book reviews Rodd'r Chemistry of Carbon Compounds. Volume I: Aliphatic Compounds, Part F. Penta- a n d Higher Polyhydric Aleoholr, Their Oxidation Products a n d Derivatives, Saccharides Edited by S . Cofey. 2nd ed. American Elsevier Publishing Go., Inc., New York, 1968. xvi 780 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23 cm. 842.50.
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Rodd's Chemistry of Carbon Compounds. Volume II: Alieyclic Compounds, Part 6. Six- a n d HigherMembered Monocyclic Compounds Edited by S . Cofey. 2nd ed. Americau Elsevier Publishing Co., Inc., S e w York, 1968. xvi 463 pp. Tables. 16 X 23 em. $27.00.
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P a r t F of Vahrne I of the revision of Radd's Chemistry of Carbon Compoonds consists of three chapters: 22 (66 pages), Penta-, Hexa- and IIigher Polyhydric Alcohols, by L. IIoogh and A. C. Richardson; 23 (5211 pages), The Illonasaceharides: Pentoses, Hexoses, Heptoses and IIigher Sugars, by L. Hongh and A. C. Richardson; and 24 (119 pages), Oligosacoharidas, Polysaccharides and Related Compounds, by G. 0. Aspinall, E . Percival, D. A. Hees and M. Itennie. The volume closes with a n index of 64 douhle
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column pages. This formidable tome comprises a n exhaustive and modern treatise on carbohydrate chemistry, and certainly anyone working in the emhohydrattte field cannot afford t o be without it. The following several topics, randomly selected from the text, give an inkling as t o the upto-date nature of the material covered: conformational analysis of the monosaccharides; stereo-electronic factors in displacement and esberifieation reactions; identification and structural determination of monosaccharides by crystal st,mcture analysis, infrared, mass and nmr spectrometry and optical rotatory dispersion; separation, identification and estimation of monosaccharides by column, paper, thin-layer and gas chromatography and by paper electrophoresis; isotopiediy laheled carbohydrates, their biological and chemical syntheses and their methods of degradation; glycoprateins of animal and bacterial origin; glycolipids. All of the usual modifications of carbohydrate molecules (animo sugars, deoxy sugars, thio sugars, branched chain sugars, unsaturated sugars, etc.) are discussed in detail, as are the common fnnctional derivatives snch as esters, ethers, glycosides, and the like. This volume, writ,ten h y renowned experts in the field, thus covers in an upto-date manner the chemist,ry of carhohydrates containing more than four c a c bon atoms, a subject which has expanded enormously since the pnhlicsiion of Rodd's first edition. Part B of Volume I1 comprises four chapters (5 through 8 ) which discuss the
fallowing types of non-aromat,ic monocarboeyclic compounds: 5 (152 pages), The Cyclohexane Group, by M. Green; 6 (78 pages), The Acyclic and Monocyclic Monoterpenoids, by I). A. Whiting; 7 (116 pages), T h e Carotenoid Group, by J. B. I h v i s ; and 8 (77 pages), The Cycloheptane, Cycloortane and Macrocyclic Groups, by E. S. Wnight. A 38 page index completes the volorne. Volwne IIA coosidered monocyclic compounds containing t,hree t,o five-carbon rings, and thus the present v o h ~ m ecompletes t h e study of non-aromatic monocat~bocyclic compounds. Future Volrtme I I C will cover the topic of Polyeyclic Compoonds, and Volumes I I D and IIE the subject of Steroids, completing Radd's five-volume revised treatise on Alicyclic Compounds. This reviewer has had the pleasure of describing a number of previous volrimes of the Rodd compendiom, both in the first and second edition, in earlier issiws of THIS JOURNAL. I n the process, a number of quite minor criticisms have been made, not the least of which has involved price. These trivial criticisms apply likewise t o t h e present volumes but, as before, in no way diminish the excellence or general ntility of this well organimed, important, and up-to-date summsry of t h e organic chemical literature.
WILLIAMA. BONNICR Stanford Universi12i Stanford, California 94305 (Continued on page AZ80)
