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BOOK REVIEWS known compounds today could be so handled. The eritioal question is this-as the system is extended (as i t certainly should be), which increases the faster, the classes and fractions of known compounds which can be handled, or the "ambiguities," the "exceptions," the "special procedures" and "devices" which must he added to the algorithm? F. A. LANDEE The D m Chemical Cmnpany Midland, Michigan
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Searching the Chemical Litamlure
Edited by Robert F. GmM, American Chemical Society Applied Publications Advances in Chemistry Series, No. 30. ACS, Washington, D. C., 1961. vi 326 pp. Fim. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $6.50.
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The American Chemical Society published the first edition of this book in 1951 as Advances in Chemistry Series No. 4. It contained about 20 articles selected from the 1947 and 1950 symposia. of the Divisions of Chemical Education and Chemical Literature. Four printings failed to satisfy the demand for the guide so T. E. R. Singer scheduled a 1956 symposium to promote the revision now available. This new edition contains almost all of the articles in the earlier volume with additions and changes t o make a wellbalanced, up-to-date group of 31 papers covering sources and techniques of chemical lihrary research. The chapters vary in length from three to 27 pages and contain bibliographies totaling over 800 citations, all brought doto 1960-61. The subjects included are searching techniques, patents, indexes, nomenclature, abstracts, German and Russian literature, reporta and their preparation, older and less familiar periodicals, medicinal chemistry, abbreviations, theses and doctoral diseertationa, house organs, trademarks, government documents, and mechanioal searching. The last four articles are devoted to outstanding libraries-The Chemists' Club, New York Public, KresgeHooker, and John Crerar-their holdings and services. Uniformly high quality and reliability of these papers are assured by the standing of the approximately 40 specialists who m o t e them, from E. J. Crane, requiring no introduction, to Julim F. Smith, the veteran bibliographer a t e m in many languages. Thi. timely survey of techniques, toole, and sources deserves a place in every library fostering chemical research. In addition many of the articles can he used for assignment in chemical literature courses and schools of library science. Everyone interested in promoting the advance of chemistry will find this revision full of helpful material. BYRON A. SOULE University of Michigan Ann Arbor
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Journol of Chemical Education
