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The correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol 3, 1844–1846
with sections on sampling strategy and difficult materials, make this a valuable reference book for workers in the field. A. J. Addlesee The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Vol 3, 1844-1848. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt and Sydney Smith. Pp. 523. Cambridge University Press, 1987. f30.00, US$37.50.
The splendid, immaculately-edited, scholarly edition of Darwin’s correspondence has now reached volume three, covering the years 1844-6. This was a period of intense activity for Darwin. In July 1844 he privately wrote out a version of his theory of evolution by natural selection in a short ‘Essay’ and filed it away, along with a letter to his wife Emma, giving her guidance on how to have it published if he should suddenly die. It turned out, of course, that, despite regular bouts of illness, he lived on for another 38 years. The two years covered by this volume were spent at Down, in Kent. There he stayed, save for family visits and visits to scientific meetings in London, systematically squeezing information out of dozens of correspondents information which both helped him in his immediate career as a publishing geologist, but which also fed into the more private, long-term project of developing his evolutionary theory and fortifying it with evidence. He was still a dozen years away from publishing The Origin &Species, but we can see him here, in these fascinating letters, steadily commanding geology, palaeontology, geographical distribution, botany, anatomy, and much else. Here is Darwin the complete naturalist. M. J. Bartholomew But the Crackling is Superb. Edited by N. Kurti and G. Kurti. Pp. 260. Adam Hilger, Bristol. 1988. f 12.50.
On more than one occasion, in reviewing a volume of the Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, I have remarked on the exceptional longevity of the Fellows. Now all is explained: in this lighthearted anthology Nicholas and Giana Kurti reveal that they all share a proper interest in food and drink. Relying only on contributions from Fellows and Foreign Members of the Society -past and present - and with an Introduction by the President, Sir George Porter, they have brought together just over a hundred pieces, of varying length, related to food and drink in a scientific sort of way. From the shades, Stephen Hales tells us how to ‘cure the ill taste of milk’ and the colourful Count Rumford contributes, among other items, the recipe for Rumfordsche suppe to feed the workhouse poor of Munich in the late 18th century. (In 1953 I asked the chef of a leading London hotel to prepare this soup at a luncheon for a number of scientists celebrating the bicentenary of Rumford’s birth: as I recollect, the chef was horrified and the scientists not markedly appreciative). With a fine sense of timing, in view of the recent great Salmonella controversy in Britain, 94
Richard Gardner - aided and abetted by Kurti - describes an experimental investigation of the rise of temperature within an egg as it is boiled. Miriam Rothschild records the muted pleasure of drinking (or rather eating) whale’s milk. Ending on my original note, Linus Pauling - now 88 - writes on How to Live Longer and Feel Better. A truly delightful book - ideal for the bedside - which will have further merit of persuading the outside world that Fellows of the Royal Society are human after all. Trevor I. Williams The Cambridge Atlas of Astronomy, 2nd Edn. Edited by Jean Audouze and Guy Isradl. Pp. 432. Cambridge University Press. 7988. f40.
This vast volume - it measures no less than 270 x 365 mm and weighs some 2.5 kg - may appear to be like any other coffee-table book, but prospective purchasers should not be misled. This is no mere picture-book of the heavens, outstanding though its illustrations are. It is a review of astronomy to gladden the heart not only of all amateur astronomers but many professionals as well, leave alone that host of more general readers who have a live interest in the Universe. In one sense, the book is not new. The first English edition appeared in 1985, and with its authoritative text and its magnificent coltion of photographs and coloured diagrams was widely welcomed. But astronomy never stands still and a new edition is needed, not least after the Voyager spacecraft’s close approach to Uranus and the space probes to Halley’s comet. There seems little to criticize, though perhaps the chapter headed ‘The history of astronomy’ should be retitled ‘The history of Western astronomyl in the next edition. But all said and done, this is a magnificent production. Colin Ronan Working with Animal Chromosomes, 2nd Edn. Edited by Herbert Macgregor and Jennifer Varley. Pp. 290. Wiley, Chichester. 7988. f22.50.
