ing experts and their articles have been written clemly and accurately. The list of references appended to each is both extensive and representative. In this connection, the volume ie oriented more to the teacher who wishes to keep abreast of many fields than it is to even the most sophisticated student. Even for the graduate student, s considerably wide background must he presumed for full a p preeiation of the various topics. I t is expected that this volume, as is true of its predecessor, will find its use as ready reference, first as an upto-date survey of a particular field, and, second as a beginning point for a. more extensive literature search. I t is therefore with considerable pleasure that this reviewer noted that theory as well as experimental subjects has been treated extensively. The range and breadth of topics from X-ray to i n f m red, atomic and molecular spectra, and "pure" theory to such specifics a s protein spectra, is refreshing a t a time when reseemher, teecher and student alike, finds himself almost overwhelmed by the vast volume of published data. A volume such a s this fulfills a great need by providing the earnest reader with s. single series by which he may conveniently keep up to date with the burgeoning fields of spectroscopy. Small discomfitures could he found, such as the difficulty in locating a specific tonic or the lack of uniformitv in referencing (the 20 page hihiiography compiled by Vedder and Hornig is probably the most useful to the overall purpose of the series). But such discomfitures are minor compared to the timeliness, authoritativeness, and extensiveness of the work. We look forward to a promised third volume which will "complete a survey of other established fields (of spectroscopy), and. . .include a few of the very recent developments."
Scientists: Their Psychological World Most of the hook deals with solid compwmds, hut thrir behavior in r x t r r is u d l covered. Thr more important s u h e t ~ t ~ ~ t ~ sBernice T. Eidusn, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Bssic are treated under the headirrps d iorrnaBooks, Inc., New York, 1962. 266 pp. tian, physical properties and chemical Tables. 15.5 X 21 em. $6.50. properties. Special points are not neglected. Among these the following illusDr. Eiduson presents an extensive and trations are given: luminescence of intensive study of forty distinguished reselected com~ounds: , ohotoconductivitv search scientists (including two Nobel of gypsum; detection and determination Prize winners) who have positions at far of calcium isotopes. west academic institutions and whose The Contents pages are arranged in fields of study include physics, earth parallel columns, one in German and the sciences, chemistry, and biological other in English. An added convenience sciences. The scientists are diverse with is the placing of English titles on the respect to age, sacio-economic background, margins of the text. The literature was and parental occupation. carefully covered to the close of 1949, and The methods employed by the author used to give thoroughdocumentation to the primarily involved interview and promaterial. Some sections were supported jective tests. The results and interpretaby referencea as late as 1959. The tables tions are organized into five main sections, of information far outnumber the 133 and within each section, Dr. Eiduson figures. The organization, scope and attempted to determine what findings, if character of this book make it an invaluany, were common to the members of the able addition to this most important group and what interesting finding may he reference work, p?rticularly as s, quick unique to a particular scientist. source of informttt~onand ss a lead to the The persaal histo~y. Four charimportant primary sources. acteristics are especially emphasized. First, JOHN W. C ~ M as children, the scientists somewhat lacked close relationships, especially with College of Woosler respect to their fathers. Second, a t some Wooster, Ohio period in the child's life, he experienced idation. This yielded, according to Dr. Eiduson, a. looking inward for resources and amusement. Third, the superior intellectud ability of the scientist was Gmelinr Handbuch der Anorganirchen observed at an early age. Fourth, the Chemie, 8. Auflage, System-Nummer scientists did not indicate that one factor, 52, Chromium. Part A, Section 1 such as a stimulating teacher or a chemistry set, was influential in developEdited by the Gmelin Institute under ing their scientific interest. the direction of E. H. E. Pietsch. VerAdult persmality stmture. The lag Chemie, GMRH, Weinheim, Bergemotional life of the scientists is heavily 418 no. Fies. strasse. 1962. xx invested in intellectual pursuits. In conand tables. 18 X ' 25.5 &. Cldih junction with this tendency, the men have hound, $79. developed habits of adjustment which do Most of this hook (284 pages) deals with not permit extreme emotional iinvolveELUS R. LIPPINCOW the history, occurrence and technology of ment outside of their work. Anxieties that chromium. After a short (5 pages) section U&mity of Maryland do exist are not general, hut related to on the history, the part on occurrence is College Park specilic m a s of interest. In addition, the given under the followingheads: extraterscientists %re highly sensitive, especially restrial occurrence, geochemistry, ecoto fine eensory discriminations and to nomic denosits.. and minerels. The techGmelins Handbuch der Anorganischen their own motivations. n o l o p part dents with ore drrseing, rre:ttChemia, 8. Auflage, System-Nummer Styles of thinking. Dr. Eiduson'a group mmt of ilromit*, produvtion of chromium. 