book reviews The book is written in s very readable, flnid style; that some of the problems discussed came out sketchy is unavoidable in a book of this scope, but limited in size. I t is profusely i l l n s h t e d hy graphs and molecular structures of discussed compouuds, iu many cases by ball-and-stick mod& as well as by the Stllarl-Briegleb presentstion. The labter seems to be 1111necessary. According to the author, "Biochemistry may be comidered the chemist's view of biology" (p.2), n, most onnsnal definition: similarly we could define organic c1iemistt.y as imrganie chemist's view of carbon cumpounds, a definition to which nu organic chemists would subscribe! Ileithel's definition is quite different from that used by practically all biochemists (e.g., Karlson: "Biochemistry is one of the life sciences. Its object is to study the phenometrn of life by chemical methods"). Accordingly, the chapters dealing primarily with biological phenomena are the least satisfactory and could have been omitted altogether. The process of growth is much too complicated to be treated on five pages (including graphs and structural formulas) and it is not erclnsively the problem of I)NA and RNA (it is impossible to throw into one basket the various types of growth: multiplicative, auret,ic and secretionary): he does not even quote the most important literature on the subject, like the now classical
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Journal o f Chemical Education
hydrates, and other biologically important substances. Generally, chapters are organized to give an overview and the relative importance of the topic followed by the theory and concepts necessary to underst.and the topic and, finally, specific examples and descriptions. Charts, d i e grams, and tables are extensively wed in clarifying points and concepts. Cansiderilble material is conveniently summarked in table form. The coverage of topics are far from being superficial, and frequent inclusion of current research topics makes the book relevent to the problems confronting modern biochemists. W I K T ~W. R NOWINSKI Important references are listed a t the end University of Tczas Medical Branch of each chapter. Galveston, Tezm 77660 While "Basic Biological Chemistry" may be very useful as a text in a substantial biochemical course, t,his reviewer seB a r k B i h g i c d Chemistry riously doubts if the book can successfully serve the objectives intended by the auHenry R. Mahler and Eugene H. Cordes. thor, namely, to provide an introduction Indiana University, Bloamingtau. Harto biological chemistry for "students lackper & Row, New York, 1968. x 527 ing comprehensive training in chemistry." pp. Figs. and tables. 18.5 X 26.5 em. Explanations given in such chapters as 2 $10.75. (Equilibria and Thermodynamics in Transformat.ions), 3 (Proteins: ClassificaAccording to the aut,harrspreface, this tion, Properties, Purification), 5 (Nucleic texthook was written primarily for st,,,dents who do not have sufficient training Acids) and 6 (Emyme Kinetics) are inadein chemistry to use the author's earlier quate for students who are not thoroughly book, "Biological Chemistry" (Harper & grounded in analytical, organic, and physical chemistry. The very extensive use Ilow). Even though there are brief exof chemical, biological, and biochemical cursions into t,hermodynamics, ditfmion terminology in the descriptive portions of rates, and kinetic theory, the main thrust the book makes the reading and compreof the book seems to be a qualitative dehension of these sections mast difficult for scription of the synthesis, properties and (Conlinurd on page AISB) metabolism of proteins, enzymes, carbo-
"Biochemist,ry and Morphogenesis," by Joseph Needham, and is almost exclusively dedicated to bacterial erowth. The chaw ter on membranes is t o t h e greatest extent devoted to bacterial membranes and only mentions cellular membranes in the multicellular organisms. The author failed t o correlate the chemistry of membranes with the living functions and practically did not discuss the role of membrane structure in permeability. In summary, as a textbook of biochemistry, Reithel's book is unsatisfactory; however, as a "chemist's view of biology" can be very useful.
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book reviews
Typical of the "hints" is a clever arrangement, new to this reviewer, of s vacuum cleaner provided with a, soft camel's-heir brush affixed to a flexible tube the novice. The lack of sny questions or leading to an aspirator pump. This is recproblems within the textual material or ommended for dusting optical parts, slits, at the end of chapters is a serious drawback etc. for the use of this text in an introdnctory The treatment of the wavenumber descourse. The book appears to be written ignation is excellent. The author points more for those already familiar with the out the danger inherent in the reciprocal subject than for the student with limited centimeter in the visible and ultraviolet training in chemistry. range, where 200-800 mp becomes 50,000OIAF RUNQUIST 12,500 cm-'; this gives too great a. likeHamline Uniue~sily lihood of wrong conclusions about the St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 numhor of significant figures. The same span is 5.0-1.25 p-', which avoids the difficulty. For reciprocal micron he favors Practical Hints on Absorption the name permicron. Spectrometry (Ultraviolet m d Visible) With respect to the micron, we find a . is alsoJ . R. Edisbur~, Consultant, Chester, gentle rebuke: "A micron misguidedly, though logicdly-called a England. Plenum Publishing Corpora'micrometre,' pm. To avoid obvious probtion, 227 West 17th St., New York, able confuion between a measurement 1067; published in Great Britain by and a precision measuring instrument, a Hilger 8- Watts, Ltd., 08 St. Pancras terminal -tre (never -ter, friends in U.S.A. Way, London NW1, 1966. xii 266 please note) and sceented first and third pp. Illostrat,ed. 14 X 22 cm. $9.75. syllables (never the second) are essential." This unusual book gives almost as much Many intriguing comments which will insight into the personality of its author users come under the a ~ ~ etoa instrument l as int,o its stated topic. An unduly large &;ding of crusading (not Dr. Edisbury's portion of space is devoted to experimental designation!). A few quotations will illusdet,ails of visual and photographic spectrate. t,roscupy. There are, however, excellent "When you are studying explanatory short treatments of topics of wider current diagrams of optical systems, a good deal significance, such as stray light., care and of innocent fun can be had from the treatstandardization of photoelectric spectroment of prisms. The prism seems to be an photometers, and a discussion of cuvettes, unnatural hasard for some draughtsmen. including methods of cleaning them. Note how, if the light rays are allowed to
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Journal o f Chemical Educclfion
enter the prism-which they just bounce off in some diagram-they reflect internally a t the oddest unequal angles. No manufacturer is immune. Catalogue editors, Beware?, "Extinction is-at least tembonlrilv~~~~~" outmoded, but i t is, I think, far preferable to 'absorbance,' which always strikes me as more appropriately applicable to the hydraulic properties of a map, sponge, or towel than to the attenuation of light. 'Density' is overworked, though the cantext avoids ambiguity. If eztinction (=OD) is not already beyond recall, let's try to revive it. If we can't, will someone please coin a word based on 'to dim'? Meanwhile, I try to go ( a t least for part of the time) with the stream.. ." "If you ever get more thatl three consecutive results agreeing perfectly, look far what is making some part of the meehanism hang fire a t some fixed point." Not all crusading, that last! A number of unfamiliar words are encountered. "Pace the experts," I gather from my dictionary, means "not to give Solvents are offense to the experts." stored in Winehesten. If, in a cuvette holder, the glass stands proud of the metal, the surfaces are out of contact. The persistaee of a. spectral maximum is the difference between the heights of the maximum and the preceding minimum, apparently in either transmission or extinction units. I find a curiously circuitous definition of pH: "pH is the logarithm of the total number of litres of aqueous solution (Conlinued on page AIB3)
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