reservation with respect to a new "gentleman scientist'' who works from 9 to 5 and pursues other activities. Scientifi life style. With respect t o home life, the men lead middle-class lives and their work is virtually unknown to their family. They report the role which is most difficult is that of a parent. With respect to community life, the men generally abstain from intellectualism in the lay community. With respect to reereation, leisure activity is a. means the scientists use to rest and rebuild their mental strength. The scientists, Dr. Eiduson concludes, do not show their best part when they are away from the academio community. The general impression of the reviewer is that the book has the virtue of a simple style which weaves the individual case with the scientists as a group into a nonsystematic, hut meaningful pattern. In addition, the book has, with a few excep tions, s, minimal amount of depth interpretation, i.e., the author has not attempted t o find "dynamic factors" that are the "real causes" of the scientists' hehavior. On the negative side, the major prohlems involve the method of study rather than the preaentation. There is acusional difficulty in knowing where data, stop and opinions begin. Also, the scientists likely knew they were being studied because of their scientific interests and the question of what influence this knowledge may have had upon their responses may be raised. The lack of a, control professional group with similar intellect and background makes it extremelv difficult to identifv characteristics uniquely related to scientists. I n summary, the book provides an opportunity for scientists to use their narcissistic tendencies and partake in reflective reading.
JAMES VOSS College cf Wcoste? Wooster, Ohio
Chem Sources
4th ed. Directories Publishing Co., New York, 1962. 476 pp. 23 X 28 cm. 522.50. There are 24,000 listings of chemicals, abietic acid to zymosan, with a t least one supplier identified. No further information (such as price or quality) is given, but the producer is identified in case of the rarer items. The listing is alphabetical: dichloropropane is in the D's; p-tert Butyltoluene is in the B's. Many radioisotope-labeled compounds are included. Very probably the book will be useful to those who, in the words of the preface, want to "reduce costs aasoeiated with the procurement function." College professors who bzly things probably will not want to spend $22.50 for this book. W. F. K.
172
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lournal of Chemical Education
Protein Structure
chemistry" falls squarely into this select catepory. Harold A. Schwaga, Cornell University, Professor Kosower defines Molecular Ithaca, New York. Aeademie Press, Biochemistry as "a. new research area Inc., New York, 1961. xiv 305 pp. which has emerged from the application of Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 em. $8. the physical-organic approach to the prohlems in chemical transformation found in This book, the first volume in a new biochemistry." He skims the field of hiomonograph series on Molecular Biology, logically important topics to cover only is baaed on lectures delivered st the Wool those that are related to extensively Research Laboratories, Melbourne, Ausstudied chemical processes or those that tralia in 1959. The author, Harold have recently received attention from Scherwa, has contributed extensively chemically oriented investigators. The to protein chemistry. He has written an metabolism of sulfate compounds or the interesting book emphasizing areas where chemistry and stereochemistry of he is an authority. Over 50 references glycolipid reactions are not mentioned, describe his own work. The hook is not for example, presumably because physicalan exhaustive discussion of protein chemorganic techniques have not been applied istry however; i t is a coherent developsufficiently in these areas. On the other ment of several major aspects of this field. hand, Taft's work on acid catalyzed There are seven chapters. The first hydrations and the HammetkDeyrup chapter, Hydrodynamic Properties of acidity function are introduced, although Protein Solutions, is an excellent intraducit is unlikely that any biological analogy tion in which a number of references t o can ever be found for hydration in strong more rigorous discussions are included. acid solutions. Aa in a lecture series, we This chapter would be valuable as a supare presented with selected topics, grouped plement t o the usual graduate lectures. in three main sections. Thenext three chaptersindude: Internal The first section, Biochemical Patterns, St.ructure; Effect of HydrogenBonding on devotes sixty pages to the staichiametry Side-Chain Reactivity, Limited Proteolyof some significant reactions of intersis, and Denaturation. Denaturation is mediary metabolism and includes a disdefined and then discussed in relation to cussion of biasynthesis. Transformations the elastic properties of protein fibers, and cycles are summarized and different equilibrium in solution, and kinetics in reaction "types" tabulated. Kosower's solution. These chapters are then illuscomments on the relative frequency of trated through a discussion of the "types" have little significance, however, fibrinogen-fibrin conversion in Chapter V. because of the limited choice of topics. Experimental methods in Chapter VI The main part of the book, Chemical are limited to optical rotation, deuteriumPatterns, consists of a careful discussion hydrogen exchange, infrared absorption of fourteen reaction types, based partly on spectra, and ultrwiolet ahsorption spectra. those encountered in the initial review. Experimental methods are then applied Typical headings include decarboxylation, to the determination of protein structure. hydrolysis: esters and oxidation-reduction: Insulin, lysosyme, and ribonuclasse are one electron transfer. The biologicsl chosen as examples in Chapter VII. The reactions are thoroughly correlated with publication of new data on protein struesimilar chemical reactions, and many glib ture is so rapid that inform&m discussed claims made by optimistic chemists and here will have less v d u e than t,hemore genbiologists are shown to be inadequate. eral discussion of concepts and methods. The discussion is strictly in terms of reThis hook is not a substitute for the action mechanisms. Unfortunately, this many extensive monographs on protein implies that biological reactions can be chemistry which are available. For understood in terms of model systems. example, the section on optical rotation is Although the book deals exclusively with much less inclusive than a recent review enzyme catalyzed reactions, nowhere is by Urnes and Doty. Scheraga discusses the problem of enzyme specificity extenprotein structure from x broad perspective. sively discussed. His monogrs;ph has much of the clarity The last twenty pages, Physical and interest of s. good lecture course. Patterns, mention many perplexing prohThe book is vduable far teachers and lems which stem from the fact that "the should be available both in their personal most important materials nresent in biolibraries and the university library. logical systems s e t pimsriiy by virtue of DAVIDG. CORNWELL their physical properties rather than by Ohio State University takine m r t in chemical trensformatianrt." Columbus A discussion of the "act,ive site'' n m h l ~ m fills most of this section, concluding with Kosower's own solution far "mapping" the active site of a n emyme. The experiment suggested is ingenious but not as conMolecular Biochemistry clusive as he would like. Since i t requires isolation, or a t least slow formation. of a Edward M . Kosower, State University stabilized acyl-enzyme intermediate, it is of New York, Long Island Center, subject to ambiguous interpretation. Stony Brook. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Only those experiments which could 304 pp. Figs. and Inc., 1962. xii examine the enzyme-substrate complex tables. 16 X 24 em. $12.50. without disturbing the normal reaction Despite the large number of scientific sequence would truly deserve to be called books currently avaihhle, outstanding "direct." ones, those that combine critical review, I t is possible to question Kosomer,s significant correlations and new interpretations, are still rare. "Molecular Bio(Continued on page AZ18)
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