28, Calcium. Part B, Section 3 is most homogeneous in this area. The manufscture of inorganic chromium commen tend to recombine concepts and Edited by the Gmelin Institute under pounds, manufscture of inorganic chroobtain what is important from their the direction of E. H. E. Pielseh. Vermium dyes, and industrial hazards. This environment in a highly selective manner. lag Chemie, GMBH, Weinheim, Bergis followed hv a ten-nase . - section on toxThe theoreticians, referred to ss the 912 pp. Figs. strasse, 1961. lxii icity. aristocrats of science hy the scientists, are and tables. 18 X 25.5 cm. Cloth Only the beginning of the discussion of not different from the experimentalists in bound. $142. the element, chromium, itself is included terms of perceptusl-cognitive processes. in this current volume. This includes The selfimage as members of the scientific This volume is Part B, Section 3, of the nine pages on the formation and preparacommunity. The scientists identify with revised Gmelin treatment of calcium. tion of the element, and 125 pages on its great discoverers. One reason for the 35. A614 (1958). It See THIS JOURNAL, physical properties. The latter include, persistence of this view is that each disconcludes the discussion of calcium comamong others, the crystaIlagraphic, mecovery, no matter how small, contributes pounds begun in Section 2, and treats chanical, thermal, optical, spectral and to scientific development. A second those substances composed of calcium and magnetic properties. reason is that great discoveries, in retrothe following: sulfur, selenium, tellurium, As with other recent volumes of this spect, appear simple and each ecientist boron, silicon, phosphorus, arsenic, and work, the Contents are given in parallel feels the great discovery is within his bismuth, and their oxygen-containing German and English columns, and English comnounds. Those treated most extenWmP. titles are used in the margins of the text. Dr. Eiduson indicates that the men of Likewise, the literature search has been her study find "happiness in pursuit!' thorough only to the end of 1949, but the Their strong drive toward their work, reviewer noticed that special portions were suggestive of compulsiveness, is exhibited cussed, as are many compounds of calcium supported by references as lste as 1959. with organic suhstances. A section on by their ability to find research time detection and determination devotes 76 JOEN W. CEITTWM despite the demands of teaching and/or pages to cslcium and 78 pages to strontium administrative duties. Similarly, the College o f Wooster and barium. scientists of Dr. Eiduson's study expressed Woosk, Ohio
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reservation with respect to a new "gentleman scientist'' who works from 9 to 5 and pursues other activities. Scientifi life style. With respect t o home life, the men lead middle-class lives and their work is virtually unknown to their family. They report the role which is most difficult is that of a parent. With respect to community life, the men generally abstain from intellectualism in the lay community. With respect to reereation, leisure activity is a. means the scientists use to rest and rebuild their mental strength. The scientists, Dr. Eiduson concludes, do not show their best part when they are away from the academio community. The general impression of the reviewer is that the book has the virtue of a simple style which weaves the individual case with the scientists as a group into a nonsystematic, hut meaningful pattern. In addition, the book has, with a few excep tions, s, minimal amount of depth interpretation, i.e., the author has not attempted t o find "dynamic factors" that are the "real cmxxs" of the scientists' hehavior. On the negative side, the major prohlems involve the method of study rather than the preaentation. There is acusional difficulty in knowing where data, stop and opinions begin. Also, the scientists likely knew they were being studied because of their scientific interests and the question of what influence this knowledge may have had upon their responses may be raised. The lack of a, control professional group with similar intellect and background makes it extremelv difficult to identifv characteristics uniquely related to scientists. I n summary, the book provides an opportunity for scientists to use their narcissistic tendencies and partake in reflective reading.
JAMES VOSS College cf Wcoste? Wooster, Ohio
Chem Sources
4th ed. Directories Publishing Co., New York, 1962. 476 pp. 23 X 28 cm. 522.50. There are 24,000 listings of chemicals, abietic acid to zymosan, with a t least one supplier identified. No further information (such as price or quality) is given, but the producer is identified in case of the rarer items. The listing is alphabetical: dichloropropane is in the D's; p-tert Butyltoluene is in the B's. Many radioisotope-labeled compounds are included. Very probably the book will be useful to those who, in the words of the preface, want to "reduce costs aasoeiated with the procurement function." College professors who bzly things probably will not want to spend $22.50 for this book. W. F. K.
