Chemical Publications: and Ura
Their Nature
M . G. Mellon, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. 4th ed. McGrawHill Book Co., New York, 1965. xi 324pp. 16 X 23.5 om. $9.50.
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This fourth edition of the well-known classic in chemical literature follows the plan of the third edition with the intention of presenting the current status of chemical literature and chemical documents, tian. Professor Mellon first discusses the kinds of questions taken to a chemical library; second, descrihes the different kinds of pnblicstions; third, explains methods of making literature searches; and fourth, offers problems to give the student practical experience in using these publications. Although the s i ~ eand arrangement continue the same as in the previous edition, this edition has been revised to include new publications in both theoretical and applied chemistry and related fields such as molecular biology and physics. The three types of publications described are primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. The primary sources discussed include periodicah; institutional pnhlica tions consisting of public documents, federal, foreign, the United Nations, state, and report.? of nongovernmental institutions; patents; and miscellaneous contributions of dissertations and manufacturer's technical publications. Chapters covering the secondary sources describe periodicals and serials including index serials, abstracting jomnals, and review serials; bibliographies; works of reference consisting of formula indexes, tabular compilations, dictionaries and encyelopedias, formularies and treatises, and monographs and t,extbooks. The tertiary soirces are guides and directories composed of general guides, biographical works, scientific and technical societies, book lists, languttge dictionaries, laboratory planning and administration, directories and trade catalogues, and financial data. Among the changes in this edition which make the book easier to use are the improvements in the format and the change to numbering the footnotes consecutively in each chapter rather than by et~chpage. I n the chapters covering primary sources, the section on government puhlications has been revised to include new titles and a list of Regional Technical Report Centers. A description of the United States patent syst,em has been brought up-to-date with useful informs tion on how to make a patent search and with a new section on mechanized searching. Primary sources in the section discussing dissertations and manufacturer's technical publicatioos have been expended to contain house organs, brochures, pamphlets, symposia, and preprints. Secondary and tertiary sources have been revised. Additional titles of guides and directories have been included, and works dealing with laboratory planning and sources for obtaining financial data. are new features of this edition. Making Searches in the Chemical Literatwe. a c b a ~ t e rindicatine the location of chkmieal publications &d how to find and use them in a library, is especially
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beneficial to the research chemist and student making either a brief or extensive search of t,he literature. The nineteen problems in the last chapter are designed to give the student valuable experience in using the literature. The 2500 assignments for these problems are new and are among the most outstanding features of the fourth edition. For a hihliographieal type of work, the hook is remarkahly free of errors in dates and titles. I n the opinion of this reviewer, i t is an outstmding reference work as well as an up-to-date textbook. RUTHT . POWER University pf Illinois u~bana
The Mystery of MaWer
Edited by Louise B. Young. Oxford University Press, New York, 1965. xiii 712 pp. Prepared by the American Foundation for Continuing Education. Figs. and tsblc?. 16 X 23.5 em. 87.50.
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Louise B. Young has brought together effectively a classical gronp of previously published articles on matter, energy, biology, and society's attitudes concerning these. The book is divided into eleven parts. The early parts provide haekground material of a descriptive and expository nature; later parts provide responses to the subject matter and furnish religious, ph~losophical, and social views of the pressures put on society by teehnological achievements. Each part is concluded with a small group of provocative questions as well as suggestions for further reading. Biographies of authors, a well-composed glossary, and an adequate index complete the volume. Included are: Csn matter he measured?; Is matter infinitely divisible?; I s matter substance or form?; What is the secret of atomic energy?; I s the universe asymmetric?; What iis the origin of living m a 6 ter?; I s living matter immortal?; Does order arise from disorder?; What is life?; Will fallout affect the course of evolution?; Is science destroyer or creator? Contributions derive from writings of Ashford, h i m o v , Bacon, Beeker, Bergson, Bronowski, Costes, Compton, Conant, Curie, Dalton, Daniels, Dsnteig, Dubos, Einstein, Eiseley, Evans, Farrell, Gamow, Gray, Hddane, Hardin, Hecht, Heisenberg, Hoden, Holtan, Huxley (J.), Infeld, Jeans, Krutch, Latter, Leewenhoek, Lueretius, Mason, Mendel, MendelCeff, Miller, Moore, Morgenthau, Morrison, Muller, Murchie, Nash (Ogden), Oparin, Ovenden, Paoling, PaincarC, Pope, Rabinowitch, Romer, Schrodinger, Simpson, Singer, Sinnott, Smith, Spencer, Teller, Wald, Weisskopf, Wells (G. P.), Wells (H. G.) and Weyl. There is also a wntrihution by Charles Addms. The articles were selected by the editor to solidify the idea that "all aspects of reality [i.e., life and non-lifel-are part of a single continuous process." Attainment of this goal is attempted through a
synthesin and distillation of unifying concepts in the fields of physics, chemistry, and biology. I t is my opinion that there is still unfractionated material in this philosophical alembic. Do not fail to read Loren Eiseley's The Secret of Life wherein we find " .when the slime of the laboratory for the first time crawls under man's direction. the men who have become gods will pose austerely before the popping flashbulbs of news photogrs, phers, and there will be few to consider -so deep is the mind-set of a n agewhether the desire to link life to matter may not have blinded ns to the more remarkable characteristics of both" (p.
