book reviews details of many of the derivations. These 280 exercises are in addition to a small number of chapter end problems (atotalof 115 with no solutions aiven). Some historical backmound and manfexamples from the origiuailiterature (with references) are used. Advanced texts and monographs are included in the footnotes, hut the bibliography attheend of the book is spotty; e.g., no books listed for kinetics. The student in a hurry is helped by having those lengthy derivations that are given set off in contrasting color so that he can skip directly to the working equations if he chases. Script symhols are used for molar quantities. This makes the text look less orderly, hut gives the lecturer a distinctive symbol that he can reproduce on the blackboard without using barred symbols which are reserved for average quantities. I t would have been helpful to identify this general practice in the note to the reader at the beeinnine of the bmk. The author generally user Sl units, lrut lhen reports lmrnture data in multiples of 101 X 1 0 V a rather thanumvertingdata to SI units. In summary, this is a hook for students interested in a concise text an physical chemistrv or for students willine to use the literature to learn more details about specific topics.
Klnetlcs ol Chemlcal and Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions Dennis Piszkiewicz, University of California-Irvine. Oxford University Press, New York, 1977. ix 235pp. Figs. and tables. 14 X 21 em., paper. $6., paper, and $12.50, hard.
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This book is lucidly and concisely written. It hegins a ith first principles and leads, syat~matically,to descriptions of complex enzyme-catalyzed reactions. After a general introduction, there are chapters on chemical kinetics, thermadynamics of chemical reactions, catalysis in aqueous solutions, enzyme catalysis and kinetics, multiple substrate reactions, and metabolic regulation by enzymes. At the end of each chapter, there is a problem section with answers given in an appendix. The hook is well indexed; and, in addition, it contains a glossary, a list of symbols, and logarithm tables. The preface states that the hook is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. I t certainly fulfills this objective. While an expert in the field may gain nothimg from this book, except an object lesson in clarity of expression, it should he an invaluable aid to those of us who grapple with kinetics only occasionally. The author has restricted himself to kinetics in aqueous solution, illustrated by a few examples. There is no indication of the large number of enzymes which have now been characterized or that many of them do not normally function in a homogenous aqueous phase. There are no references, hut sufficient history is given to indicate theseA214 I Journal of Chemical Education
quence of discoveries. The listing of these omissions is not to be construed as criticism. These tonics have no place in an intn,duetmy text such as thls The emswnce of eneyrlopedrc works on enzyme knnet~nand newpr roncepta uf the actton of membrane-hound enzymes cannot have escaped many student's notice, hut may have inhibited the timid from further study. This comnendious work should disoel anv such fearsmd, h#,pefdy,amusesuffirientinterest to prompt further reading. Ian S. Lmgrnuir North Cmlina State UnlvemRy Raleigh Nmth Carolina, 27607
cussion of how enzymes through feedback mechanisms can exert a finecmtrol on metebulieactivity. T h e m n d chapter d e b with the question of enzymes and coarse control of metabdism. Unfortunately it is so hrief that it is of lrttle value. The ODeron theory of Jacob and Monod is covered fn less than naees. .I t isdiffirult to find a place for this hook in the undergraduatechemixtry, biochemistry, or biology cuniculum. It rs sunply too brief to he of much me in a course in enzymologythat follows a standard course in himhemistry. I t is not especially valuable as a reference since detailed discussions of tonics are rarelv nresented. Moreover., the hbok is ~- not h&lv~~, foc,tnoted, with only 55 references for the entire book; ao it does not aerve as a gutde to the literature. It cannot he recommended for inclusion in Library collections. There are many supplements to undergraduate biochemistry or hiology courses available, and since most of them are relatively expensive, and instruetor is reluctant to recommend them to students unless they add significantly to the course. Since this hook adds little to thematerial presented in the more comprehensive biochemistry textbooks, it cannot he strongly recommended as a supplement. It does serve as a succinct.. one volume presentation of elementary enlymology and might aerve as an intnrduetron for a persun working ourside the field uf biochemistry who has limited background in the subject
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The Enzyme Molecule
W. Ferdinand, The University, Sheffield. John Wiley & Sans,New York, 1976.xvi 289 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 em. $10.95, paper. $22., cloth.
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This b w k has heen written for use as a textbook in an undergraduate course in enzymology, or for use as a supplement in courses in hiochemistry, cell biology or related subjects in the biology curriculum. I t is not intended for use in graduate courses. The hook's usefulness as a textbook in enzymology is diminished by the fact that it only occasionally develops topics in greater detail than comprehensive biochemistry textbooks such as Lehninger, Stryer, Metzler, or Mahler and Cordes. I t doea, however, bring many facets of enzymology into a single, succinct volume. The book has chapters covering hioenergetics, protein structure, enzyme structure and function, kinetics of independent active sites, kinetics of interacting sites, and two chapters on metabolic control. Induded in the appendix are sections on enzyme nomenclature and methods of protein purification. The treatment of bioenergetics is hrief and is directed toward the role that enzymes play in the energy cansiderations of hiochemical reactions. Thermodynamic terms are not derived and the treatment is far less comprehensive than would he found in Metzler or Mahler and Cordes. The chapter on structure and properties of proteins is weak in its discussion of techniques used in enzyme structure elucidation. As an example, x-ray diffraction is covered on one page, gel filtration in one paragraph, and SDS-gel electrophoresis is d o t e d one page. The section on the determination of primary structure is more complete. The forces affecting spatial organization of the protein are discussed in meater detail than mieht be found m n standard biochemistry wxr. A ~ectiunoncalalytic mechanisms is much too brief f8,ra modern textbook on enpymol. o n , even for an introductory underpaduate text. There rs a good introductiun to methods employed in ligand binding site studies. The two chapters on enzyme kinetics represent the strongest part of the hook. The author does not shy away from the use of derivations and they are presented in a clear and straightforward manner. The kinetics is developed to a greater extent than is found in standard biochemistry textbooks. The final two chapters deal with enzymes and the role they play in metabolic regulation. The first of these provides a good dis-
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Richard L. Taber
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COl0rsdo college Springs. CO 80903
Quantum States of Atoms, Molecules, and Sollds Michael A. Morrison, Thomas L. Estle, Prmand Neal F. Lane. Rice Univeraitv. ---~-,- ---tice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1976. xv 515 pages. Figs. and tahles. 15 X 23.5 em. $25.50.
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With theexception of Slater's monumental series of volumes on the quantum theory of atoms, molecules, and solids, there have been few textbooks which have successfully integrated these three topics. The availability of many excellent texts focussed separately on atomic physics, molecular quantum chemistry, or solid state physin has been a response, in part, to the traditional development of these suhjects as more or less nonoverlapping specialized research areas. Contrast, for example, the "real-space" chemical bonding point of view of the chemist with the "reciprocal- or k-space" point of view of the solid state physicist. Nevertheless, it has become increasingly evident that many of the most important current problems in materials research, e.g., the fundamental nature of surfaces and chemisorption thereon, bridge the disciplines of solid state physics and chemistry and can benefit significantly from a common theoretical point of view. Thus the need for textbooks that provide a thorough and unified introduction to the quantum theory of atoms, molecules, and solids is more obvious than ever before. At the same time, inorganic and organic chemists are making greater use of the concepts and, to some extent, the computational techniques of quantum chemistry, thereby underscoring the need for textbooks that go beyond conven-
