knowledge of the principles necessary for a propel. appreciation of the problems involved in cation analysis before encoune ering them in the laboratory. Furthermore, anion chemistry is less routine, hence the student will be trained early t o interpret observations made from logical experiments. There is no reason inherent in the writing, however, that would prohibit the laboratory work from being as flexible as the teacher wishes. More significant than the order is the fact that more sttention is given to anion analysis in this text than is usually done. At least 24 anions are included. The ions are grouped acoording t o gross similarities hut chemical properties and chmacteristic reactions are given for each ion separately with a ~ ~ r o ~ r i aeuuations. te Twentvceduns are written for semimicro work using either hydrogen sulfide or thioitcetamide as the sulfide precipitant. The usual schematic outlines and notes are incorporated in the text. Included among the numerous problems a t the end of the chapters are many "whytype" questions to stimulate the student's imagination as well as t o test his knowledge of factual material. Answers to numerical prohlems are in an Instructor's Manual. I n keeping with the author's emphasis on a logical approaoh t o the snbject, all illustrative problems in the text are solved usine dimensional analvsis. A
finds in textbooks. The author's industrial and engineering education experience has been used to advantage in developing the design approach to report writing. The chapter on Investigation is particularly worth while because it covers the searching of the literature (books, journal articles, and reports) as sources of background information; young scientists and engineers must be impressed with the need for preceding laboratory research with library search. However, i t would have been helpful if the author had included some bibliography in his own text; he could not hope to exhaust the field of technical report writing in seventy pages. Some references to texts on literature searching, tabulation, and graphs would be helpful t o bath teachers and students of technical report writing. The chapter on Analysis is especially well handled; it should convince the reluctant engineer or scientist of the need to write reports while i t instructs him in deciding the kind of a. report to write. The classification of roports by purpose (to inform, to initiate action, to coordinate projeots, to recommend, and to provide a. record) is excellent. This book should be recommended to teachers of technical report writing, engineering and scientific students, and t o those about to write their first technical reports; it is too brief to be useful as a reference hook for experienced writ,ers and editors. ETHALINE CORTELYOU
for a. one-semester course in qualitative analysis and i t can be adapted easily t o s. one-term course or t o s. course in general chemistry in which qualitative analysis is a part of the laboratory work. The book is clearly written and free of errors. In eom~srisonwith other books on t,hn eubjeet' this reviewer finds Moeller's "Qualitative Analysis" generally superior t o most. ~~~~
ARMOUR REBEARC" FOUND*T,ON C n r c ~ o o Immors .
ORAL COMMUNlCATlON OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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JAMES L. HALL MIORLOAN STATEUNIVERBITP EMT LANBINO. MIOBX~AN
TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING
James W. Souther, Assistant Dean, College of Engineering, University of Washington. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1957. xi 70 pp. 2 5 figs. 2 X 27 cm. $2.95.
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Tnrs brief, letter-size, paper bound book should be excellent for the purpose for which i t was written, a text for a college course in technical report writing. However, i t has the common failing of its p r e d e c e s s o r ~ i tneglects the subject of reporting data. in tables and graphs which, after all, is the characteristic that distinguishes technical report writing from other expository writing. Teachers should find i t s. very effective text because the exercises a t the end of each chapter approach "reel-life engineering situations" and me not the usual artificial "make-work" assignment one VOLUME 35, NO. 10, OCTOBER, 1938
Roberts. Casey, Chemist, W. A. Sheaffer Pen Co., Fort Madison, Iowa. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1958. vii 199 pp. 20 figs. 13 X 19.5 cm. $4.50.
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THIS is a detailed, informative, and instructional guide for all who are eancemed with preparation of topics for oral presentation. Although primarily intended for the presentation of technical material, those interested in non-technical subject matter should profit materially from the many basic ideas and suggestions offered. I t is organized into 12 chapters containing detailed discussion of all phases of oral oommunication varying from initial plans, outlines, preparation and use of nates, formal and informal veaking guides, as well as suggestions on presentation. Detailed coverages of the topics "audio and visual aids" and "presiding a t meetings" are included as separate chapters. Illustrations include proper forms for tabular data as well as examples of satisfactory and overcrowded lantern slides. Each chapter contains a rather complete bibliography. Although directed to the industrial worker (many references to "the boss"), it is firmly believed that many academio speakers could profit materially hy applying many of
the common-sense ideas postulated in this book. Some of the author's gems are: "Style is verbal personality," and "You can't learn to swim or make speeches hy reading books." The experienced speaker may consider certain of the topics and their thorough development too elementary in nature. One must remember that many who may he authorities in their fields me inexperienoed novices in the presentation of subject matter before an audience. Even experienced academic friends could (and should) improve their presentation by adopting certain of the principles and common sense practices which are covered. DOUGLAS G. NICHOLSON EABTT E N N M ~ E STATE E COLLEGE J O H N ~ DCITT, N TENNEBBEE
INTRODUCTION TO ENZYMOLOGY A l a n H. Mehler, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Academic Press, hc,,New York, 1957. viii 425 pp. 37 figs. 16 X 23.5 cm. $10.80.
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THISrelatively thin (400 text pages plus introduction and subject index), lucidly written, and concise volume is a credit t o its author and a wclcome relief for a reader, constantly swamped with and inured t o voluminous treatises and Handhooher of heterogeneous parentage. I t provides him with a vdluahle, and in some ways a unique, addition to his groaning baok-shelf, be he a. gatherer or dispenser of enaymological lore. Far the former, the book is a. wellorganized, brief, yet adequately detailed summary of intermediary metabolism on the eneymtttio level-and what more fundamental approach is there today? The text is written in a lucid, sparse manner, the factual information is up-to-date (or a t least as up-to-date as a volume not provided with loose-leaf arrangement in this rapidly moving field can be--references go up to 1956, and to early 1957 in some instances), a fair number of relatively simple and clear schemes, diagrams, and struotural formulas are provided, and there is a goodly number of well-selected references both general and particular. The extensive subject index is of help, even though it has its idiosyncrasies: there are eight references to "lipolic aeid." but none to "cholesterol," "steroid," or "lipid." It is a pity also that no author index was provided. Perhapa a more regrettable omission is the complete absence of m y systematic discussion of the multi-enzyme sequences involved in cholesterol, terpene, and carotene biosynthesesneither squalene nor mevsr Ionic aeid are as much as mentioned. If space limitation was the overridink consideration, then surely 90 pages devoted t o amino acid metabolism seelrs excessive for a subject matter so frequently and so completely covered in general and speeialieed textbooks, symposium volumes, etc. These objeotions me still only minor ones and do not detract in any real sense from either the author's courage or his
