book reviews oeded in present-day work. Gradient elution, a most important topic, is not presented on a fundamental basis. This is not to say that the book should have adopted s highly mathematical approach, for much of the principles of chromatography can be presented rathersimply. I n sum. this reviewer cannot recommend
mention are those on thin-layer chromatography and zone electrophoresis. BARRYL. KARQER Northeasten University Boston, Mass. 08116
Introduction to Crystallography
Donald E. Sands, University of Kentucky, Lexington. W. A. Benjamin, 165 pp. Ine., New York, 1960. xii Figs. and tables. 14.5 X 22 cm. Softbound. $4.95.
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The "Physical Chemistry Monograph Series" edited by Walter Kausmann, to which t h k book belongs, is planned to consist of about nine volumes of 150-200 pages apiece, each providing an introduction to a topic in physical chemistry. A course in physical chemistry could be constructed from these essentially independent units. Since together they would constitute appreciably more material than is handled in the usual textbook, a partieular monograph might he used o d y for supplementary s t ~ d yself , study, or not a t all. The author makes a case for including "Introduction to Cryatallography" in the training of the chemistry major in that the importaoce of the results of crystal struci.ure analysis demands a t least a reading knowledge of the language of crystallography. However, he makes a. real effort to treat basic ideas in lattices, symmetry.
author tries t o leach this material, and since he does so in a clear manner and avoids the error8 which have been routinely built into theoften dismal treatment of the subject in many textbooks, these sections are a distinct improvement over much that is currently available. X-ray diffraction, the methods of X-ray crystallography, and a discussion of some simple struetores make up the latter half of the book. Mention is made of the important photographic single crystal data gathering techniques and of the methods of structure determination, but the treatment is, ileeessarily, very sketchy and does little more than create an awareness of the existence of these techniques and methods. Problems are included, with answers given a t the hack of the book. With some of the problems, as with much of the textual material, I expect (.hat instructor guidance will be needed. Although the title uses the broad term "crystallog~.aphy," there iu no optical crystallography included. Microscopy
A310 / journal o f Chemical Education
and goniometry are not discussed. The book is directed to the chemist and his special interests in symmetry,and structure. Since the titles are almost the same, one might he tempted to compare this hook wit,h "An Introduction to Crystallography," by F. C. Phillips. Even the Cantents pages bear some resemblance to each other in topic headings. However, there is no real comparison. The Phillips' book is the choice for the working crystallographer and is always supplemented by additional books on other than basic geometric crystallography; the Sands' book is the choice for students seeking preparation in general physical chemistry, whether or not they ever go on todo serious work in crystallography. I was not enraptured by the molecular drawings in Chapter 2; Table 5-2 would he better captioned if "possible sppesrance" rather than simply "appearance" were used; the dust jacket reference to 2300 (!) space groups reminds one that i t is, after all, just a dust jacket. All in all, I think the Sands' hook is well suited for its objective. The other question to ask is whether the objective is worthwhile. I believe that it is. LEWISK a ~ z University of Connecticut S t o m , Connecticut 06268
The Chemistry of Germanium
Fmnk Glocking, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Academic Press, fnc., New York, 1969. viii 234 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $11.
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This small monograph offers an easy, readable, concise presentation of the chemistry of germanium. The book is well described by quoting from the . designed partly to appeal to preface: the generalchemical reader who is likely to he interested in the chemistry of germanium, especially in relation to silicon, tin, and lead. Sufficient detail has also been incorporated in an attempt to provide a useful source of reference for specialist research workers." After a hrief introduction, there are eight chapters. The first chapter covers hond properties (electronegittivity, honding, thermodynamics, and spectra) and should be of particular interest to the nonspecialist. Chapter two is concerned with the inorganic chemistry of germanium and gives a reasonably detailed treatment of germanium (11) and (IV) compounds. Organogermanium chemistry is covered in the remaining sir chapters. The topics include: tetraorganogermanes, hydrides, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, Group (IV) compounds, halides and pseudohalides, and metal-bonded compounds. The chapter on metal-bonded compounds is quite long and presents much interesting material most of which relates to discoveries made over the past ten years. Each chapter is supported by extensive references. The primary literature is covered uo to earlv 1968. althounh Russian publications, examined in English translation, are less up-to-date. The
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briefness and elarit,y of the text together with the extensive bibliography make this book an excellent review of and introduction to germanium chemistry. RUDOLPH S. BOTTEI University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana 46656 The Primary Structure of Proteins: Principles and Practices for the Determination of Amino Acid Sequence
Walter A. Schroeder, California. Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Harper and Row, Publishers, New York, 1968. xiv 210 DD. Firs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 em..'~itrdYbound, $12.95; sifthound, $5.95.
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This hook presents an introduction to the techniques involved in determining the amino acid sequence of proteins. I t is directed a t the senior undergraduate, or the graduate student, who has a knowledge of organic chemistry, who may have learned something about proteins in a biochemistry course, but who does not know how the structural information about proteins was obtained. However, the author's claim that the book was also written for the student who may want to try his hand a t sequence determination is a little unrealistic. After a brief introduction, chapters are devoted to methods commonly used in the study of proteins (Chapter 3) and to a discussion of the properties of individual proteins (Chapter 4). The next several chapters are devoted to a discussion of the determination of amino acid composition (Chapter 5), to the determination of amino-terminal residues and sequences (Chapter 6), and to the determination of carboxyl-terminal residues and sequences (Chapter 7). After mentioning the strategy of sequence determinations, methods for the partial hydrolysis of polypeptide chains are d i s cussed (Chapter 9). Subsequent c h a p ters deal with the separation of peptides (Chapter lo), the sequence determination of peptides (Chapter l l ) , and the overlapping of various types of peptides to form the completed amino acid sequence (Chapter 12). Finally, the published sequences of several different proteins are listed (Chapter 14). The self-declared goal of this volume is to convey to the reader an appreciation of the way in which the determination of sequence can be carried out, to acquaint him with some of the chemistry or biochemistry behind the methods, to point out some of the problems that still exist, and to show what has been achieved. As far as is known to the reviewer, this is the only complete volume of its nature and level devoted to this subject. For the most part, it fulfills its goal rather capably and would be a useful introductory guide to the reader who would want to start a t the beginning and understand how the amino acid sequences of proteins are determined.
JR. CHARLESL. BORDERS, College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio (Continued on page A H 4 )