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334). ~~~
A typographical error appears on p. 374 where far "Darwin's experiments," one should read, "Mendel's experiments." I liked the discussion and examples by Holden and Singer d only one kind of disorder but many kinds of order (p. 227). But this is a t variance with the discussion by Gamow where he uses the term "more disorderly" (p. 426). Since entropy values are quantitat,ive measures of disorder, there mast be a multiplicity of kinds (or degrees) of disorder, and not just one kind of disorder. The problem is a semantic one, I hope. I recommend this hook to that considerable number of individuals, scientists and non-scientists alike, who need a mature philosophical orientation to the Nuclear and Nucleie Acid Age of Man. This is the kind of hook one would expect a liberal arts college to use in the science and humanit,ies portion of their curriculum. AY find note, the controversy between Pauling and Teller (with A. Latter) concerning atomic bomb testing is presented through their own writings. The principal aspect of d l this is really whether or not future generations will be injured (through genetic damage). The evolutionary trip has been tdrtuous. Eons, ions, pions, good-bye-ons! Let us he sane. Let us not start all over again.
JR. G. W. BROWN, University of Tezm Medical Branch Galveston Evolving Genes and Proteins
Edited by Vernon B r y s a and Henry J. Vogel, both of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1966. u i 629 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. 819.50.
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This volume is the most recent in a distinguished series of forward-looking symposia of the Institute of Microbiology of Rutgers University. It assembles new information relating to the evolution of proteins and of genes. The bookis dividedinto an introduction, two sessions on Evolution of (Metabolic) Pathways, three sessions on Evolution of Proteins, an evening lecture on degeneracy of the genetic code, and three sessions on Evolution of Genes. An idea of the contents may be obtained by brief extracts of the articles. Tatum's introduction on Evolution and Molecular Biology traces the history of (Catinued on page A646)
"underlying concepts!' Tntum questions some popular assumptions in analyses of the type that occasionally precedes revolutionssv revisions in thinkinr.
ments for, and implications from, the concept of the hyperhetemtrophie nature of the first organism. I n the other papers and theses, mostly based on observations by the authors, Vogel proposes that pathways of synthesis of lysine can he used as a phylogenetie tracer. Bloch shows how the emergence of certain lipid molecules were decisive events in evolution. Granick describes his own beautiful work on evolution of porphyrin biosynthesis. He uses words similar to Tatnm's in stating that we do not know whether proteins or genes came first, nor whether pathways evolved forward or backward (as Horowita proposm). I n the section on evolution of proteins, Zuckerkandl and Pauling discuss evolutionary divergence and convergence in protein molecules. "It is more important to understand the general than the particular, hut the fimt is aohieved only through the second." This paper is indeed a brilliant example of the integrative view based on much fact. BuettnerJanusch and Hill treat hemoglobin in primates as an approach to "molecularorganismal evolution!' Braunitzer and co-workers discuss sequence gaps in protein molecnlps. Handler and associates have shown how kinetic analysis of mechanism may be employed to assess similarities and differences between phosphoglucomutases of various species. When kinetic analyses are employed in conjunction with sequence analyses, differentiation a t the molecult~r level may prove to he of unprecedented sensitivity for enzymic proteins. Margoliash and Smith state that "only a thoroughgoing knowledge of function in the context of the complete biological unit e m make out of the molecular evolntion of proteins a respectable branch of science." Kaplan treats comparative enzymology by focnsing on the varions properties, and the structure. of dehvdmeensses. Rutter .. helps to define the fundamental, hut difficult, problem of homology among the enzymes. While chairing the find session on proteins, Abelson presented data on amino acid contents of shell protein of molluscs. These were compared with phylogenetic position. The correlations were not cheering, and this stat,e often characterizes attempts to clsssify organisms by any single type of contained protein. The paper by (the late David) Banner, De Moss, and Mills deals with the role of polypeptide interactions in the evolution of enzymes. In a paper on bioluminescence, McElroy, Seliger, and DeLuca have shown how the wavelength of light emitted by firefly systems o m be related to the species. In a paper bridging to evolving genes in a later section, Freese and Yoshide reach provocative inferences on base pair change.?. This paper offers promise of being very fundamental. I n a short paper, Luria presents aninteresting suggestion on the function of permeme in evol~rtian. In the last paper in this
