Industrial R&D's Past And Future Reviewed by Ted J. Logan ndustry's Future: Changing Pat terns in Industrial Research7' actu ally is a history, a recognition, and a celebration of industrial research as the most successful socioeconomic in stitution ever invented for generating technical change and converting it to practical use. Herbert I. Fusfeld covers the industri al research institution from its origins 100 years ago to the $100 billion enter prise it is in the U.S. today. The book is so packed with good, solid information that it actually was difficult to review, because it was difficult to pick and choose which segments to highlight. An institution this large and intrinsi cally important to the health of the U.S. and world economies is, not surprising ly, constantly buffeted and affected by social, political, and economic changes and upheavals. Fusfeld, who is chair man of the advisory board of the Center for Science & Technology Policy at Rens selaer Polytechnic Institute, discusses clearly and lucidly such aspects as the internationalization of R&D, changing corporate environments and cultures, decentralization of R&D, federal govern ment policies, the decline in R&D spend ing by the Department of Defense (DOD), and the changing relations between uni versities and government laboratories. The perspective he adds from his career experiences (among them, former director of research for Kennecott Copper Co. and a member of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Joint Commission for Scientific & Technical Cooperation) makes the book readable and credible. Over the past century, industrial re search has demonstrated its flexibility to adjust to internal and external changes and pressures that will only accelerate in the future. The book gives confidence to people with careers in R&D that, with due vigilance, the institution will survive and continue to grow. Fusfeld starts by describing the critical components of every R&D program, which include selection (choosing the re search programs to pursue), priority (al locating resources to these programs),
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I
A strong 100-year history leaves industrial R&D well placed to survive its current pressures and continue to grow
• "Industry's Future: Changing Patterns of Industrial Research/' by Herbert I. Fusfeld, American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036,1994, 369 pages, hardback $39.95, paperback $29.95
feedback (interacting with company per sonnel outside R&D to get information about the needs of the company or its customers), and transfer (making re search results available to those who can apply them). The unique blending of these compo nents within industrial labs is the basis for their success and cannot be matched by government or academic laboratories. Government and academic laboratories have different "customers," controls, im pacts, and missions. The author's analy sis makes these differences quite clear. Government's ability to conduct R&D that would stimulate economic growth is "at best limited and at most, misdi rected," he concludes. "Industry's Future" covers the conse-
quences of the cuts in DOD support for R&D. Defense-oriented R&D has played an enormous role in building the infra structure of U.S. R&D—from supporting graduate students to supplying state-ofthe-art research equipment. It also has advanced the level of technical knowl edge and capabilities. The decreasing support we're seeing now has serious negative implications for academic pro grams. Through these programs, it also affects industrial R&D, because indus try depends on universities for new graduates and for access to new techni cal advances. A shortfall of the book is its failure to comment on the quality of new gradu ates, although their quality certainly bears on the efficacy, efficiency, and suc cess of industrial R&D. The technical training of students is generally excel lent, but technical competence alone doesn't guarantee the success of R&D programs. Leadership skills, interdisci plinary training, the ability to communi cate, and an understanding of safety and the concept of "total quality" (continual ly refining and improving processes) are critical factors for rapidly achieving in dustrial R&D goals. Perhaps the author considered this subject too broad to be incorporated into this book and worthy of separate treatment. But I find it diffi cult to avoid discussing quality when the subject is personnel for a successful R&D operation. "Industry's Future" has some small shortcomings. More than 15 minor typo graphical errors detract from the quality of the book. Even more bothersome is the frequent uneven word spacing across entire lines of type. Beyond mar ring appearance, this makes reading the lines difficult. Aside from these minor detractions, the book is well organized, readable, and complete in its coverage. It doesn't bring the reader new revelations or new information. Rather, it is a valuable com pilation of the history, growth, and suc cess of industrial R&D. Read it all and pay particular attention to the future challenges it delineates. Among them: gaining the elusive ability to measure, and hence improve, effectiveness; doing FEBRUARY 20,1995 C&EN
35
BOOKS a better job of accessing the results of government and academic R&D; and developing more effective ways for in dustry to support academic R&D as de fense funding continues to decline. I recommend this book to everyone engaged in industrial research, includ ing both technologists and technical managers at all degree levels. "Indus try's Future" has many valuable mes sages for industry, academia, and gov
ernment that must be understood and Chemistry: An Experimental Science. 2nd Ed. George M. Bodner, Harry L. heeded if this symbiotic triad is to con Pardue. xxxii + 983 pages. John Wiley tinue and industrial research is to ex & Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, tend its long history of success. N.Y. 10158. 1994. $54.50. Ted ]. Logan is manager for technical re cruiting at Procter & Gamble. He is a The Chemistry and Technology of Coal. councilor of the American Chemical Soci 2nd Ed. James G. Speight, xi + 642 pag es. Marcel Dekker, 270 Madison Ave., ety's Cincinnati Section, a member of the New York, N.Y. 10016. 1994. $195. ACS Board Committee on Corporation As Chemistry of Petrochemical Processes. sociates, and chairman of Corporation As Sami Matar, Lewis F. Hatch, xiv + 386 sociates' Subcommittee on Awards. Π pages. Gulf Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2608, Houston, Texas 77252-2608. 1994. $75.
