OUTLINES OF ENZYME CHEMISTRY
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J. B. Neilands, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, and P a u l K. Stumpf, Associate Professor of Plant Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1955. x 315 pp. 73 figs. 39 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $6.50.
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STARTING on B level understandable to graduate students who have had a thorough grounding in chemistry, biochemistry, and physiology, and advancing to the level of the specialiat, this book discusses in 24 chapters all aspects of enzyme chemistry. The history of the field is described first. Equilibria and ionization, reaction rates, effect of external conditions and inhibitors, the mechanism of enzymatic catalysis and its specificity are presented in physicochemical terms. The isolation, purification, characterization, and classification of enzymes and c+factors form a. bridge to more biochemical considerations of the many facets of metabolic pattern8 in which enzymes are involved. In this part of the book, glyeolysis, the carbohydrate cycles, oxidative phosphorylstion, and fatty-acid oxidation are the main chapters. The book closes with a unique discussion of emyme synthesis by the cell. This chapter, written by Roger Y. Stanier, of the University of California, calls attention to complex phenomena too often disregraded by biochemists who have not worked with bacterial enzymes themselves. One is impressed with the relative newness of the field; few references are mare than five years old, and many are of most recent date. The book is attractively printed; the many formule. schemes add to the understanding, and the photogrsphs of outstanding enzyme chemists add to the enjoyment of this excellent monograph. ALFRED BURGER U m v e n e l ~ ror V~namr* C x ~ n ~ o ~ ~ e n v rVrnarmA bm.
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PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY MADE PLAIN
I. H. Mondelberg. viii
+ 287 pp.
Cleaver-Hume Press, Ltd., London, 1952.
14.5 X 22 om.
15s.
author sometimes gives three or even iour significant figures in answers to problems where only two are given in the data. The discussion of principles is necessarily too abbreviated to be of much value, hut some students may profit by studying the solutions to the problems, and instructors may find in the book some useful suggestions. WILLIAM E. CADBURY. JR. H ~ v m n o n oCOLLEOE H*venrono, P E N N ~ ~ V A N I *
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ORGANIC RERCTIONS. VOLUME VIII
Roger Adoms, University of Illinois, Editor-in-Chief. John 437 pp. 59 tables. Wiley & Sans, Inc., New York, 1954. viii 15.5 X 23.5 om. $12.
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VOLUME VIII of this well known series presents another significant contribution to the literature of organic chemistry. The high standards for excellence of the previous volumes have been maintained. The breadth of the field of organic chemistry is well illustrated by the fact that the reections discussed in Volume VIII are of no less importance than those covered in earlier volumes. The chapters included in this volume are: "Catalytio hydrogenation of esters to alcohols," by Adkins (27 pp.); "The synthesis of ketones from acid halides and org~nometalliccompounds of magnesium, nine, and cadmium," by Shirley (30 pp.); "The aoylstion of ketones t o form Bdiketones or 6-keto aldehydes," by Hauser, Swamer, and Adams (137 pp.); "The Sommelet reaction," by Angyal (20 pp.); "The synthesis of aldehydes from carboxylio acids," by Mosettig (39 pp.); "The metalation reaction wlth org.anolithium compounds," by Gilman and Morton (46 pp.); "pLactones," by Zmgg (58 pp.); and "The reaction of diaeamethane and its derivatives 'with aldehydes, and ketones," by Gutsche (65 pp.). The literature is reviewed through 1949 for the hydrogenation of esters, through mid-1950 for the synthesis of ketones, and only through 1948 for the scylstion of ketones. In the remainine chanters. the literature is covered through 1952. T h e edito;s and aut,hors are to be conm&lsted for the auditv and usefulness of this work. Organic &mists will welcon;e this newest addition to an indispensable series.
VASTnumbers of students of chemistry would welcome a book which could "make plain" physical chemistry. Unfortunately for their hopes, this little book has much too big a. title. I t is written by an industrial chemist who is, according to his preface, ROBERT K. INGHAM "a chronic and incurable non-mathematician." H e points out OHIOUN~YBRBITY that experts, who are the usual author8 of textbooks, are someATHENS,OHIO times "out of touch with the elementary difficulties of the inexpert, because they have never themaelves experienced these difficulties and can hardly imagine anything so stupid." The hook is written for the "intermediate" level-a little heSUPERFLUIDS. VOLUME 11: MACROSCOPIC yond an advanced freshman oourse, but below that of the usual 0 THEORY OF SUPERFLUID HELIUM physical chemistry course in this country. Brief outlines of principles are given, hut most oi the book consists of problems Fritz London, late Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, Duke worked out in considerable detail. Although many of these are University. John Wiley Q Sons, Inc., New York, 1954. mi of the type which involve direct substitution in familiar equations, 217 pp. 56 figs. 6 tables. 15.5 X 24 cm. $8. there are s. number which involve more complex reasoning, and THISpo~thumusbook b y Professor London maintains the high their study can be helpful. One error noted by this reviewer is the statement that three standard which we have learned to expect from him. The high sets of data are needed to evaluate the van der Waals constant^ price per p w e reflects the expense of setting mathematical equaa and b, since "there will be three unknowns, a, b, and the product tions, but reflects even more the author's unwillingness to tolerate ob." In ~ p i t eof advice in the appendix about precision, the less than his best, even when the type has already been set. 4!35
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496
JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION
This book is a companion to Volume I , "Macroscopic Theory of Superconductivity." A two-fluid mechanism haa been employed
other and coexist in ever) small volume of the-system. The superfluid state arises from the small mass of helium, the loti intermolecular attraction. e a u ~ l e dwith the eondens&tion oh+
theoretical treatment can only come with new methods for treating the many body problem. Anyoneinterestedin the theory of low-temperature phenomena will not want to be without this eaactina hut excellent hook. HENRY EYRING
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SILICONES AND THEIR USES
Rob Rov McGreoor. Administrative Fellow. MeUm Institute. ~ c ~ r a w : ~ ~i lo lo k - ~ d Inc., ., New York, 1954. xv 302 pp. 15 X 21 cm. $6.
