sciences. I would not hesitate to use it again
Leslie S. Forster University of Arizona
Tucson. AZ 85721
Quantum Chemistry-A Scientific Melting Pot Per-Olov Lowdin, Jean-Louis Calais, and Osvaldo Goscinski, (Editors). John Wiley a Sons, Somerset. 1978, v 423 pp. Figs. and tables. 25 X 17.5 cm. $26.50.
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This volume contains papers submitted to a symposium in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the University of Uppsala. or^ ganized by the Uppsala Quantum Chemistry Group and published as a supplement to volume XI1 of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, the symposium attracted not only quantum chemists and specialists in neighboring fields such as astronomy, molecular spectroscopy, solid state and surface physics, and quantum biology, but also a number of scientific philosophers to place the relatively infant field of quantum chemisty so valuable in our century, in perspective appropriate to the occasion. T h e thirty-four contributions to this volume leave one with the impression of a quantum chemistry symposium on a grand scale reviewing the many advances made in diverse areas in recent years, yet keeping an eye toward the future. The subject matter is roughly dichotomized into presentations of the rather specialized current applications and methods one would expect to see at a world symposium of quantum chemists, and mare introspective and speculative accounts of trends in quantum chemistry. Particularly noteworthy to teachers are the very clear a e ~ counts of interpretation in quantum theory by Bunge, KBlnay, Kanstad, Layzer, Linderberg, Woolley, and Levy-Leblond, culminating in Lawdin's well-organized comprehensive (albeit preliminary) unification of quantum and classical mechanics and thermodynamics, based on the mathematics of a trace algebra. Qualitative discussions of the predictive power of wave mechanics applied to chemical reactions by Ohno (nonempirical calculations), Fukui (reactive orbitals), Halevi and Schrieffer (potential-energy surfaces) as well as articles dealing with applications to hiological problems by Demoulin et al. (bioinorganic chemistry), MeLachlan (protein folding), Sung and Szent-Gy6rgyi (cancer theorv) will also beof interest to nonsoeciulistr. I'hc remainill: III~ r g twhnwal p.rlrer, will be berkrapprvci2,~wll~y..pe, ~ 1 1 . it n~tne various areas.
Don R. McLaughlin The University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Radiotracers in Agricultural Chemistry Michael R. L'Annunziata, Academic Press. New York. 1979. xx 536 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 15.5 cm. $62.00.
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This is a lab-oriented textbook written for the student interested in biology and agricultural chemistry. T h e book is written on a level suitable for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. The author
has made a great deal of effort to present over half of the material in such a wav that it is applicable toany student interested in almost any aspect uf the nuclear sciences. T h e hook begins with a brief and simple description of nuclear radiation, nuclear Lhenry, and the kinetics of radioisotopic decay. The second section of the book is devoted exclusively to the interaction of radiation with matter in such a way as tu describe the most common counting techniques in use today. These counting techniques include liquid scintillation counting, semiconductor devices, and solid state scintillation counting. As might be expected, the major emphasis is placed upon the use of liquid scintillation counting and appears to be quite complete. A great deal of attention is paid to the determination of efficiency factors, and the
thuse topics which are more applicable to agricultural chemistry. Specifically, the enperimental techniques d autoradhgraphy, microhial metabolism in soil, metabulisrn studies of animals, and radioisotopic dilution analysis are described. The last chapter of the hook is concerned with the isolation and separation of compounds containing radioisotopic labels. In the introduction the author states that topics such as elemental analysis using neuLmn activation analysis is not material appropriate for this book. This reviewer would argue that the well prepared agricultural student should a t least he familiar enough with the technique to know of its existence and potential application to future problems. Nevertheless, the author has done a very reasonable job in presenting a large volume of material in a manner which is hoth scientifically correct and complete. Each chapter contains a large bibliography and reference section. Almost all of the chapters have at least one experiment specifically designed for in-class use. Despite its steep price, this reviewer feels that a very worthwhile book has been presented and should, a t least, be included in most teaching~rientedscience libraries.
L. B. CHURCH Reed College Portland, OR 97202
Nucleic Acid-Metal Ion Interactions Volume I, "Metal Ions in Biology" Thomas G. Spiro. (Editor), John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1980. ix 256 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 2 3 crn $24.50.
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This first volume of the new series,"Metal Ions in Biolom," fulfills the editor's promise of readable accounts concerning new directions emerging from this active area of biochemical research. The authors and topics are well chosen to give an authoritative overview of the major advances that have been made during the past decade in the field of metal ion interactions with nueleie acids. In the lead article, Dr. Bsrnett Rosenberg presents a n entertaining and informative narrative beginning with the serendipitous discovery of the antitumor activity of cisC12(NH&Pt in his laboratory and concluding with several accounts a f t h e clinical applications of this drug, which has proved successful against a range of human cancers. This relatively short review provides an excellent (Continued on page A154)
Volume 58
Number 4
April 1 9 8 1
A153