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Protein Structure
chemistry" falls squarely into this select catepory. Harold A. Schwaga, Cornell University, Professor Kosower defines Molecular Ithaca, New York. Aeademie Press, Biochemistry as "a. new research area Inc., New York, 1961. xiv 305 pp. which has emerged from the application of Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 23.5 em. $8. the physical-organic approach to the prohlems in chemical transformation found in This book, the first volume in a new biochemistry." He skims the field of hiomonograph series on Molecular Biology, logically important topics to cover only is baaed on lectures delivered st the Wool those that are related to extensively Research Laboratories, Melbourne, Ausstudied chemical processes or those that tralia in 1959. The author, Harold have recently received attention from Scherwa, has contributed extensively chemically oriented investigators. The to protein chemistry. He has written an metabolism of sulfate compounds or the interesting book emphasizing areas where chemistry and stereochemistry of he is an authority. Over 50 references glycolipid reactions are not mentioned, describe his own work. The hook is not for example, presumably because physicalan exhaustive discussion of protein chemorganic techniques have not been applied istry however; i t is a coherent developsufficiently in these areas. On the other ment of several major aspects of this field. hand, Taft's work on acid catalyzed There are seven chapters. The first hydrations and the HammetkDeyrup chapter, Hydrodynamic Properties of acidity function are introduced, although Protein Solutions, is an excellent intraducit is unlikely that any biological analogy tion in which a number of references t o can ever be found for hydration in strong more rigorous discussions are included. acid solutions. Aa in a lecture series, we This chapter would be valuable as a supare presented with selected topics, grouped plement t o the usual graduate lectures. in three main sections. Thenext three chaptersindude: Internal The first section, Biochemical Patterns, St.ructure; Effect of HydrogenBonding on devotes sixty pages to the staichiametry Side-Chain Reactivity, Limited Proteolyof some significant reactions of intersis, and Denaturation. Denaturation is mediary metabolism and includes a disdefined and then discussed in relation to cussion of biasynthesis. Transformations the elastic properties of protein fibers, and cycles are summarized and different equilibrium in solution, and kinetics in reaction "types" tabulated. Kosower's solution. These chapters are then illuscomments on the relative frequency of trated through a discussion of the "types" have little significance, however, fibrinogen-fibrin conversion in Chapter V. because of the limited choice of topics. Experimental methods in Chapter VI The main part of the book, Chemical are limited to optical rotation, deuteriumPatterns, consists of a careful discussion hydrogen exchange, infrared absorption of fourteen reaction types, based partly on spectra, and ultrwiolet ahsorption spectra. those encountered in the initial review. Experimental methods are then applied Typical headings include decarboxylation, to the determination of protein structure. hydrolysis: esters and oxidation-reduction: Insulin, lysosyme, and ribonuclasse are one electron transfer. The biologicsl chosen as examples in Chapter VII. The reactions are thoroughly correlated with publication of new data on protein struesimilar chemical reactions, and many glib ture is so rapid that inform&m discussed claims made by optimistic chemists and here will have less v d u e than t,hemore genbiologists are shown to be inadequate. eral discussion of concepts and methods. The discussion is strictly in terms of reThis hook is not a substitute for the action mechanisms. Unfortunately, this many extensive monographs on protein implies that biological reactions can be chemistry which are available. For understood in terms of model systems. example, the section on optical rotation is Although the book deals exclusively with much less inclusive than a recent review enzyme catalyzed reactions, nowhere is by Urnes and Doty. Scheraga discusses the problem of enzyme specificity extenprotein structure from x broad perspective. sively discussed. His monogrs;ph has much of the clarity The last twenty pages, Physical and interest of s. good lecture course. Patterns, mention many perplexing prohThe book is vduable far teachers and lems which stem from the fact that "the should be available both in their personal most important materials nresent in biolibraries and the university library. logical systems s e t pimsriiy by virtue of DAVIDG. CORNWELL their physical properties rather than by Ohio State University takine m r t in chemical trensformatianrt." Columbus A discussion of the "act,ive site'' n m h l ~ m fills most of this section, concluding with Kosower's own solution far "mapping" the active site of a n emyme. The experiment suggested is ingenious but not as conMolecular Biochemistry clusive as he would like. Since i t requires isolation, or a t least slow formation. of a Edward M . Kosower, State University stabilized acyl-enzyme intermediate, it is of New York, Long Island Center, subject to ambiguous interpretation. Stony Brook. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Only those experiments which could 304 pp. Figs. and Inc., 1962. xii examine the enzyme-substrate complex tables. 16 X 24 em. $12.50. without disturbing the normal reaction Despite the large number of scientific sequence would truly deserve to be called books currently avaihhle, outstanding "direct." ones, those that combine critical review, I t is possible to question Kosomer,s significant correlations and new interpretations, are still rare. "Molecular Bio(Continued on page AZ18)
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