Part 1, Introduction, begins with a chapter an nomenclature, structure, and occurrence of amino acids, followed by a chapter on the stereochemical interrelationships between the latter and other naturally occurring optically active eompounds. Thirr subject is exhaustively treated and chrtrscteristieally, ss else where in this work, the authors do not p r e suppose knowledge of pertinent physiccchemical principles, but rather develop these in relation to the subject at hand. The third chapter on amino acids in nutrition is outstanding; it is also the only major concession to metabolic aspects of amino acid chemistry. Part 11, Physicochemical Aspects, contsins chapters on electrochemistry, thermodynamics, and metal complexes whicb are models of clarity and completeness in exposition. However, the chapter on the effects of radiation (10 psges), does not do complete justice to thisimportant field. Part 111, Organic Chemical Aspects, begins with a general review of methods for a-amino acid synthesis. Specific procedures are deferred to Volume 3 under the discussion of the individual amino acids. Chemical and biological methoda for the resolution of stereoisomers of amino acids are treated in Chapter 9, completing Volume I. Part 111 is continued in Volume 2. Chapter 10, Chemical Procedures for the Synthesis of Peptides, is a thorough discussion including 49 tables and over 1056 references. An important aspect of this section, as indeed it is throughout thc review, is the inclusion of detailed procedures. The authors' own work in the field lends authority to their discussion and evaluation. Part IV, General Analytical Procedures, includes cha~terson Colorimetric Methods, ~ a n o m e t r ~and , Titrimetry, Isotope Dilution, Microbiological Assay Methods, Chromatography, Sequential Andy& of Peptides, Spectraphotometry, Optical Rotation, and Determinetian of Optical and Steric Purity. The final chapter in this section, "how pure is pure," should be read by all biochemists. Experiments in whicb 0.6 to 1 per cent impurity leads to ambiguous results may he exceptional but the possibility should not be ignored. Part V, Enzymes Involved in the Determination, Characterization, and Preparation of the Amino Acids, is concerned with an area of nsewrh wry much the authors' own. The i l l u ~ t r ~ t i v~ eI O C P ~ W P Rand 21 txbles in this ~ertiouxrr rar~llrntfor thrir detail and as a summary. Volume 3 is divided into two parts: Part VI, the Preparation of ProteinBound Amino Acids, and Part VII, The Preparation of Amino Acids Not Known to be Bound in the Proteins of Mammalian Tissues. The chapters in these sections are generally divided into an historical introduction, analytical methods, synthesis, resolution, and racemizstion. These chapters me treated exhaustively and are replete with illustrative procedures making them invaluable to the working scientist. Since the literature is only covered to 1958, such recent procedures as gas-liquid chromatography m e not mentioned. However these volumes constitute much more than a summary of the current literature. They represent a scholarly synthesis of current knowledge of amino acid
A218 / Journal of Chemical Educofion
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scribed 1803 comoaunda and eives 924 references, versus 660 ro~npounrlsand SO rrferrnw.r in thi* h u k . h l m y mow exam1llr.a of tlm fr:n:tiowl rovcrngc rollld l w given, but perhsps the most serious deficiency is in the area of organic compounds of the transition metals. Here the treatment is extremely thin and sketchy, and no mention is made of the recent book by Zeiss or of the reviews in "Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemistry" DAVIDG. CORNWELL or in "Progress in Inorganic Chemistry!' FRED A. KRUGER The reader gets no impression at all of the The Ohio State University discoveries which have trebled the domain Columbus of organometallic chemistry in in the last decade. As a source book for the industrial chemist, the present volume has its place, but the user must keep its limitations in mind and must also have accesrr to the Handbook of Oganometallic comprehensive compilations. For the r e Compounds search chemist, this hook offers no easy substitute for the Gmelin volumes on He~bert C. Kaufman, John B. Pierce boron, silicon, germanium, etc., and only Foundation, New Haven, Connecticut. deepens one's appreciation of them. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, 1961. iv 1546 pp. 17.5 X 25 cm. $22.50. Haward University Cambridge,Massachuset2s This book is very unusual in that it consists almost entirely of a compilation of properties of compounds, about 12,000 of them. For each one the name, formula, Invitation to Chemical Research molecular weight, general physical characteristics,soluhility,refractiveindur,speciE. Emmtt Reid, Johns Hopkins Unific gravity, melting point, and boilingpoint versity, Baltimore, Maryland. Frankare giveninsofar as theseare known. These lin Publishing Go., Palisade, New Jersey, fill a book 1546 pages, weighingfivepounds, 1961. 366 pp. Figs. and tables. 22 and so a great deal of information bas been X 15 em. $10.60. gathered into one place. Undoubtedly, Althoughnot so indicated, "Invitation to many chemists who work with organaChemical Resemcb" might well be conmetdlic compounds constantly (and who sidered its the Second Edition of "Introhave the tariff) will want to have tbis book duction to Organic Research" published simply because they can find what they in 1924 by D. Van Nostrand. Many of want in it much more easily than in the the chapters have much the same chapter regular sources. headings and cover about the same suhAt the same time. there is a daueer in ject matter hut with less detail, and with allowance for the difference in time between the respective dates of publications. Others present completely new material. metallic compounds in the same way would Illustrations of the latter include Chapter require even mare space, a great deal more 5, Attacking a Problem, Chapter 6, Reof it. Hence, a selection has had to be search by Undergraduates, Chapter 17, made in the present volume, and many Soviet Chemical Literature, and Chapter will differ with the author on his choices. 21, Literature Chemists. For example, forty-two pages are devoted The book has a message for research to compounds of carbon which contain no beginners whether they be in high school, metals or metdoids a t all. Similarly, college, or graduate techool. It would be although the section on silicon is very exparticularly timely for college chemistry tensive (394 pages), it includes many teachers who had a poor research experisilicon halides which have no organic ence in graduate school and are now faced groups in them a t all. Such extreme exwith undergraduates eager to carry on tensions of the meaning of "organometalsome research. Finally it offers sage adlic" might be forgiven if the rest of the vice to the college chemistry professor coverage were complete, but there are who is fast reaching the age of retirement. serious gaps. For example, in the section To the latter, Professor Reid presents on arsenic the two major references are a clear self-portrait of s. man who has filled missing and so are about 90 per cent of the his retirement yem~rs with a variety of compounds of therapeutic interest. The worth-while activities. He bas helped section on germanium describes ahont 280 college teachers and undergraduates on the compounds, with 48 references, hut the research pathway (during ten years he recent review on Rijkens for the Germanmade 292 visits to about a. doaen colleges ium Research Committee (which covers without cost to the college except for aconly the last 10 years) describes 734 comtual travel exoensesl. In 1958 and 1960. pounds and lists 266 references. As for V A ~ I P - I m i 2 of 11is '
