June 5, 1960
BOOKREVIEWS
2977
cussion of the influence of various parameters on fast reacin a very cursory manner. In tlie chapter on the control of metabolism, the role of the hormones is hardly touched upon. tors as calculated by niultigroup transport theory and some o f tlie engineering problenis encountered in designing fast A fair number of names of investigators have been included reactors. along with their contributions to Biochemistry but in spite Of less interest to chemists, but nevertheless excellent reof this the founder of modern enzyme chemistry, J . B . Sumner, has not been mentioned in the chapter on enzymes. views, are chapters on nuclear photo-disintegration, pionIt is somewhat difficult to decide exactly for whom this nucleon interaction, strange particles, high energy nuclear reactions, electronics associated with nuclear research, book is primarily intended. One might wonder whether i t is somewhat oversimplified from the standpoint of the stu- economics of nuclear power, vertebrate radiobiology, and cellular radiobiology. dent of Science while still remaining beyond the grasp of the The entire series, “Annual Review of Suclear Science,” layman. I t could however be useful t o any beginner in is an excellent set of books summarizing the recent informaBiochemistry as an aid in quickly acquiring a bird’s eye view tion in fields associated with nuclear science. Volume 9 of cellular metabolism before becoming lost in details. This would no doubt be particularly true for undergraduates is a valuable addition to the series, and is highly recomand a fair proportion of medical students. mended to scientists interested in the subjects mentioned in Outside of the field of cellular metabolism the book ha5 the review. All the articles are well documented and the little to offer. If future editions appear i t might be dereferences serve as good bibliographies for those people insirable to add a certain amount of new material dealing with terested in obtaining more detailed information about the other areas of Biochemistry, since a short volume of this subject being discussed. sort can no doubt fill a real need provided t h a t the field is CHEMISTRY DIVISIOX adequately covered. PAUL R. FIELDS ARGONXE NATIONAL LABORATORY DEPT.OF BIOCHEMISTRY LEMONT, ILLINOIS ALEXANDER L. 1 ) O U N C E UNIVERSITY O F ROCHESTER SCHOOL OF MEDICINEA N D DEXTISTRY STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL KIRMALK. SARKARTechnique of Organic Chemistry. Volume I. Physical ROCHESTER 20, K. 1’. Methods of Organic Chemistry. Part 1. Third Completely Revised and Augmented Edition. Edited by ARKOLD WEISSBERGER. Interscience Publishers, Inc., 250 Fifth .4venue, Xew York 1, N. Y. 1959. xii Annual Review of Nuclear Science. X’olume 9. Co-editors: EMILIOS E G R ~ University ., of California, and LEONARD I. 918 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Price, $24 50. SCHIFF, Stanford University. Associate Editors : GERThe contents of this highly regarded reference work under HART FRIEDLANDER, Brookhaven National Laboratory, the editorship of A. Weissberger have undergone a marked and WALTERE. MEYERHOF,Stanford University. Anrevision from the form in which they appeared in the Second nual Reviews, Inc., Grant Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Edition ( 1949). The general organization very closely 1959. vii 625 pp. 16 x 23 cm. Price, $7.00 (KSA , ) ; resembles that of the earlier edition in that each editor of $7.50 (elsewhere). a section presents first the theoretical fundamentals of his subject in what is generally a clear-cut and concise manner. Persons anxious t o keep abreast with the wide variety of Following this are practical applications and in many subjects included under the heading of nuclear science would cases, sample calculations. The reader may thus select a do well t o read the series, “Advances in h’uclear Science.” I7olume 9 is the most recent addition. It contains 15 chapmethod applicable t o his own problem and pursue further ters written by nineteen authors under the editorship of information in the long and up-to-date series of references. Emilio Segrs, University of California, and Leonard I . The chapters now appear as: I, Automatic Control; Schiff, Stanford University. 11, Automatic Recording; 111, Weighing; IV, Determination of Density; V, Determination of Particle Size and Of the fifteen chapters in the book, only three are related Molecular Weight; VI, Temperature Measurement; V I I , t o chemistry. There is a chapter on technetium and astaDetermination of Melting and Freezing Temperatures; tine in which the author discusses the available information VIII, Determination of Boiling and Condensation Temon the various valence states of these elements and points out the difficulties of studying the chemistry of astatine. peratures; IX, Determination of Vapor Pressure; X, The chemistry of astatine has to be inferred from tracer Calorimetry; XI, Determination of Solubility; X I I , experiments since the element has only short half-life isoDetermination of Viscosity; X I I I , Determination of Properties of Insoluble Monolayers a t Mobile Interfaces; topes, 8.3 hour At*’O being the longest lived isotope. The XIV, Determination of Surface and Interfacial Tension; second chemistry chapter describes solvent extraction in radiochemical separations. The applications of several XV, Determination of Osmotic Pressure. chelating and ion association systems are mentioned and The chapters on Automatic Control, Automatic Recordtheir uses in separating elements of interest to radiochemists ing, Weighing and Particle Size and Molecular Weight are in the atomic energy field are emphasized. The third chap- completely new. The principles and theory of automatic ter to deal with chemistry is the biochemical effects of ionizcontrol are given “in reasonably non-mathematical form” ing radiation. Changes in carbohydrate, fat and protein and examples are shown with special emphasis on temperametabolism caused by radiation damage are considered, as ture control well as changes in enzymes and nucleic acids. The use of Chapter XI, Automatic Recording, is essentially very chemicals to heal or protect the body from radiation is practical and should be useful, as after a brief analysis of briefly mentioned. recorder characteristics there is discussion of the comIn addition to the chapters on chemistry, there are mercial recorders now available with their special characterseveral chapters presented in a simple enough manner to be istics and sources of supply. Included are the circuit interesting t o a large number of chemists. The chapter on diagrams for many. the experimental clarification of the laws of beta radioChapter 111, Weighing, is developed in minute detail, activity reviews many of the recent experiments which have with nearly fifty pages on the knife-edge balance and several affected our ideas of beta decay, e . g . , non-conservation of pages on weights and standardization. T h e reviewer parity, the deviation from one of the ratio of the square of would have weicomed here more detail o n the newly aptllc coupling constants for Fermi and Gamow-Teller radiapearing one-pan rapid-weighing balances. tions, and the polarization of the electron wave. The recent Chapter IV, Density, has new material on niolecular ciperirnental results which have shed some light on the volumes, and volume changes on mixing. Uses aiid ineasti:cture of the fission process are summarized in a cornpre- urement of gas and vapor density are new. hciisive chapter on nuclear fission. The rather complicated Chapter V, Particle Size and Molccular Weight, has field of plasma research arid controlled fusion is summarized sixty pages devoted briefly to ten methods diflering in i l l an interesting review which describes some of the properprinciple, including about twenty-five variations. Each ties of plasmas, their instabilities, the basic types of machines is treated rather briefly, therefore with some inevitable which have been constructed to test some of the theories, duplication with later chapters Extensive references and, finally, the present state of the field. T h e experience help t o make up for any brevity of treatment. with fast subcritical, zero power, and experimental reactors Chapter VI, Temperature Measurement, covers about i i i thc lT.S.,\., (;reat Britain a ~ thc ~ dtJ.S.S.IZ.arc reviewed tlie w i n ( > griiuntl i r i tlie ncw etlitioii :I\ i i i the earlier one and i i i a i.Ii:cpirt’ ‘ 1 1 1 fJ51 t ’ u ~ ~ i o r s 111 , additiou, thew is a ili+ tlierr s ~ e i i ti i l be t e i v iicw retrreiicrz.
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