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Immunoglubulins: Cell bound receptors and humoral antibodies
Book Reviews
525
Immunoglobulins: Cell B o r e d Receptors and Humoral Antibodies Vol 26, FEBS Proceedings of the Eighth Meeting, Amsterdam, 1972--Edited by R E Balheux et al Elsevter, New York 1973 104 p p , $7 75 Rapid developments m immunology over the last decade have yielded a plethora of new books The present volume ~s attractive both for its informative content and its brevity It should be parhcularly useful for the biochemist or biologist who wants a clear and economical discussion of current major topics m Immunology without wading through voluminous reports of proceedings of various conferences and symposm In 100 pages, it brings together seven arUcles by leading workers on slgmficant problems Each paper summanzes an area without confining itself narrowly to the work of one laboratory and, yet, avoids the comprehensiveness of the typical review article Topics are well chosen to cover the more dynamic molecular and cellular problems lymphocyte activation and dlfferentmtlon (Keunmg, Greaves, and Melchers), genetics of antibody diversity (Hdschmann et al ), lmmunoglobuhn structure and combining sites (Haber and Cathou, Glvol et al) and antigen structure (Sela)
Perhaps one price that must be paid for the welcome economy of the text is that it may convey an exaggerated sense of order and clarity in areas where the fascination for most immunologists is stdl generated by considerable controversy and puzzlement However, this book does provide a clear entre to the world of immunology for a reasonably sophisticated audience of non-immunologists-and those who cross the threshold wdl discover soon enough the intriguing confusions of T and B cell heterogeneity and of the genetic mechamsms that generate antibody diversity
LEON WOFSY
Department of Bacteriology and Immunology Umversny of Cahforma, Berkeley Berkeley, Ca 94720, U S A
Meehamsms in Allergy, Reagm-Medlated H y p e r s e n s l t l w t y - - E d l t e d by L G o o d f n e n d , A H Sehon and R P Orange Marcel Dekker, New York, 1973 578 pp $26 50 This book consists of the proceedings of a conference held m Montreal m October 1972 in honor of Professor Bram Rose The papers have been somewhat revised after the conference and are printed without the discussion that followed their presentahon One third of the papers consisted of reviews of the Immunology and pharmacology of immediate hypersensitivity reactions Stanworth's paper on "The Role of the Antibody in Immediate Hypersensmvlty Reactions" was a high point of the conference and an excellent summary of the current state of knowledge of the subject The papers by Osier, Uvnas, and Schlld are also excellent reviews Another third of the papers presented substantial amounts of data that was new and at that time unpublished The papers by Tada, Okumura and Tamguchl, Ishlzaka and Klshlmoto and by T Ishlzaka and K Ishlzaka are all much more clearly and understandably presented m the symposmm than m the original research articles The remaining third of the papers are summaries of old data, most of which Is pubhshed elsewhere
The symposmm was one of the most successful ever held in the field of allergy and th~svolume reflects its quality Over half of the papers are of excellent quahty and the information is well presented This is certainly all one could expect of a large symposmm One of the most healthy aspects of this symposium was the presentation of several points of view on various topics including minority wewpomts In these cases the discussion is sorely missed This volume was pubhshed a full year after the conference Both subject and author indexes are included The printing style using almost entirely one type size makes It difficult to separate the text from footnotes and legends on some pages DONALD R HOFFMAN
Department of Pe&atrzcs, Umverszty of Southern Cahforma School of Medzcme, Los Angeles, Ca 90033, U S A
525
Immunoglobulins: Cell B o r e d Receptors and Humoral Antibodies Vol 26, FEBS Proceedings of the Eighth Meeting, Amsterdam, 1972--Edited by R E Balheux et al Elsevter, New York 1973 104 p p , $7 75 Rapid developments m immunology over the last decade have yielded a plethora of new books The present volume ~s attractive both for its informative content and its brevity It should be parhcularly useful for the biochemist or biologist who wants a clear and economical discussion of current major topics m Immunology without wading through voluminous reports of proceedings of various conferences and symposm In 100 pages, it brings together seven arUcles by leading workers on slgmficant problems Each paper summanzes an area without confining itself narrowly to the work of one laboratory and, yet, avoids the comprehensiveness of the typical review article Topics are well chosen to cover the more dynamic molecular and cellular problems lymphocyte activation and dlfferentmtlon (Keunmg, Greaves, and Melchers), genetics of antibody diversity (Hdschmann et al ), lmmunoglobuhn structure and combining sites (Haber and Cathou, Glvol et al) and antigen structure (Sela)
Perhaps one price that must be paid for the welcome economy of the text is that it may convey an exaggerated sense of order and clarity in areas where the fascination for most immunologists is stdl generated by considerable controversy and puzzlement However, this book does provide a clear entre to the world of immunology for a reasonably sophisticated audience of non-immunologists-and those who cross the threshold wdl discover soon enough the intriguing confusions of T and B cell heterogeneity and of the genetic mechamsms that generate antibody diversity
LEON WOFSY
Department of Bacteriology and Immunology Umversny of Cahforma, Berkeley Berkeley, Ca 94720, U S A
Meehamsms in Allergy, Reagm-Medlated H y p e r s e n s l t l w t y - - E d l t e d by L G o o d f n e n d , A H Sehon and R P Orange Marcel Dekker, New York, 1973 578 pp $26 50 This book consists of the proceedings of a conference held m Montreal m October 1972 in honor of Professor Bram Rose The papers have been somewhat revised after the conference and are printed without the discussion that followed their presentahon One third of the papers consisted of reviews of the Immunology and pharmacology of immediate hypersensitivity reactions Stanworth's paper on "The Role of the Antibody in Immediate Hypersensmvlty Reactions" was a high point of the conference and an excellent summary of the current state of knowledge of the subject The papers by Osier, Uvnas, and Schlld are also excellent reviews Another third of the papers presented substantial amounts of data that was new and at that time unpublished The papers by Tada, Okumura and Tamguchl, Ishlzaka and Klshlmoto and by T Ishlzaka and K Ishlzaka are all much more clearly and understandably presented m the symposmm than m the original research articles The remaining third of the papers are summaries of old data, most of which Is pubhshed elsewhere
The symposmm was one of the most successful ever held in the field of allergy and th~svolume reflects its quality Over half of the papers are of excellent quahty and the information is well presented This is certainly all one could expect of a large symposmm One of the most healthy aspects of this symposium was the presentation of several points of view on various topics including minority wewpomts In these cases the discussion is sorely missed This volume was pubhshed a full year after the conference Both subject and author indexes are included The printing style using almost entirely one type size makes It difficult to separate the text from footnotes and legends on some pages DONALD R HOFFMAN
Department of Pe&atrzcs, Umverszty of Southern Cahforma School of Medzcme, Los Angeles, Ca 90033, U S A