BOOK REVIEWS distractions of strictly metabolic mnsiderations. Throughout this portion of the hook blre topics are important and well chosen, the writing clear and st,rraightforward, the examples excellent. All that is lacking to make this an excellent survey of these areas is timeliness, one of the author's stated criteria. for his selection of topics. This is a troublesome problem in m y rapidly advancing field, but here the discussions of protein st,ructure seem some five years old. The chapter on enzymes, for example, has no reference to work published aft.er 1961. Thus, there is no mention of multiunit enzymes nor of sllosteric effects. Hydragen bonding in credited with much more importance in general protein structure bhen has for some years been considered to be the case by theleaders in the field. The sections on nurleic &ridsand protein synthesis are more current, hut even theie are by now several years old. Nevertheless, the fundamental m&xial is well presented and could prove to be very useful to many a biulogiit or physics1 scientist wishing a gmunding in the areas covered. h indicated earlier, the book is designed for the advanced undergraduate. I t requires a reasonable background in orgsnio and physical chemistry as well as b s i e calculus. No biochemistry is assumed. I am not sure that coueesexist for which this will prove a suitable text. General biochemistry courses might well use it as a
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Journol of Chemical Education
in the history of chemical education, and well deserves the treatment it has received here. The text has now been translated from the original Latin into modern German, and thus made accessible to a wider circle of readers. The volume presents numerous illustrations of chemical equipment, both lsboraJAMES L. FAIRLEY tory and technical, and an outstanding Michigan State Uniuemily ieature are the sketches of a proposed East Lansing chemistry building for instnlctional purposes. The title pages are of special interest. The value of the book is enhanced by an extensive commentary on the chemical philosophy of Libavius, and Die Alehemie des Libavius: Ein Lehlc an analysis of the contents of his "Albuch der Chemie our dem Jahre 1597 chemie" is provided. A list of the puhHerausgegeben vom G m e l i Institut lished biographies of this remarkable early fiir anorganische Chemie und Grenzg* chemist is included. biete in der Max Planck Gesellsehaft Though s t first glance it might appear m r Forderung der Wissenschaft, Frankthat this project. has been directed at the furt am main. Verlag Chemie, Weinspecialists in the history of early chemheim/Bergstrasse, 1964. 768 pp. i s t , ~there , is much here that may appeal Figs. 18 X 25.5 cm. 98 marks ($25). to the general German-reading public. 4 . comparison of this sixteenth-seventeenth Andreas Libavius (Libau) was horn a t cenbury textbook with those now in use Halle around 1550 and died a t Coburg shows in a special way the advances and in 1616. He was a distinguished teacher differences in the manner in which the as well as a physician. A professor of subject has been presented. history and poetry, he instituted courses in This handsome volume represents the science in the gymnasia where he taught fruit of a tremendous amount of scholarly and is regarded by some as the first aeawork and a. large investment by the pubdemic professor of chemistry. He was a lisher. Those responsible for this acprolific wriber, publishing about 50 hooks, oomplishment deserve sincere praise and and also a skilled laboratory worker. thanks. His best known work is his "Alchemie" (1597). Despite its misleading title it is RALPHE. OESPER not a speculative w o ~ kbut an orderly, University of Cincinnati systematic presentation of the chemical Cincinnati, Ohio knowledge of its bime. I1 is a milestone supplement. Perhaps the overall rhemical and pbysical approachof the book best suit it for use in courses in chemistry or biophysics departments-courses designed to acquaint the physical scientist with the relatively recent advances in understanding biology in moleoulilr terms.
