pro Training Series, is a 520+ page book, with lessons on an accompanying DVD, which shows the reader how to design and create really neat animation graphics. The book consists of 14 chapters or lessons, a glossary, and a 9-page index.
The book has good practical examples and tutorials, all associated with the DVD that comes with the book. The book starts with the fundamentals and goes on to explain and show how to create and animate content. Creating impressive modeling and docking graphics makes this a worthwhile book to consider if you have an Apple computer system.
Stephen R. Heller NIST, PCPD CI800189B 10.1021/ci800189b