Five years ago the first edition of this book provided a welcomed compilation of techniques to fill a void which in a different era of chromosome cytology had been filled by C. D. Darlington’s celebrated editions of The Handling of Chromosomes. Techniques have evolved and new ones have been established, and in the second edition it is good to see further incorporation by the authors and additional contributions by acknowledged experts in their fields. The book is intended to encourage a wide usage, from school teachers to experienced research workers, and, as before, is presented in the same simple, lively, and detailed way. The practical detail included is remarkable and is well illustrated in Chapter 9 on Autoradiography with the frequent (but necessary) reminders to lock the darkroom door! Chapters begin with a broad introduction to the particular aspect of the subject and continue with work-
ing protocols which. in many cases, cover a range of both materials and methods. The information is supplemented by useful references, lists of suppliers, and an apt reminder of safety and the law. In days of still widening interest in unravelling genomes, the addition of this excellent publication to the laboratory will hopefully encourage more people to look at the carrier vehicle before and during the unravelling. E. P. Evans The Analysis of Peptides and Proteins by Mass Spectrometry. Proceedings of Fourth Texas Sympos/um on Mass Spectrometry, April 1988. Edited by C. J. McNeal. Pp. 322. Wiley, Chichester. 1988. f39.95.
The ‘camera-ready’ style has permitted the very rapid publication of papers presented at this Easter 1988 symposium, and the very latest state-of-the-art information from some of the world’s most eminent mass spectrometrists is available. Mass spectrometry is recognized as the most accurate technique for molecular weight determination of peptides and this publication gives many examples of its use to confirm the authenticity and homogeneity of natural and synthetic peptides and proteins up to 25 000 Da. One of the newly available techniques to be highlighted is Plasma Desorption coupled with Time of Flight, where the sample is desorbed from nitrocellulose film using 252Cf radiation. This non-scan system gives the increased sensitivity required when only picomoles of material are available. Many new techniques are discussed, such as ‘peptide mapping’, using a combination of enzyme hydrolysis, HPLC, and off-line mass spectrometry to determine the amino acid sequence. On-line micro bore HPLC-MS using continous FAB techniques have also been used for sequence analysis, and the use of tandem MS-MS techniques for structural analyses is discussed. Array detectors and new reflecting time of flight systems are also considered. This is a most valuable book of up-to-date information for all interested in peptide analysis. J. A. Ballantine Characterization of Proteins. Edited by Felix Franks. Pp. 567. Humana Press, Clifton, NJ and Wiley, Chichester. 7988. f65.80.
This book, based on a ‘postexperience’ course given by the authors, is aimed largely at an industrial and technological readership rather than those actively involved in academic research on protein structure and function. Its content (19 chapters contributed by 6 authors) reflects this bias, with chapters on preparative liquid chromatography and electrophoresis; large-scale isolation of proteins; processing of plant proteins; and proteins as foods. These, together with the chapter on solution properties of proteins, although excessively wordy, appear reasonably comprehensive. Regrettably, much of
The splendid, immaculately-edited, scholarly edition of Darwin’s correspondence has now reached volume three, covering the years 1844-6. This was a period of intense activity for Darwin. In July 1844 he privately wrote out a version of his theory of evolution by natural selection in a short ‘Essay’ and filed it away, along with a letter to his wife Emma, giving her guidance on how to have it published if he should suddenly die. It turned out, of course, that, despite regular bouts of illness, he lived on for another 38 years. The two years covered by this volume were spent at Down, in Kent. There he stayed, save for family visits and visits to scientific meetings in London, systematically squeezing information out of dozens of correspondents information which both helped him in his immediate career as a publishing geologist, but which also fed into the more private, long-term project of developing his evolutionary theory and fortifying it with evidence. He was still a dozen years away from publishing The Origin &Species, but we can see him here, in these fascinating letters, steadily commanding geology, palaeontology, geographical distribution, botany, anatomy, and much else. Here is Darwin the complete naturalist. M. J. Bartholomew But the Crackling is Superb. Edited by N. Kurti and G. Kurti. Pp. 260. Adam Hilger, Bristol. 1988. f 12.50.
On more than one occasion, in reviewing a volume of the Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, I have remarked on the exceptional longevity of the Fellows. Now all is explained: in this lighthearted anthology Nicholas and Giana Kurti reveal that they all share a proper interest in food and drink. Relying only on contributions from Fellows and Foreign Members of the Society -past and present - and with an Introduction by the President, Sir George Porter, they have brought together just over a hundred pieces, of varying length, related to food and drink in a scientific sort of way. From the shades, Stephen Hales tells us how to ‘cure the ill taste of milk’ and the colourful Count Rumford contributes, among other items, the recipe for Rumfordsche suppe to feed the workhouse poor of Munich in the late 18th century. (In 1953 I asked the chef of a leading London hotel to prepare this soup at a luncheon for a number of scientists celebrating the bicentenary of Rumford’s birth: as I recollect, the chef was horrified and the scientists not markedly appreciative). With a fine sense of timing, in view of the recent great Salmonella controversy in Britain, 94
Richard Gardner - aided and abetted by Kurti - describes an experimental investigation of the rise of temperature within an egg as it is boiled. Miriam Rothschild records the muted pleasure of drinking (or rather eating) whale’s milk. Ending on my original note, Linus Pauling - now 88 - writes on How to Live Longer and Feel Better. A truly delightful book - ideal for the bedside - which will have further merit of persuading the outside world that Fellows of the Royal Society are human after all. Trevor I. Williams The Cambridge Atlas of Astronomy, 2nd Edn. Edited by Jean Audouze and Guy Isradl. Pp. 432. Cambridge University Press. 7988. f40.
