apparently is not the case. To this reviewer the outstanding character of this hook is its conciseness and clarity. I t is an excellent book for the first course for the average student. I t must he stated, however, that there is little of the new or novel in its presentation or content. Perhaps it is too much t o expect that a text should attempt t o interest, to inspire, even to entertain the eager student. If one is looking for this character in a text, the book in question is not the one. I t is a. utilitarian text, and on that basis a good one. LEWIS G. BASSETT INBT~TDTE R E N B B ~ APOLTT~CHNIC ER Tnor, New Yon=
STATISTICAL MECHANICS: PRINCIPLES AND SELECTED APPLICATIONS Terrell L. Hill, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. McGraw. Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 1956. xiii 432 pp. 72 figs. 18 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 59.
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T ~ primary E aim of this book is to provide a detailed aceaunt of s selected group of recent developments in statistical mechanics. The topics, although limited, have been well chosen and in general the material does not duplicate that covered in earlier works by Fowler, Tolman, Fowler and Guggenheim, and Mayer and Mayer or in the recent book by Hirschfelder, Curtiss, and Bird. Far the chemist and physicist whose research interests require s. knowledge of the major results in the theories of cooperative phenomena, liquids, and liquid solutions during the past twenty years, Dr. Hill's hook offers a unique and comprehensive presentation of these topics. As a research reference it should be extremely valuable since the concepts discussed are fundamental to the whole modern structure of equilibrium statistical mechmics. The author has also included three hope that the volume may prove useful as a. text for a second course in statistical mechanics. However, despite the funds, mental nature of the material presented it is doubtful that this book will be extensively used as atext. I n the first plece, the brevity of some of the presentation gives rise to an extremely high density of pure formalinm. This is true in the chapters on applications as well as in the introductory m&terid. Secondly, the extensive cross referencing of equations and the involved natation which the subject matter inherently demands makes this a difficult book for even the advanced graduate student. Finally, the use of a generalized ensemble by the author will probably prove to be controversial. The subtle diiculties which arise in this case, when one tries t o use only intensive properties as independent variables, outweigh whatever didactic value this general presentation offers. While the emphasis of the hook is on the formalism there are several illuminating
and clarifying discussions, notably in Chapter I on the ensemble concept and in Chapter 6 and Appendix 9 on firsGorder phase transitions. The comprehensive discussion on fluctuation theory in Chapter 4 is also an outstanding feature of the book and would be a profitable addition to an advanced course in stati&ical mechanics. In addition, Chapter 6 contains the &st complete discussion of the theory of molecular distribution functions to appear in book form. This i~ a rather specialized topic for a course in stati&A mechanios, hut anyone who wishes to cover this subject will find this presentation very vduahle. The additional contents include the Theory of Imperfect Gases and Condensation, Nearest-Neighbor Lattice Statistics. and Lattice Theories of the Liauid and &lid States. The treatment of each subject is exhaustive from the theoretical point of view but includes a minimum of numerical crtleulations and comparisons with experiment. This is consistent with the major purpose of the book but offers an additional barrier t o its use as a text. ZEVI W. BALSBURG T"E Rrcr I N ~ T I T ~ T E HOUBTON, TEXM
RECENT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE: PHYSICS AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS Edited by Morris H. Shamon, Associate Professor of Physics, and George M. Murphy, Professor of Chemistry, both of New York University. New York University Press and dishihuted by Interscience Pub384 pp. lishers, New York, 1956: xi 172 figs. 15 X 23 cm. 57.50.
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THIShook is the outgrowth of the First Symposium on Recent Advances in Science held a t New York University in 1954. I t contains chapters on "Methods of Applied Mathematics" by Richard Courant, "The Future of Operations Research" by Philip M. Morse, "Atomic Struoture" by I. I. Rabi, "Microwave Spectroscopy" by C. H. Tomes, "Nuclear Structure and Transmutations" by H. A. Bethe, "Elementary Particles" by V. F. Weisskopf, "Electronuclear Machines" by Leland J. Haworth, "Neutron Physics" by Norman F. Ramsey, "Transistor Physics" by William Shockley, "Ferromagnetism" by R. M. Boeorth, "Cryogenics" by F. G. Brickwedde, and "Physics and the Engineer" by Edward U. Condon. This group of authorities, writing as "experts for non-experts" about the recent advances in their fields of special interest, has brought together between the covers of a single book most of the research in modern physics that has made this field so fascinating and yet so frustrating to scientists in other m a s . That they have succeeded in every instance in making the material clear to "everyone who is interested in the progress of science" is too much to expect. The average biologist is not too familiar with differential operatortors or even surface integrals. A scientist in rt closely allied field will resd much that is already familiar. Yet, on page after page
new ideas and fresh approaches to old ones will make a. careful reading of this book rewarding. It can he recommended to soientists and to students of science as one of the best collections of its kind t o appear in recent years. However, it is much too technical for a nonscientist. JOHN A. TIMM Sraa~olrsCOGZEG. Bosros. M * s s * c s a s m ~ ~ s
RADIATION BIOLOGY. VOLUME 111: VISIBLE AND NEAR-VISIBLE LIGHT Edited by Alexander Hollaender, Diredor of Biology Division. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. MoGraw-Hill Bwk Co., Inc.. New York, 1956. viii 7 6 s pp. Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 23.5 cm. 510.
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Tars is the third and final volume of th e series on radiation biology published under the sponsorship of the National Research Council. I t is not intended to be of great importance in terms of the practical effects of visible m d near-visible radiation
research scientist who is currently active in the are' which he describes. The topics included are: energy exchange in photoreactions; electronic structure and excitation of polyenes and porphyrins; generation, control, and measurement of visible and near-visihle radiant energy; energy efficiency in photosynthesis; the mechanism of photosynthesis; the absorption, action, and fluorescence spectra of photosynthetic pigments in living cells and in solutions; chlorophyll formation and accumulation in plants; nitrate reduction; phototropism; photoperiodism; seed gormination; viscosity, permeability, and protoplasmic streaming; electrical phenomena in vision; invertebrate photoreceptars; and photodynamic action and its pathological effects. The many authors have done an exceptionally fine job of compiling the varied iniormation and of discussing these complex research areas. All of the chapters are written for the scientist who is generally familiar with the fundamentals of the area discussed. The casual or the uninformed reader will gain little from this work. There are relatively few printing errors. There are some unexpected omissions. E.g., chemical actinometry is only mentioned, neither adequately described nor evaluated in Chapter 3; these omissions are justified perhaps in vicw of the limited space and the relativeimportance of the many topics eonsidored. Scicntists active in research in photosynthesis, photobiology, and other areas related to biological growth and energy will find this book s. necessary and an invaluable addition t o their libraries. Others in related areas such as photochemistry and biochemistry will discover that many of the chapters are of direct interest to them. JACK G. CALVERT
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