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section, Fox condenses s treatment of experiments suggesting evolution leading to preorganismic protein, with an emphasis on the need far understanding the evolutionary continuum spanning prelife and life. Sonneborn explains the significance of degeneracy of the genetic code. For example, he points to Nirenherg's finding that families of amino acids tend to have families of similar codons, and that this recalls to biology the widely disoarded hypothesis of orthogenesis, that is, the built-in limitations of the possible paths of evolution. From his studies of enzymic synthesis of DNA-like polymers in vrtm, Kornherg suggests that reiterative events in the synthesis of a single DNA molecule in viuo might have distinct mutational value in the evolution of DNA. Bautz explains how high helix stability in DNA woldd he selected far, and how the G C content would affect this trend. Suhbaiah, Goldthwaite, and Marmur report on the nature of bacterionhazes . .. induced in l b r t l l u n s a h t i l i ~ , the virus parri14es resemlding rluidy the DX.4 of tllr i.,d rt4I. I{ich'* p3pw 0,. ~ v o l u t ~ w a rpyr d ~ l w ~i us the synthesis of proteins nicely summarizes 1964 understanding of ribosomal processes in the synthesis of protein. Rich infers the possibility that the role of nueleic acids in early protein synthesizing systems was a greater one than i t is nlrrently. H m i s writes on shortlived RNA in the cell nuclew. In Sueoka's paper on the evolution of informational macmmolecules, data and inferences on variation of DNA base composition are found. The next paper, by Demerec, is on homology and divergence in genetic material. This paper concerns primarily genetics, with overtones in molecular biology. With the aid of 22 graphs of experiments, Moses and Calvin explore molecular regulation and its possible evolutionary significance. Building their studies on the platform constructed by Jacob and Monod, these workers have studied especially the inducibility of 8-galactosidase. Spiegelman and Yankofsky present a long paper on the relation a1 ribosomal RNA to the genome, a n informative chapter in their study of transcription processes. The evolotion of polynucleotides is treated by Hoyer, Bolton, McCmthy, and Roberts. They construct a time table of the evolutionary divergence of polynucleotides for seven species including fish, bird, armadillo, and man. The concludine bv .. omer , S q e r 1. t i t l d 01,the k : v ~ d ~ t :01 w( h e t i v 9 p t m . s . Thi, p p r r l i o w of the bnmlt w xnd luwt illtepr~liw i l l the volumr. Some of the chairmen's remarks, which are recorded in this volume, are of interest. Examples are Hotchkiss' humorous introduction of Moses and Calvin, and Abelson's presentation of data from his laboratory. While the discussion is quite fully recorded, the symposium was too tightly packed for adequate pursuit of many points; The printed discussion has been changed but not edited for logical flow. The reviewer. for instance. finds some of hw own p n ~ t t r drcmwk'i nl,t to l,e er.rirrly rrlewnt to thl,s?of :I!. rnrlirr spenkrr, w l o ~ ~~~~em I&l w xflm l the or:~lprwentatiwt,
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Editors of such volumes should be prepared to edit fully, should record discussion verbatim, or should not record i t a t all. Perhaps the most adverse statement that can be made about this book is that it is not as suitable for students as i t might be, but rather constitutes a flood of significant detail for experts in molecular biology, the latter being its proper audience. One other principal criticism is the absence of a division on the evolution of cells and of membranes. Several speakers, however, spoke to each of these perspectives. The penetrating student can find these perspectives and other integrating views by careful reading. Such criticisms aside, the symposium and its printed record are cause to eongratulate the organizer-editors and the detail is an impressive court m o r d of the early stages of reduction of evolutionary theory to the molecular level. SIDNEYW. FOX Institute of Molecular Evolutia University of Miami Miami, Florida
Molecular Pholocherni.try Xichola~J . Turro, Columbia University. W . A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, 1965. Frontiers in Chemistry series. xiii 286 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 23.5 em. 812.50.
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This hook is an enormously valuable and especially timely addition to the chemical literature. It is the first significant volume to appear on "modern" organic photochemistry (although followed by only a few months by Calvert and Pitts). The book is considerably overpriced, but nevertheless a must for the library of every photochemist, and indeed, any organic chemist that is in any way concerned with the vast proliferation of the field of photochemistry. I t consists of ten chapters, beginning with a brief discussion of fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics and molecular orbital theory. The reader is then led through an excellent disoussion of electronic excitation and the nature of excited states, followed by an authoritative treatment of energy transfer. The remainder of the book is devoted to a comprehensive review of photochemical reactions of organic molecules, and, where possible or appropriate, their mechanisms. There is a short section on photochemical techniques. Problems accompany all of the chapters. (Some of the problems, unfortnnately, are rather trivial.) I have heard some criticism that the book begins a t too fundamentd a level, but this is precisely where it should hegin if it is used as a textbook, and a lextbook is really what this book is. There are a few typographical errors; most importantly: equation (3-5), p. 23, is a transmission equation illstead of an ahsorption equation and should be I. = (Continued on pare A548)
