BOOK REVIEWS results. The paucity of data in some areas prevents the author from making s. firm statement to account for the hehsviar of some systems. This was notable in the chapter on halogenated polymers hut sueh minor shortoomings are inevitable in sueh a broad new field. The hook is in general a well-organi~ed, well-written work which should he of special value to the newcomer to the field of polymer radiation chemistry. I t is also a fine reference volume for the mare experienced researcher since it gathers together and catalogues in a. somowhat cciticd fashion much of the published literature in the field.
D. S. BALLANT~NE nrookhavnz National Labmatory Upton, New Ymlc
Chloroplast Pigments and Chromatographic Analysis
Harold H. Slrain, Argonne National Pennsylvania State versity Park, Pa., Lithoprint. 21.5 X hound. $2.50.
Senior Chemist, Lahoratory. The University, Uni1058. 180 pp. 27.5 cm. Paper
This volume presents in expanded form the Thirty-second Annual Priestley Lecture Series a t Pennsylvania State University. I n Lecture I a brief summary on photosynthe~isprecedes the historical rcvien of the pigments, investigation of their properties, and of separation mc-thods, including column and paper ch~omatogmphy. Lecture I1 descrihr~ techniques for the separation of the green ehlarophylls a and b, and of the various car& enoids, wit,h special stress on the p r e vention of secondary changes of these sensitive suhst,ances during thr operations. Lecture I11 roports the isolation of specific yellow pigments in algae, and in other plants, on i~omrrization and dlomerizstion products, chlorophylls e and d, chlorophyll isomers a' to d', isochloraphyllti d and d', as n-ell as on some chlorophyll derivatives of the pheophytin and the chlorophyllide types. The- following lrctnrr (IV), Chloroplast Pigments and the Modifications of Chromnt,ogri~phy, surveys the development of chromat,ography from the strictly empirical approach to the attempts of selecting syst,ems of sarhents and solvents optimal for the separation of mixt,ues of suhst,snces of certain stlucturrs. I t eontains many useful technical hints, some theoretical considerations about sorption sequences (mainly of carotenoids), and a cautioning discussion on the use of R or R, values far the comparison of wstems, whose identity (e.g., in temperature, activation of sohent, impnritios) is not a s sured. Tho last lecture ( V ) , Electrochromstography and Analogous Differential Migration Methods of Analysis, ums the chromatographic separation of the chloroplast pigments x~ the starting point for the
(Continued on page A106)
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BOOK REVIEWS discussion, evaluation, and correlation of methods applying the phenomenon of differential migration of charged and uncharged particles in general. .4lmost 70 references lead the reader to most of the recent summary works in the fields of chlorophyll pigments, emotenoids in plants, photosynthesis, and chromatography, to original articles of a. number of investigators, and necessarily to Strain's publications, which form the basis for this lecture series. Throughout the book clear line drawings illustrate the sequences of zones in the vmioua rhmrnatogrems. Far many pigments, diagrams af the eharacteristio spectral absorption curves are furnished. Only about a dozen typographical errors were noted by the reviewer, all minor, except possibly the confusion of neoxanthin and violaxanthin on pages 76 and 77. According to the Foreword one of the qualifications of a Priostley lecturer is "the ability to present his material so that it ia intelligible and stimulating to the college junior as well as interesting and informative to specialists in narrower segments of the name field." Strain has handled this part of the assignment very well.
Proceedings of the Congress on Modern Analytical Chemistry in Industry Published for The Society for Analye ical Chemistry, W. Heffer & Sons, Ltd., Cambridge, England, 1958. vii 244 pp. 17.5 X 25 cm. ( 2 guineas.)
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The text contains the 23 papers presented before the Congress a n Modern Analytical Chemistry in Industry arganised hy the Scottish Seetion of The Society for Analytical Chemistry which was held a t the University of St. Andrews in June, 1957. The Congress was divided into 3 sections: I, Analysis in Modern Industry (8 papers); 11, The Application of Some Newer Analytical Techniques in Industry (9 papers); 111, Developments in Analysis for New Problems in Industry (6 papers). The papers are extremely well written and present an up-to-date picture of research and analytical chemistry in the industry of Great Britain. Only one contributor was from the United States (Professor G. Frederick Smith). The tables and figures are of goad quality. Representative titles of the papers are aa follows: Modern Analytical Methods in the Iron and Steel Industry, Emission Spectroscopy in Industrial Analysis, Modern Analytical Chemistry and the Rarer Metals, and The Geochemicd Approach to Prmpeeting for Minerals. Moat of the papers include a list of references well as P A U LROTHEMUND the results of an informal discussion sesBoz 64 sion. It is unfortunate that the book Yellmu Springs, Ohio includes no subject index. The obvious
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lack of direct continuity between succes sive papers and the brevity of the titles often conceal the great wealth of information that is present.
JAMES 41. P A P P E N ~ Q E N Renyon College Gamhier, Ohio Chemistry of the Rare Radioelements
K. W . Bagnell. Academic Press, Inc.,
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177 pp. New York, 1957. x 28 tables. 14 X 22 cm. $5.
14 figs.
This useful little hook was written "with the object of collecting all the published data on the elements from polonium to actinium into one volume and to give some account of the methods used for the study of their chemistry." I t would appear to have succeeded remarkably well in its goal. Certainly anyone who wishes to become familiar with the chemistry of these elements (Po, Bt, Fr, Rn, Ra, and Ac) will want to look a t this volume carefully. The style of writing is concise and clear and appears on perusal to be sccurate. I t is enriched hy the author's own researches and experiences. Misprints and other similar errors are few. On the whole the bonk is very interesting. I t may even stimulate mare adventurous s o u l ~ i n t otrying to obtain these ~ubstar~ces to fill some of the admittedly large gaps which still exist in the knowledge of these elements. (Continued on page Al08)
