encounters in hioloeical svstems. to which only pauinp reference is given. However, as the hook progredses mto biorhemiual topics. the difficulty of the text necessarily increases. An unfortunate result of reducing three years of a standard chemistry currieulnm into one is that the atudents are unlikely to he prepared for the material coming a t the end of the course. Given their brief exposure to organic chemistry, the students using this book are not likely to appreciate the structure and reactivity of relatively complex hiomolecules. T h e author has addressed this problem by emphasizing description over diagrams, but when the mater i a l becomes s t r o n g l y d e p e n d e n t o n chemical structure the complexity of the material becomes problematic. Nevertheless, Fundamentals of General, Organic a n d Biological Chemistry is an engaging text. Holum has produced a book that is generally well-suited to students with little or no background in chemistry and whose interest in the subject rests largely with its applicability to their chosen career. The hook is lively, well-written and conseientiously designed. Fundamentals continues to deserve the consideration of those instructors teaching students in the health sciences. Arthur Glasfeld Reed College Portland, OR 97202
There is somewhat heavier emphasis on the hioloeical end of the business: the sections on ventilation devote more spnce to bdogiral safety cabinets than to rhemiral hood*. Also, although the latter recognizes that increasing the exhaust rate may not make a hood "safer", there is no warning that turbulence sets in a t high exhaust rates, say 125 fpm, to decrease containment. The hook does require the routine wearing of eye protection in laboratories, which seldom has been practiced by biologists, end it proscribes all mouth pipetting (chemicals as well as infectious agents). The control of aerosols is emphasized. The book is well written in the literary sense, and there has been effective proofreading. This reviewer favors stronger statements on "don'ts and dos", desirably in boldface tvoe. The statements on eve . omteetlm, for example. now tend to get buried in lung paragraphs or in raptions for photographs. In summary, this is a worthy addition to a chemistry safety library. I t is far more than a w i d e f& biomedical practitioners. Malcolm M. Renfrew Universky of ldaho
..
.
MOSCOW. ID 83843
Destruction of Hazardous Chemlcals In t h e Laboratory George Lunn and Eric B. Sansone. Wiley: New York, NY, 1990. vi 271 pp. 16 X 23 cm. $65.00
+
T h e Foundations of Laboratory Safety: A Gulde for t h e Biomedical Laboratow Stephen R. Rayburn. Springer-Verlag: New York. NY. 1990.xiii 418 pp. Photographs. figures. and tables. 18.5 X 26 cm. $59.00 ~~~~
+
We are not yet there, hut surely good practice in the disposal of Laboratory quantities of hazardous wastes ultimately will call for their conversion in situ to innocuous substances. Laboratnrv oersonnel common~, , Is wrll porsess the skills for handling danger. ousmaterialasafely.and the high roar of the transport to licensed operators elsewhere will argue persuasively for carrying out the destruction in the originating laboratory. Here are tested procedures for destroying mare than 40 groups of noxious substances with full safety instructions. Some commom chemicals, such as carhan disulfide, are included, but such materials as aflatoxins and cisplatin also are covered. The book is well indexed including molecular formulas and CAS Registry Numbers. References are cited for each procedure. The book tends to complement the valnable "information and disposal guides" compiled by Margaret-Ann Armaur and colleagues that were published at the University of Alberta, Edmonton: Hazardous Chemicals (2nd edition, 1984) and Potentially Carcinogenic Chemicals (1986). There is some overlap, but the Alberta books cover more substances. Lunn and Sansone provide greater detail in the chemical procedures and on checking reaction products for com~letenessof conversion. Both deal with the cleanup of spills. The hoclks have potential for use in all laboratories where rhemi. eal syntheses are conducted. Malcolm M. Renfrew University of ldaho ~~~
In earlier times laboratory programs in chemistry and in the biological sciences went separate ways with one concerned about explosives, toxics, and corrosives, the other with infectious materials. They tended to ignore each other's safety practices, and it appeared that never the twain would meet. But with the rise in interdisciplinary nroerams and the common interest in mo. .. lwular biology, there has heen increasing need for sharing in fherontrol ufrisks. Here is a hook aimed a t bridging the gap, a useful reference in "all-science" lihraries. Separate sections are devoted to Basic Principles of Laboratory Safety; to Lahoratory Facilities, Operations, and Practices; to Biomedical Laboratory Safety; to the Control of Common Hazards (mechanical, eleetrieal, fire and compressed gases); and to the Components of the Effective Safety Program (government regulations, trainingprograms, health factors, accident reduction and Pmergenry planning. and deaignmg the safety program). Appendiresdeal aith spills o i chemicals and hlolorical marerial,. handling common toxic substances, labeling and shipping, resources for help, and the syllabus for a safety course. There are extensive references including most of our well accepted books on safety in the chemistry laboratory. ~
~
~~~~
~
~
~
Titles of Interest
Justus von Lleblg und d e r Pharmazeut Frledrlch Jullus Otlo In lhren Brlefen von 1838-1840und 1858-1867 Emil Heuser, Editor. Bionomica: Mann. heim. W. Germany. 1989.
Justus von Liebig und August Wllhelm Hofmann In ihren Briefen von 18411873. Nachtrage (1845-1869) Emil Heuser and Regine Zott Editors. Bionomica: Mannheim, W. Germany, 1988.
Justus von Lleblg a n d Jullus Eugen Schlossberger In ihren Brlefen von 1844-1860 FritzHesseand EmilHeuser, Editors. Bionomica: Mannheim, W. Germany, 1989.
~~~~~~~~
MOSCOW. ID 83843
Volume 67
Bloorganlc Photochemistry: Volume 1, PhotochemWry a n d t h e Nuclelc Acids Harry Morrison, Editor. Wiley: New York, NY. 1990. ix 437 pp. Figs. and tables. 16.4 X 24.2 cm. $59.95.
+
This volume represents the first in a series of monographs that will be devoted to the field of bioorganic photochemistry. Volume 1covers changes caused by excitation of the nucleic acids themselves (chapters 1, 3, and 5 ) as well as reactions caused hv ohotoexcitation of other reagents in th; iresence of nucleic acids (chapters 2 and 4). The first chapter serves as a comprehensive review of nucleic acid photochemistry written over the past 15 years.
Chromatographic Science. Volume 51, HPLC ofBlologlcal Macromolecules: Methods a n d Applications Karen M. Gooding and Fred E. Regnier. Editors. Marcel Dekker: New York, NY, 1990. xiii 676 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.4 cm. $150.00 US 8 Canada/$180.00 F.
+
Number 12
December 1990
A313
