442
JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION
emerges that the dog rather than t,he monkey is the better experimental animal for a ~ t u d yof t,he factors involved in human heat regulation. Owing to the variety of topics discussed and the excellent standard of the contributions. this book should ameal to a wide ranee of readers: biochemists.. nhvsioloeists . . .. ( b o t h 2 the mammalian and comparative brand), geneticists, microbiologists, and physiciann. It contains many bomtifully reproduced illustrations, hut lacks any kind of nn index.
.
THEODOR YON BRAND NATLONAL I N B ~ ~ T U OP T EHDALTH B BBTXEBDA. MARYLAXD
0
mately 900 entries in the Index of Names it is evident that only passing mention is made of many of these scientists. However, the hook does not purport to he a biographical collection. Although the develoument of instruments and of exnerimental techniques has had significant influence on the advancement of science, neither isadequately discussed. Presumably, onestudies history to understand the present and to gain an insight into the future; here, for example, to understand the relations hetneen modern science and philosophy, or the reputed conflict8 between science and philosophy, or the reputed conflicts between science and religion or ethics, or science and the arts, or to assess the impact of the natural sciences on the social sciences. The author has little to say about these matters. Perhaps, however. some of t,hem are discussed in the bibliography of about 250 reference?.
TWO EARS OF CORN, TWO BLADES OF GRASS
WALTER B. KEIGITTON S w * n ~ a a o n sCOLLE(I& Sw*nmxonm. P ~ ~ N ~ Y & " * N , *
D. H. Killeffer. D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., New York, 1955. x
+ 139 pp.
15.5 X 23.5 cm.
$4.
HEREis a hook about the wonders of modern chemistry by a distinguished suthor, editor, and chemical engineer. He shows how the scientific knowhow of chemists working through industry is able to produce the necessities of life. He skilfully portrays how man has mastered chemical synthesis, fear of famine, conquest of disease, and atomic fires, and developed new practice8 for growing foodstuffs. and technological processes which mine the sea a8 well as the good earth. He encourages us to train our sights on an ahnndnnt peaceful future based on the application of science to humsn needs, and encourages us to share out. scientific knowledge, for he feels that this, more than an,vthing else, can overcome the causes of war, depression, and humen nnfferine. I n his nrefarc he writes: "Creative abi1it.v is our most aspiration and clearly avoid the covetous thirst for possession and pomr that appear as universal causes of human conflicts and wars." Dr. Killeffer fills U8 with a confident hope of peace if people rve~ywhereuse what they know how to do well. People with good minds, however, are needed for the kind of work that develops these chemical products that mean 80 much to humaniby. H e points out that industr.~today offers opportunities to young men and women to carve out such careers. Dr. Killeffer illustrates his theme with mare than 30 halftones and anecdotes. H e himself is the holder of some 14 patents. GRETA OPPE BALLHron s o n o o ~ G ~ ~ v l ; s ~T o n~. x m
0
MAIN CURRENTS O r SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT: A HISTORY OF THE SCIENCES
S F. Moson. Abelard-Schuman, Inc., New York, 1954. viii 520 pp. 16 X 2 4 cm.
$5.
+
"SCIENCE is a human activity developing an historically cumulative body of interrelated teehuiques, empirical knowledge, and theories, referring to the natural world" (p. 488). The author exhibits the development of science, the interrelation of its techniques, knowledge, and theories. He emphasizes both the influence of scientific achievements on society and the effect of the lashions and values of a period ar society on the progress of science. Science, although root,ed in the development of craft sliills in the Bronze Aee and in the technical innovations of nub~ a n u e ncenturies. t is a. recent develooment of historv. Nevert.heforbears to rely on rational argument? rather than emotional appeals, to decide between rival viewpoints on the baais of empirical evidence. When an author attempts t o discuss the trends d soientifie thinking from prehistoric times to the present in 494 pages of text, it may be unfair to rritirise him for omissions. With approxi-
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INDUSTRIAL DETERGENCY
Edited by Wm. W. Niven, Jr., Manager. Chemical Engineering Division, Midwest Research Institute. Reinhald Publishing Corp., New Yolk, 1955. 340 pp. Illustrated. 15.5 X 23.5 em. $8.75. THE editor and sin other oontributors discuss praetied detergent problems as encountered in the following industries: Isundry, dryclesning, textile processing, food and beverage, dairy, dishwashing, and metal processing. Principles and detergent materials are also discussed, as well as industrial cleaning pmblems in general. Much of the discussion of hard water h i appeared in other reference books and might therefore have been condensed further. An excellent presentation of various types of syndet is given, with graphic representations which show a t a. glance the chemical natura of a. typical molecule of each. Correlation with commercial products is made by listing one or more of these with each chemical type. The specific detergent problem of each industry considered are discussed in more or less detail, particularly in terms of the kind of detergent needed, equipment available for its application, and the direction in which improvement might occur. Minor criticisms are of such items as Figure 3-7. This gives comparative properties including detergency, wetting power, emulsifyin8 power, corrosiveness, e t a , of caustic soda and s. numher of alkaline salts, without reference to any substrate. A hinhlv imuortant factor in detergency is the nature of the material being cleaned. How e m one that caustic soda is a better detergent than soda ash hut poorer than trisodium phosphate? What substrate is corraded? I t seems as though the author has attempted to generalize where no generalieation is possible. In Table 3-11, the column headed "Solvency" presumably refers to ability t o di~solvefats; it would he better to make the heading more specific. Original articles may he consulted for further details by use of the footnotes. The book is of particular value because of its consideration of praetiral industrial cleaning problems CORNELIA T. SNELL Fosl'sn D. SNELL. INC. NEWYORK,N. Y.
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PRINCIPLES OF EMULSION TECHNOLOGY
Poul Becher, Senior Projed Chemist, Calgate-Palmolive Com149 pany. Reinhold Publishing Cox.p., New York, 1955. ix pp. Figs. and tables. 12 X 17.5 cm. $2.95.
+
C a n ~ m the s discussion of general principles a. little beyond that of the general course, with emphasis upon practical considerations.