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THEvery rapid expansion of the silicones industry during the last decade has been due to the wide variety of uses for thest, interesting and unusual materials. Today silicones me used in one form or mother in almost every industry. Since the silicones are still relatively new materials whieh are being used by nonspecialists in diverse applications (which will certainly be expanded), there exiskd a real need for an extensive treatment of the properties and uses of the silicones, written p i marily for the nonspecialist who is a potential or actual user of silieones. The need has been admirably filled by this hook. Dr. McGregor has been intimately associated with the silicones industry from its inception and has written well on a subject with which he is obviously thoroughly familiar. The subject matter of the hook may he indicated by listing the chapter headings: I, History of Silicones; 11, Commercial Silicones; 111, Physiological Response to Silicones; IV, Applications of Silicones to Specific Indn~triesand Cost Considerations; V, Chemistry of Silicone Preparation. In summary, i t seems clear that this hook o m serve excellently as a "practical manual on siliconen for engineers, designers, and others who wish t o use these products." LEO H. S O M M E R Pnnh'snlvmr* STATEUNWERBZTI U ~ r v e n s r ~PABK. r PENNBILV*NL*
point, it will be most useful to those applying the technique and to those requiring a guide to current investigations. For the practicing chemist, this publication provides an excellent summary of theory, procedures, methods, detection techniques, and various applications. I t illustrates the importance of paper chromatography and of electrochromatography an analytical tools in numerous investigations. The authors' experience is reflected in the large space devoted to investigations of proteins and amino acids. Indeed, the first analytical applications of sorptive paper in these fields are regarded as the beginning of paper chromatography even though one-way, two-way, and radial or circular modifications of the techique had already been employed with plant pigments and with dves. ~ l t h b u g hthe numerous modifications of paper ohromatography and their applicability in many diverse fields present great difficulties in the preparation of a concise, coherent book, a great quantity of material has now been summarized remarkably well. Certain aspects of the treatment may, however, he brought into question. The definition of chromatography quoted in the first chapter is inexact and equivocal. The historical treatment of electrochromatography aa well as of paper chromatography is incomplete. Tho restriction of theory to partition chromatography is no longer justifiable. Various terms widely employed for paper electrophoresis are not included. There are few basic rules for operation and application of the techniques, and there are few examples of easily reproducible experiments with readily available materials. In spite of these irksome criticisms, this book is a major contribution to the subject of chramatography. I n this rapidly expanding field it provides a bench mark for the 8UNey of further progress.
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Edited by laques Cattell. Ninth edition. R. R. Bowker Company, New York, 1955. 2180 pp. 20 X 28.5 cm. $20. So GREATLY ha8 the membership of the scientific fraternity increased that some 90,000 names must be included in this ninth edition of a reference book of great value. I t will appear in three volumes of which this, the first, contains over 40,000 name8 of workers in the fields of the physical, mathemfttieal, chemical, and geological sciences. The general policies and format of the earlier edition8 have been followed.
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A MANUAL OF PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY AND PAPER ELECTROPHORESIS
R. I. Block, Department d Biochemistry, New York Medical College, E. L. Durrum, Department of Pharmacology, Army Medioal Service Graduate School, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and G. Zweig, Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Antioch College. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1955. ix 484 pp. 8 5 figs. 104 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $8.
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THISbook is divided into two parts. The first part (329 pp.) is a revision of the earlier book on paper chromatography by Block, LeStrange, and Zweig. The second part (77 pp.) is contributed by E. L. I)urrum, an expert in the field of differential electrical migration in moist paper. Separate hibliographies are provided for each part, but author and subject indexes are for the two parts. This monograph is the product of specialists in the fields of proteins and amino acids. Written from the specialist's view-
AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE. VOLUME I: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
REAGENT CHEMICALS AND STANDARDS
Joseph Rosin. Third edition. D. Van Nostrand Company, 561 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. $9.50. Inc., New York. 1955. x
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THEearlier editions of this work have long been standard items on the shelves of every analytical Iahoratwy. .4nalytical chemistry has advanced enormously since the last edition (19461, particularly with the development and extension of methods involving spectrophotometry, chromatography, nonaqueous titrations. etc. New reagents and solvents have been introduced, some 45 of which are incorporated in this volume.
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TABLES OF INTEGRAL TRANSFORMS. VOLUME 2
Edited by A. Erd6lyi. McG~aw-HillBook Company, Ine., New York, 1954. xvi 451 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. $8.
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EXTENDSthe list of integral transforma from Volume 1, and includes many transcendental functiann.
