APRIL, 1955
231
good laboratory manual. The order of experiments corresponds with the order of presentation in "Basic General Chemistry in Outline Form," by the same authors. Duplicate report sheets are provided, one with perforations for easy removal and presentation for grading. (The me of carbon paper is suggested.) Emphasis is placed an the use of the balance, qualitative (macro and semimicro) analysis, and on well chosen demonstrations by the instructor. Useful information is tabulated in eight appendixes. JAY A. YOUNG
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STATISTICAL ANALYSIS IN CHEMISTRY AND THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Carl A. Bennett, Chief Statistician, General Electric Co., and Norman L. Franklin, Ledurer in Chemical Engineering, University of Leeds, England. John Wiley a Sons, Inc., New York, 1954. xvi 724 pp. Many figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm.
interest. He has placed primary emphasis, in a series of eoordinated chapters, on the interaction of elementary particles, the major example of which is the properties of the deuteron as they relate to the proton-neutron interaction. As stated by the author, this approach iis taken because these problems are basic in the development of nuclear theory and because their detailed discussion illustrates well a number of the analytical methods used more generally. Aside from the chapters mentioned above, which make up about ane-half of the text of the book, there are others which deal in more cursory fashion with the structure of complex nuclei, nuclear reactions, beta decay, and eleetrom~gneticinteractions of nuclei. These will probably he found to be inadequate for those who want a comprehensive treatment of the subjects. The book was designed as a text for an introductory graduate course in nuclear theory. It should serve this purpose well, with its emphasis on the simplest nuclear systems. As already mentioned, it does not give an over-all picture of what has been learned about more complex systems. I. PERLMAN
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$8.
THISbook was written under thesponsorship of the Committee on Applied Mathematical Statistics of the National Research Council. Fallowing the goals suggested by this committee, it contains, a "mathematically complete development of those aspects of mathematical statistics most useful to chemists and chemical engineers.'' The appropriate fundamentals of the subject are presented in the first five chapters, the first third of the book. This section readslike s textbook in mathemstical statistics with brief examples using chemical data. Cert,nin purely mathematical subjects, e. g., permutations, gamma and beta functions, are treated in apoendires to the ehaoters. The last twa-thirds of the book con-
charts. Looked upon as a text, this book is suitable for a two-semester course at the graduate or senior level, with the h a t semester devoted to fundamental concepts and the second to applications. Chemists who have a working knowledge of statistics acquired randomly from handbooks snd through contact with practical statistical treatments will wish to study this book systematically. As reward for his effort the experimenter who does this will find the character of his interpretst~onof data removed from subjeetivity and ritual t o objectivitysnd sy~tem,soundly conceiv~dand tailored to the case a t hand. Valua,hk by-products will be increased efficiency through proper de~ignof experiments, and clearer and mare accurate presentation and communication of results. RALPH A. JOHNSON
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RECENT PROGRESS IN VOLUME 10
HORMONE RESEARCH
Edited by Gregory Pincus. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1954. 511 pp. 134 figs. 16 X 23 om. $9.80. THE proceedings of the Laurentian Hormone Conference held in Quehee in Seotember. 1953. make uo the content of this book. Thr n.:drr rnny icr.1 n>surrd that tlw topicti p r + w m d ns psp,.rs :xt this nw~rirwaud tne diwuss~on?which frdlow r:wh p p e r r c Hecr tlw htwr knoxlcdgc and points of vhw, up t u t l t r dhtr of the conference, of the topics that were considered. The material has been grouped under six general headings: I, Nervous System-Hormone Interrelationships; 11, Thyroid Hormone Physiology and Biochemistry; 111, Compsrative Endocrinology; IV, Prot,ein Hormones; V, The Role of Hormones in Blood and Blood-forming Organs; VI, kspeots of Clinical Endocrinology. Two or three chapters were presented under each of these general topics and with the discussions make up the 14 chapters in the book. Including the 28 authors and diacussors, about 100 investigators participated in the conference and their remarks are recorded in full. The chemist will find certain chapt,ers of more interest t o him than others which may be remote from his professional experience. Among such arc tho chapters on the chemistry of insulin, the chemistry of the corticotrophins, and thyroid physiology and biochemistry. The contributions that newer chemical techniques have made in the separation of individual hormones and their metabolic products or toward the elucidation of hormone interrelationships ia evident in all the topics pre~ented. In spite of the progress that has been made the reader will be impressed with the complexities of the problem8 that still confront endocrinologista. F. A. CAJORI
NUCLEAR THEORY
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Robert G. Sachs, Professor of Physics, University d Wisconsin. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., Cambridge, Mass., 1953. xi 383 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24 cm. $7.50.
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As 1s to be expected of a modern book on nuclear theory, this work will only be intelligible to those with some background in the methods and terminology of quantum mechanics. There are two, short introductory chapters which do not have this restriction, but the material covered there can be obtained in amplified form in other works on nuclear physics devoted to a more descriotive treatment. , I n :rn clTort to krrp rlw h w l . down ro fA.1,~modrrt rirr the author has omitted trratmcnt of a n~mrlwrof t ~ p i mof current ~~~~
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PROTEIN METABOLISM
R. B. Fisher. Demonhator in Biochemistry. University of Odord. John Wiley & Sons. Inc.. New York. 1954. ix figs. 15 tables. 11 X 17 cm. 52.50.
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198 pp. 24
DR. FISHER'S contribution to Methuen's Monograph Series is a nugget of gold. Any biochemist whose interest touches on protein metabolism owes it to himself to read the book. There
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION w e many who will feel that the author is hypercritical; some will resent his thoughtful reinterpretation of published data, others will i t 4 >I 9en.i~of shork :ti one ~ i t r inothrr r oi t l r e mort rmnmwrly Iwld tlltwir.i is ingtmiourly :rttnrkrd. 1 d o ).at t.tt~r 1111 Z O U I I ~i ~ ) t ( . r ~ ~ r ~ ~ ~ . ~ t i ~ t l e o f e n rIt l iis e rnot f b ~nlx.rysr:upd murr often on ecmsidvrstionr of rrl:,tiw ~dmrd,ility than
