book reviews Editor: W . F. KIEFFER
had long and intimate contact with earbon-14. They are therefore emminently qualified to write this book and the book reflects their extensive acquaintance with all aspects of this isotope. BERT At. TOLDERT University of Colorado Boulder
College of Woorter
Woatrr, Ohio
Vernon F . Raaen and H e l a P. Raaen, both of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, and Gus'A. Ropp, Coker College, Hartsville, South Cwolina. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 388 pp. Figs..and tables. 1968. x 17.5 X 23.5 cm. 515.
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There has been great need for a new book on carbon-14 for many years. "Carbon-14" fills that need and in effect is a replacement for "Isotopic Carbon" (Calvin, et al., John Wiley & Sons, 1949) which has been out of print for some years now. This book is an essential and important reference work for everyone who may wish to work with this isotope. I think it is a necessary addition to every contemporary science library and could well be added to the personal collection of anyone who uses this tracer extensively. This volume is a wide-ranging review of the experimental techniques used in chemi d studies with carbon-14. Although the experimental examples are all dmwn from chemistry, the techniques themselves are of great importance to the biological chemist, and the book is equally useful to the biologist as to the chemist. The experimentalliteraturerelated to this isotope is so large that it can no Longer he covered in its entirety, and the authors have properly chosen to discuss and review only the most representative and pertinent aspects of this subject. Because of this limited coverage the experimentalist will need to supplement this book with references in specific areas, e.g., gas c!xomatography, radiation chemistry, and scintillation counting. Such references are abundantly supplied and well-chosen. This book is divided into four main sections: introduction, applications, experimentation, and use (in organic reac-
-Reviewed
tions). Minor appendices and good name and subject indexes conclude the volume. The more useful or extensively treated subjects are covered in chapters on isotope dilution methods, kinetic isotope effects, synthesis of labeled com~ounds.deaadai tion, assay of osrbon-14 &mp&nds, chromatography, autoradiography, and model experiments. The latter is interesting; the authors have tried to show the chemist ways to use isotopes by describing actual experiments in which carbon-14 was used to solve specific problems. I think that the inquiring chemistry student will read this section with some interest. All the rest of the chspters are good reviews of the state of the art in the given area and are fine starting points for library work when one is initiating studies using carbon-14. The major weaknesses of this book are first, many major subjects relating to carbon-14 are treated in a qualitative or relatively shallow fashion, and second, specific experimental details are usually not given. For the experimentalist who has limited access to the scientific literature these deficiences can often be quite frustrating and the absence of good tbeoretical treatments limits the value of this hook as a, tesching tool. However, in defense of the authors, I can only say that a comprehensive volume would either cover far fewer subjects and/or he much larger, more expensive, and probably could not be written in a cohesive style by just three authors. About the authors: In the early development of csrban-14 three major centers for synthesii and use of carbon-14 were created within the AEC: in Berkeley (under M. Calvin), in Los. Alamos (under A. R. Ronio) and in Oak Ridge (under C. J. Collins). Two ofthe authors of this volume were nlembers of the original Oak Ridge Laboratory group and thus have
in this Issue
Vernon F. Raaen, Helm P. Raaen, and Gus A . Ropp, Carbon-14
. . ,465
Sidney Siggia, Survey of Analytical Chemistry
. . .465
Leicester F . Hainillon, Stephen G. Simpson, and David W . Ellis, Calculrttions of Analytical Chemistry
. . 466
Marcel Florkin and Elmer Statz, editon, Comprehensive Biochemistry
. . .466
Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia
. . .A500
Survey of Analytical Chemistry
Sidney Siggia, University of Massachusetts. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New 304 pp. Figs. and York, 1968. xiii tables. 13.5 X 23.5 cm. $9.95.
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Professor .Siggis, with his wealth of experience in industry and university, is well qualified to prepare a text on this subject. The book presents a broad view of the increasingly important field of rlndytical chemistry. As the author pdints out, this manuscript is not intended to provide details of theory and application. The format is excellent; each ehapter is devoted to a type of analysis and includes a summary table on techniques and general applicability phts a fine group of suggested references for further reading. Professor Siggia notes that the text will he of value t o students and practicing analytical chemists. "For the sbudent, the text can form a framework around which he can build wit,h the more detailed, factnal information he gathers during his school years. Far the practicing analytical chemist, the text can be used as a guide to screen available approaches with which he might handle his specific problem." The book consists of 12 chapters covering (1) Introduction, (2) Elemental Analysis, (3) Functional-Group Analysis, (4) Identification and Struotnre Dete~mination,(5) Molecular Weight and Molecular Weight Distribution, (6) Physical Properties, (7) Gross and Surface Examination of Materials, (8) Analysis for Trace Quantities, (9) Assay in the Range of High Purity, (10) Tracers, (11) Analytical Separations, and (12) Automatic Analysis. Several authors contributed excellent discussions on particular techniques or areas of analysis. This reviewer was particularly impressed with the section on trace analysis by Dr. E. Sawicki and the chapter an separations by Professor L. B. Rogers. For a book of this type, opinions will vary considerably on what sboold be included. On the whole, the author chose well. However, several items struck this reviewer as suita.hl.ble for inclusion or modification. For example, the big advantage of X-ray fluorescence as a widerange technique for direct elemental analysis on many materials could have been stressed more, as well as micrometbods and attenuated total reflectance as important developments in infrared spectroscopy. The fine chapter a n functional groups illustrates the advantages in many cases of the combination of chemical reaction and speotroseopy for selective Volume 46, Number
7, July 1969
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465
