presaion, however, that the most recent developments are given less space than they warrant because of this historical approach. The coverage of the subject appears to be quite complete. The literature references are numerous rtnd well ohosen for the further ilh~minationof the topics introduced. The presentation is dear and straightforward. This hook will he useful as a concise introduction t o the field of rubber chemistrj, for upper class chemistry majors. The specialist in the field will in general want more information an a given topic than is presented here. THOMAS FERINGTON Co~~eo ore W O O ~ T E R
W O O S T E OHIO ~.
QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS IN SCIENCE Edited by PaulL. Dressell and Clarence H. Nelson, Board of Examiners,Michigan State University. Educational Testing Service, Princeton, 1956. m i 8 0 5 pp. 27 X 29 cm. Hard covered, loose leaf binder. $27.50.
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THE folio is an impressive compendium of some 15,000 items of the objective, multiple response type. The test queb tiann cover the entire spectrum of the h i e logical and physical sciences a t the level of which these sciences are taught in freshmen and sophomore courses for general eduoation. The questions have been selected largely from comprehensive eraminations given a t such schools as the University of Chieago, the Chicago City Junior College, Dartmouth College, Antioch College, the University of Michigan and the University of Florida. The work is divided into two major sections, the hiologicd and the physical seieuees. The biological science is further subdivided into 31 content areas, and the physical soiencos (including mathematics) into 29. The areas are more or less distinct, with a few clearly labelled overlapping fields and three subsections on methodology and history of science. More interesting and significant is the attempt to classify the test items within each area, according to a hierarchy of the "type of knowledge" or "level of attainment," which the questions are designed to test. The hierarchy is the one d e veloped by a Committee of College and University Examiners, published as the Tmonomy of Edz~catimalObjectives, under the editorship of Dr. Benjamin S. Bloom. (Longmans Green & Co., 1954). The main categories are: Knowlege, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synt,hesis, and Evaluation. The folio coutains a concise discussion of the rationale of the Taxonomy and a dear explanation of possible ways of using the test items. The editors of the folio have evidently devoted a great deal of time snd thought in selecting the items and classifying them. One may or may not agree with the taxonomy and its implications, or with the classification of individual items. For
example, the reviewer does not agree with the implied assumption that d l the main categories are equally important or that they should be represented by an equal number of items in the examinstion. This position is confirmed by the fact that most of the items selected are of the first category, fewer of the second and third, and very few of the last three or "higher" categories. Nor is the explanation that we have not yet learned how to test the higher mental processes a sufficient reason for the disproportionate distribution. Neverthelesfi the a t t e m ~ tis of value in calling attention to the fact that the purpose of science instruction is more than merely teaching subject matter. The folio will be of direct use to college examiners, and to persons teaching Fenera1 education courses. I t should be of considerable value to other teachers of elementary science courses, in suggesting various ways of writing questions. Unfortunately, the number of questions for any one science is relatively small, and rather inappropriate for advanced college courses. I t would have been better if the folio had been published in two separate volumes, one for the biological and one for the physical soiences. Even so, the folios would be more appropriate as a reference work for an entire science department, rather than for individual teachers. THEODORE A. ASHFORD
ST. LOU^ UNLVERBITY ST.L O O ~ B M. ~ S ~ O D R I
THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC MEDICINAL PRODUCTS
G. L. Jenkins, Dean of the School of Pharmacy, Purdue University; Walter H. Hortung, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Medical College of Virginia; Kenneth E. Hamlin, Jr., Assistant Director of Chemical Research, Abbott Laboratories; and John B. Data, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Purdue University. Fourth edition. John Wiley & Sona, Inc., New York, 1957. x 569 pp. 62 tables. 16.5 X 2 4 cm. $10.75.
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OF THE third edition of this hook, s. reviewer mote, "Its value as an authoritative reference work is out of all proportion t o its size." Unfortunately, in the new fourth edition, the authors have sacrificed strength as a reference for the sake of brevity and emphasis on recent advances. The new edition contains 569 pages, in eontctst t o 745 pages in the third edition. This condensation has been achieved by omitting the elementary organic chemistry previously included, and the references a t the ends of chapters ss well as the valuable General Bibliography included in the third edition. Also most of the tables of physical constants of various classes of organic compounds have been removed. Althoueh the deletion of the tables and bibliomnnhv wa4 nrobablv ~= , essential to achieve the desired limitation in size, these were an important part of the use of the third edition as a reference book,
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The readability of the book has undoubtedly been improved by the careful editing of nonessential organic chemistry from each chapter. Although the same number of chapters, 16, hits been retained, the chapter on Nataral Mixtures, which included fats, oil, gums, resins, balsams, rtnd enaymes, has been omitted in the fourth edition, and a new chapter on Antibiotics added. Previously a section on antibiotics had been included in the chapter on amines and amine derivatives. The new chapter illustrates the great advances made in the field of antibiotics since the third edition appeared in 1949. The third edition mentioned thirty different antibiotics, and the new fourth edition describes twenty-two (earbomyein is described twice, once ss being produced by deep fermentation of streptomyces halstedii on page 495, and once by actinomyces on page 501). I t is significant that only six antibiotics, streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, the penicillins, bacitracin, tyrothryein, and tyroeidine, are mentioned in both editions. Therefore 24 antibiotics worth describing in 1949 have been dropped and 16 new ones have taken their place. Among these are the important group of tetracyclines, erythromycin, and ehloramphenical. Meny other new advances in medicinal chemistry such as the trsnquilirers and oral ininsulin-like compounds, have been included. The chapter on organometallic compounds has been altered to include chelate compounds and silicones. Greater emphasis has been given to the mechanism of drug actions, and the relationship b e tween molecular structure and physiological action. The revised edition is now pointed more toward the trained medicinal chemist, rather than the beginner. This edition assumes a stronger background in organic chemistry, and can no longer be considered as a basic text in organic chemistry for the pharmaceutical chemist. I t is rather an advanced monograph. The revised edition should be on the shelf of every student of mcdioinal chemistry, but if he owns an earlier edition, he would be wise to keep it also as a reference. E. CAhlPAIGNE
Imnr~a*UmV~nsrTr BL.OOY~NCTON. INDIAN*
ENZYME, ANTIGEN, AND VIRUS
Sir Macfarlane
Burnet Cambridge University Press, New York, 1957. viii 193 pp. 1 3 X 19 cm. $3.50.
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ONE of the mare prolific of scientific writers, F. M. Burnet, presents in "Enzyme, Antigen, and Virus" a most excellent review of recent fundamental developments in the areas of induced enzyme synthesis, antibody formiltion, and virus multiplication. As is not surprising, the hook is strongest in the two areas with which the author has been directly concernec-ctntibodies and viruses. One cannot fail to admire the scope of the author's grasp of the literature and the fact that in each area he shows not only the breadth that comes
(Continued on page A176) JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