This vast volume - it measures no less than 270 x 365 mm and weighs some 2.5 kg - may appear to be like any other coffee-table book, but prospective purchasers should not be misled. This is no mere picture-book of the heavens, outstanding though its illustrations are. It is a review of astronomy to gladden the heart not only of all amateur astronomers but many professionals as well, leave alone that host of more general readers who have a live interest in the Universe. In one sense, the book is not new. The first English edition appeared in 1985, and with its authoritative text and its magnificent coltion of photographs and coloured diagrams was widely welcomed. But astronomy never stands still and a new edition is needed, not least after the Voyager spacecraft’s close approach to Uranus and the space probes to Halley’s comet. There seems little to criticize, though perhaps the chapter headed ‘The history of astronomy’ should be retitled ‘The history of Western astronomyl in the next edition. But all said and done, this is a magnificent production. Colin Ronan Working with Animal Chromosomes, 2nd Edn. Edited by Herbert Macgregor and Jennifer Varley. Pp. 290. Wiley, Chichester. 7988. f22.50.
Five years ago the first edition of this book provided a welcomed compilation of techniques to fill a void which in a different era of chromosome cytology had been filled by C. D. Darlington’s celebrated editions of The Handling of Chromosomes. Techniques have evolved and new ones have been established, and in the second edition it is good to see further incorporation by the authors and additional contributions by acknowledged experts in their fields. The book is intended to encourage a wide usage, from school teachers to experienced research workers, and, as before, is presented in the same simple, lively, and detailed way. The practical detail included is remarkable and is well illustrated in Chapter 9 on Autoradiography with the frequent (but necessary) reminders to lock the darkroom door! Chapters begin with a broad introduction to the particular aspect of the subject and continue with work-
ing protocols which. in many cases, cover a range of both materials and methods. The information is supplemented by useful references, lists of suppliers, and an apt reminder of safety and the law. In days of still widening interest in unravelling genomes, the addition of this excellent publication to the laboratory will hopefully encourage more people to look at the carrier vehicle before and during the unravelling. E. P. Evans The Analysis of Peptides and Proteins by Mass Spectrometry. Proceedings of Fourth Texas Sympos/um on Mass Spectrometry, April 1988. Edited by C. J. McNeal. Pp. 322. Wiley, Chichester. 1988. f39.95.
The ‘camera-ready’ style has permitted the very rapid publication of papers presented at this Easter 1988 symposium, and the very latest state-of-the-art information from some of the world’s most eminent mass spectrometrists is available. Mass spectrometry is recognized as the most accurate technique for molecular weight determination of peptides and this publication gives many examples of its use to confirm the authenticity and homogeneity of natural and synthetic peptides and proteins up to 25 000 Da. One of the newly available techniques to be highlighted is Plasma Desorption coupled with Time of Flight, where the sample is desorbed from nitrocellulose film using 252Cf radiation. This non-scan system gives the increased sensitivity required when only picomoles of material are available. Many new techniques are discussed, such as ‘peptide mapping’, using a combination of enzyme hydrolysis, HPLC, and off-line mass spectrometry to determine the amino acid sequence. On-line micro bore HPLC-MS using continous FAB techniques have also been used for sequence analysis, and the use of tandem MS-MS techniques for structural analyses is discussed. Array detectors and new reflecting time of flight systems are also considered. This is a most valuable book of up-to-date information for all interested in peptide analysis. J. A. Ballantine Characterization of Proteins. Edited by Felix Franks. Pp. 567. Humana Press, Clifton, NJ and Wiley, Chichester. 7988. f65.80.
This book, based on a ‘postexperience’ course given by the authors, is aimed largely at an industrial and technological readership rather than those actively involved in academic research on protein structure and function. Its content (19 chapters contributed by 6 authors) reflects this bias, with chapters on preparative liquid chromatography and electrophoresis; large-scale isolation of proteins; processing of plant proteins; and proteins as foods. These, together with the chapter on solution properties of proteins, although excessively wordy, appear reasonably comprehensive. Regrettably, much of