B O O K REVIEWS preface, for college students of biology and chemistry, as well as for pre-medical and medical students; in the opinion of the reviewer, the teacher will have his ha"& full correct,ing errors and false impressions. This is particularly serious because the heaviest users of the book will probably be biology students, and the average biology teacher is probably not a t his best in thermodynamics, catalysis, and msthematics. The book opens with a. brief section on thermodynamics, and near the end is one on information theory. These sections are not really bad, only useless, for a smattering of these subjects can convey no deep understanding of their significance, nor transmit to the student a feeling for their use. If biologists m a t have more thermodynamics than a few brief, dogmatic statements, then t,he place to learn it is under a physical chemistry teacher, from a text by a. writer who takes the time and space to develop the subject carefully, with regard for its meaning and with attention to its many pitfalls. To point out specific errors, the section on catalysis contains the statement t,hat a catalyst lowers the activation energy by allowing a larger fraction of the molecules t,o react a t once. Later, in the discussion of enzymatic eatdysis, the author mentions saturation ~ , i t hsubstrate, but neglects t~ define or explain it. He also cites deformation of the enzvme as tfw " explanation of catalytic a h v i t y , without mentioning that this is only one possible factor. A mathematical error of the type all too likely t o be perpetuated hy unmphistieated students occurs when the author states that the fact that all muscles have a similar mathematical relationship between maximum tension and velocity of cont,raction implies that they all have the same molecular mechanism. In the biochemical part of the book, the aut,hor is extremely unorthodox when he states that the second ATP formed in glycolysis results from oxidative energy produced when one $carbon fragment oxidizes another (pyruvate oxidizing glyceraldehyde-3-phasphate)! This strained interpretation results from his attempt to justify his repeated assertions that all biochemical energy is oxidative energy. In the same connection be says that NAD becomes reduced by accepting electrons from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, but later he attributes the reduction of NAD to the acceptance of hydrogen atoms. This is confusing, as is the obvious misprint on p. 91, where pyruvate is abbreviated PYR in the reaction scheme, but PY in the accompanying table of abbreviations. The errors cited a unfortunately. only a sample. There are of course many fine things in the book. For example, the author in his discussion of the free energy of biachemical reactions very properly emphasizes that the cell is not a t "standmd conditions," a point too often overlooked. His explanation of coupled reactions is
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solendid. as is his deserintion of the renli-
two-step mechanism of electrophilic substitution is not given proper recognition. Kinetic experiments, especially those of Zollinger and Grovenstein, are equal in in these times is quite provocat,ive, and significance t o intermediate isolation and his point that pyrophosphorolysis prokinetic isotope eKects, which are cited. vides an extra thermodynamic pull for I n the book as B whole, the main focus many reactions is well taken. of attention is substituent effects on suhBecause of the many good ideas with stitution rate. Numerous tables and which the book is seamned, it may be charts showing partial rate factors a t recommended to advanced and exvarious nuclear positions in various reacperienced students and teachers who are tions are presented. In view of the sucseeking new and stimulating points of cess of modified Hammett prr treatments view. in correlating rates of aromatic eleetraphilic substitutions, it. is not apparent PETE=O E ~ P E R why kinetic and orientation data. were Huhnemann Medical College not discussed reactian-by-reaction with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania respect to such relationships, instead of such quantitative treatments being withheld till nearly the end. Such an organization would have improved both Electrophilic Substitution in Benzeneid clarity and compactness of presentation. Compounds A long footnote (p. 63) concerning the R . 0. C . Norman, Oxford University, HO and Hn (or J o ) acidity functions expresses views current ten or fifteen years and R . T a y l o ~ ,University of Sussex. American Elsevier Publishing Ca., Ine., ago which are now recognized to have a t 343 pp. Figs. New York, 1965. ix most limited validity. and tables. 14 X 21 cm. Clot,hThe printing is at,tractive and seemingly bound, 312.75; paperbound, $7. free of typographical errors. But I can not understand a publisher putting out a The first two of the twelve chapters in $7 book with only a paper cover. Nor this book present basic principles a t a does it seem right that he should charge level intended for undergraduate students. an extra. $5.75 for hard covers that cost The next eight deal with various kinds of him not more than seventy five cents to aromatic eleetrophilic substitution, elassiput on. fied according to what element becomes Despite its imperfections, this volume bonded to or separated from aromatic is an important one which every college carbon in the course of substitution. library should contain. However, I eanChapter 11 concerns linear free energy not visualize using it as a textbook. correlations and the question of ortholpara ratios. The last chapter deals with JOSEPH F. BUNNETT preparative applications. Brown University I t has been a long time sinre a book Providence, Rhode Island has been writt,en about this field as a whole, and this volume is t,herefore aelcorned. I t brings together much of the modern work, and I know that my copy will get frequent use as a. guide to the recent literature. The literature coverage appears to go through 1963. Although most of the important work does receive mention, the treatment is not exhaustive. I noted the omission of Ibne-Rasa's 1962
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alkylakon during diazo coupling with phenol ethers. Although this will be a useful book, it falls considerably short of greatnesr. First, Chapter 1does not bear a reasonable relationship to the rest of the book. I t is done a t a very elementary level but without the thoroughness and care necessary for an effective elementary presentation. For example, the Hammett p a relationship is introduced without any representative Hammett plot being shown. In Chapter 2, The Mechanism of Eleetrophilic Substitution, it is unfortunate that no mention is mzde of that mechanism in which the leaving group is removed first, forming a carbanian intermediate, and then the entering electrophile bonds to carbon. This mechanism, of which many examples could be cited, is the counterpart of the S u l mechanism of nucleopbilic substitution. Another difficulty in Chapter 2 is that kinetic evidence for the generally-accepted
