tions, stability problems, or the crowover theorem. In contrast, J. M. Reiner's textbook has a whole chapter about open systems. The author fails to see the possibilities for the use of computers and numerical analysis in the solution of kinetics problems. Among the many possible applications of numerical analysis to chemical kinetics, which Segel omits to mention is the fact that all of the curves presented in this publication could be directly fitted to experimental data without previous linearization. This could be done by the use of either nan-linear optimization or non-linear least souare method. Thus the I',.. and K,, could he drtrrmmed directly with the help uf rhecamput~r(as they mu* be in non-l~nenrnable\ ' vprsus S dependencies). Different linearized plots are not equally valuable--as the author indicates-there are strong statistical objections against llu - 11s d o t s (discussed bv Wilkinson and more re~ h c s nnd r othrr ommiom could he sum. mari,rd in one m w n c r : the author excluded from hw hrtok anyrhinp, but the exprrs~ions far dependency of initial reaction rates on substrate, activator and inhibitor concentrations, and integrated expressions far simpler schemes. Within this self-imposed limit, the hook contains a more complete list of d o t s and formulas for more reaction srh~mcsthnnothermonographs. It makes it w r y valuahle fur any bahgist who wisher to work in sr~adg.statrenzyme kinetics. Not only are there treatments for enzymes with one, two, and three substrates and a very extensive discussion of all types of inhibition by one inhibitor, hut also treatment far the steady-state kineticsaf twoinhibitors working together, kinetics af enzymes contaminated by endogenous substrates, treatment far activation kinetics, and a chapter about allosteric enzymes. Plots and (in the case of enzymes with two or more substrates) replots are given for each scheme. Besides this, there are very valuable summary plots of conceivahle patterns within the "family" of schemes, such as the plots on pages 249,468, 659,and 900. Within the above mentioned limit, the references are complete and well-chosen. The hook, which was released in May, 1975,contains many references from 1974. However, reference to the Eigen work about diffusion limits for rate constants and references from the Journal of Afothemolz~nlHtocrienrr, are m i i s ~ n g .The trrslmrnt of King-Altman patterns nnd Cleland schemes makes the book valuable as a supplementary reading for kinetics courses. There is one fact which makes this review difficult-there is not one community of enzyme kineticists, but two. The first publishes more in hiologicdy oriented journals and the second in journals of the type of Mathemotical Biosciences, the Journal of Theoretical Biology, Computers in Biomedicine, ete.These two groups do not cross-reference each other often (as could be shown by retrospective reference searches by library computers). The I. Segel book is written exclusively for more biologically oriented readers and does very little to bring more abstract concepts t o the attention of the reader. This review tries t o look a t the hook from both directions. Obviously, the hook looks better (and good) from the viewpoint of practical enzymology than i t does if we regard ~
kinetics. The book costs $27.50 and bas 957 pages. Michael Wagner Nmth~verternUniversity Evansfon. llllnols 60207
An Atlas of Stereochernlslry. Absolute Conflguratlons of Organlc Molecules W. Klyne and J. Buckinghom, Westfield Collzge, London. Oxford University Press, New York, 1974.Figs. and tables. 21.5 X 30 cm. xvi 311 pp. $39.95.
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In recent years it has become apparent, especially in biochemical studies, that no . investigation can he considered complete without a three-dimensional knowledge of the relationship between the molecules concerned, and this cannot be achieved until the absolute configuration of all the compounds is known or s t any rate has been referred t o one arbitrary standard." The latter was the case until 1951 when J. M.Bijovet demonstrated how the technique of anomalous X-ray dispersion could be used to determine directly the absolute configuration of a tartaric acid salt. Since then the method has been used to establish the absolute configuration of numerous comoounds. and therebv olace on a firmer basis the assienments of
