THE ORIGIN OF LIFE ON EARTH A. I. Oporin, Director of the A. N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry of the Academy of Science of the U. S. S. R. Translated by Ann Synge. Third edition. Academic Press Inc., New York, 1957. xviii 495 pp. 44 figs. 5 tables. I 5 X 2 3 cm. 56.80.
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I N THE extensive literature that treats concepts of the natural origins of life, Oparin's baok is t,he best known. This, the third edition, comprises more of the mast pertinent ideas bet,ween two covers than any other book. I t is necessarily mnch more definite and atheruise superior to the second edition of 1941. The author thinks chemicall~and his mitine- should interest most chemists. The chapters of the book deal sueccssively with thewies of spontaneous generation and eternit.? of life (some subtle distinctions are properly made), scientific approaches to the problem, the original formation of simple organic substances, chemical evolution of the latter, structures and functions of proteins and nucleic acids, development of multimoleenlar systems (Oparin's own specialty of coacervstes), and the origin and evolution of the first organisms. The hook contains in excess of one thousand reference8 including the many Rumisn papers which hiwe been difficult to came by in this country. The author ha8 made an heroic effort to keep abreast of a rapidly expanding field of study. Despite the increased definiteness to be found in the third edition, it is evident from the author's own ~ t a k m c n (p. t ~ 167) that his arguments have failed to provide him with a single coherent design from the many linked and unlinked possibilities. I t is indeed too mnch for an," experimentalist to exnect that such a. nicture can experiment a t each turn. \Ve can expect that, like other problems in organic chemintry, the essential correctness of any analynia will ultimately be demonstrated by successful synthesis. I t should then be possible to assess the contributory value of Operin's rather numerous presently untestable preeh&ns. The arguments of Rube?, Revelle, and others far primitive atmospheres other thsn Oparin advocates deswve s t least notice, whieh is lacking in the book. Life is mmewhat selective in it8 rofiter of carbon compounds. A fimt organism could, accordingly, arise from terrestrially micro quantities of individual substances, and yet be relatively uninfluenced hy the major composition of the total atmosphere, hydrosphere, or lithosphere, e.g., by silicon which is terrestrially, but not orgsnismically, abundant. VOLUME 35, NO. 4, APRIL, 1958
Oparin's discussion, on the other hand, treats theorigin of life as essentially a general geochemical problem, without recognizing the possibility that the prohably small amount of material in the first life could have involved special local conditions and substances. Despite such rlualifications, Opsrin's hooks have been pre-eminent in stimulating much necessarily involved thinking in this field, and in recent years the undertsking of heuristic exporimontation. His books have also served to protcct a subject matter arpa. that not everyone has always considered re8peetable. A ~ i d efrom treating one side only of fiomc topics that are controversial to specialists, the book omits little that should be found in its pages. Aesdemicinn Oparin, with the aid of translator Ann Synge, has provided an account which is fascinating history and chemistry, an integrative view of hiochemi~try from a perspective of primordial processes, and a valuable repository in outline, citation, and much detail of some of the best thinking on the problem of the origin of life on earth. SIDNEY W. POX rI,on,o* STATEUNIVERS~TC TALLAHABBBE. PLORIDI
SOLVENT EXTRACTION IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY George H. Morrison, Head, Analytical Chemistry Research Laboratories, Sylvania Electric Products, Inc., and H e n r y Freiser, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1957. 269 pp. 14.5 X 22.5 cm. $6.75.
THISbook presents the first eomprehenaive treatment of the field of solvent extract,ion. "Confronted with increasing demands for analyses that are faster, that are applicable to trace concentrations, and t.hat can be used for highly complex mixtures, chemists have turned to solvent extraction methods for satififactory achieve ment of thew ohieetives." This s t a t e ment explains the need for the exhaustive review of the literature whieh produced this hook. The book is divided into four pssts: ( I ) Principles of Solvent Extraction; (11) Apparstw and General Techniques; (111) Extraction Svstems: and (IV). Seonmtions. In part I the authbrs have defined the principles and definitions associated with solvont extraction. The metal extraction systcms are clafisified sn of the chelate or ion association type. This classification is adequate. Additional t o p
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irs rovrred here include "solubility charxrteri~tirsof chelatea," "factors influenring rhelation," "chemieal interactions in thc organic phase," and "treatment of cxtraction equilihria." The figures, formulas, and calrulations are all well presented. The appsratus and techniques descl.ih~d in Part I1 are in common usage today. Thirty extraction systems are dcsrribed in Pnrt 111. Included are halide, nitrate, heteropoly, acid, amine, aretylacetonr, oxine, dimethylglyoxime, naphthol, dithizone, and xanthate systems. Over 300 references are provided in this section. Selected extraction procedures are briefly described in Part IV for more than 60 elements. Many references are given so that the reader might expand therornewhat limited "handbook" presentation of data. There is an index by element,^ and an index by subject matter. Bath are adequate. This book rqx-esente, hasirally, a compilation of existing information otherwise widely scattered in many texts, treatises, and journals. For books of this type there will be frequent disagreement among readers over arcas of emphasis. Thus, the reviewer dislikes tho allocation of only one page to "Colorimetry and Solvent Extraction." I t also seems that greater emphasis could have been made in Pnrt IV an the quantitative methods nvailxble for the elements following extraction, or a t least on whieh extracted complexes are suitable for analysis. Nevertheless, anyone canrerned with separation techniques will find this a valusble book. JAMES M. PAPPENHAGEN KENYONC O L L E ~ E G*xnrcx. Om0
CHEMISTRY OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC RUBBERS
Harry L. Fisher, Professor of Chemical Engineaing, University of Southern California. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1957. vii 208 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. $6.50.
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As ONE might judge from tho size of thc baok, this work does not give an exhaustive and detailed treatment of its suhject. A title such as "A Survey of the Chemistry of Natural and Synthetic Rubherd' might he more suitable thsn that which i t has. I n much of his survey Dr. Fisher has adopted a ehranalogied method of presenting his material. This adds i n t w x t and a personal touch since he speaks from a firet hand knowledge of many of the discoveries in tho field of rubber chemistry over the past 40 years. I t is the reviewer's im-