Catalyst Characterization: Physical Tech Chemical Analysis by Nuclear Methods. niques for Solid Materials. Boris Imelik, Ζ. Β. Alfassi, editor, xx + 556 pages. Diazo Chemistry I: Aromatic and Heteroaromatic Compounds. Heinrich Jacques C. Védrine, editors, xxi + 702 John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., Zollinger, ix + 453 pages. VCH Pub pages. Plenum Press, 233 Spring St., New York, N.Y. 10158. 1994. $150. lishers, Distribution Center, 303 North New York, N.Y. 10013-1578. 1994. $125. Chemical Engineering Dynamics. John west 12th Ave., Deerfield Beach, Fla. Catalytic Hydroprocessing of Petroleum Ingham et al. xx + 701 pages. VCH 33442-1705. 1994. $115. & Distillates. Michael C. Oballa, Stuart Publishers, Distribution Center, 303 Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Commer S. Shih, editors, xii + 464 pages. Marcel Northwest 12th Ave., Deerfield Beach, cial Polymer Blends. L. A. Utracki, ed Dekker, 270 Madison Ave., New York, Ha. 33442-1705. 1994. $160. itor, vi + 654 pages. ChemTec Publish N.Y. 10016. 1994. $165. CHEMINDEX 1994Λ95: Chemical Buy ing, 38 Earswick Dr., Toronto-Scarbor Ceramic Cutting Tools: Materials, Deers' Guide for Japan. Chemical Daily ough, Ontario MIE 1C6, Canada. 1994. velopment, and Performance. E. Dow Co. Ltd. 640 pages. Chemical Daily Co. $199. Whitney, editor, xxvi + 357 pages. Ltd., c/o Tekno-Infor Corp., 500 TrotNoyes Publications, 120 Mill Rd., Park wood Place, Louisville, Ky. 40245-4071. Enzymatic Conversion of Biomass for Fuels Production. ACS Symposium SeRidge, N.J. 07656. 1994. $86. 1994. $192.
Chemical Sciences Graduate School Finder, 1994-1995 ^ÉÊ^k raduate School . . . where to I ^ ^ 1 1 go, what to study, how much ^ ^ * J does it cost? If these are the questions you're asking, the Chemical Sciences Graduate School Finder is the book for you. This concise and easyto-use guide provides undergraduate chemistry students with the information necessary for selecting a graduate program to suit their needs and goals.
CHEMICAL SCIENCES
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FEBRUARY 20,1995 C&EN
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tors, vii + 206 pages. Gordon & Breach Publishers, 820 Town Center Dr., Langhorne, Pa. 19047. 1994. $45, £29, hard back; $25, £18, paperback. Groundwater Contamination and Con trol. Uri Zoller, editor, xii + 712 pages. Marcel Dekker, 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1994. $195. Handbook of Carcinogen Testing. 2nd Ed. Harry A. Milman, Elizabeth K. Weisburger, editors, xlviii + 856 pages. Noyes Publications, 120 Mill Rd., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1994. $98. Henry McBay: A Chemical Festschrift. William M. Jackson, Billy Joe Evans, editors, vi + 216 pages. MIT Press, 55 Hayward St., Cambridge, Mass. 02142. 1994. $25. High-Performance Thermosets: Chemis try, Properties, Applications. ShiowChing Lin, Eli M. Pearce. xi + 317 pag es. Hanser/Gardner Publications, 660 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio 452444090. 1994. $89. Humus Chemistry: Genesis, Composi tion, Reactions. 2nd Ed. F. J. Steven
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