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Dictionary of microbiology
processes involved: each stage is discussed in detail, with copious and up-to-date references, from a critical standpoint, drawing attention to all the difficulties and indicating how, and to what extent, they can be overcome. The author stresses the key importance of the nature of the polymeric support, something too often overlooked. The basic principles of the method and its automation are also discussed critically and helpfully. The final chapter deals with the applicability of the method and the problems it presents concerning the purification and homogeneity of the product. Everyone engaged in, or thinking of embarking on, peptide synthesis by this method will profit greatly from reading this book. It is a pity that the English is so difficult to follow and sometimes very obscure. This is a however, highly good book, and recommended. H. N. Rydon
Thin-layer Chromatography, 2nd edition byJustus Kirchner. Pp. 1137. John Wiley,
Chichester.
1978.
E42.50
($84.00).
The technique of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) has been responsible for the generation of a large number of research publications in the last twenty-five years. This book is essentially a distillation of the contents of those publications, and is an updated version of the first edition, which is now twelve years old. Some 6000 references are cited from an estimated 15000 to 20000, with thorough coverage of the literature to 1975, and partial coverage to 1977. The bare bones from the references are filled out from the author’s own experience on the many occasions where this is relevant. The first third of the book is devoted to a section dealing with the techniques of TLC, and gives a wealth of practical detail. The remainder gives examples of applications of TLC, sub-divided into chapters dealing with particular types of compound. There are numerous examples, tables of data, and clear illustrations. There is a good subject index, which nevertheless has its omissions, a separate compound index, but no author index in the interests of space. The type is clear, with only a few errors, and the book is a convenient size to handle. All in all it is a commendable production, and to be recommended as a reference book, probably for departmental libraries rather than individuals in view of the price. J. P Leppard
Isotopes in Organic Chemistry, Vol. 4, Tritium in Organic Chemistry by E. Buncel and C. C. Lee. Pp. 299. Elsevier, 1978. $66.75 (D fl. 150.00).
Amsterdam.
This book would more correctly by titled ‘Some Aspects of Tritium in Organic Chemistry’; it contains four chapters on specialized topics, all by active workers in the fields concerned. A chapter (49 pages, 65 references) by J. A. Elvidge, J. R. Jones, V.M.A. Chambers, and E. A. Evans presents a timely and authoritative account of ‘Tritium nuclear resonance spectroscopy’, by the pioneers in the field.
Those contemplating use of the technique could not hope for a better guide. W. J. Spillane offers a thorough survey (34 pages, 54 references) of‘The use of tritium and deuterium in photochemical electrophilic aromatic substitution’. This very good account shows that few firm generalizations can yet be made. The chapter (94 pages, 292 references) by Y-N. Chang deals with ‘Reactions of energetic tritium atoms with organic compounds’, and the quality of the author’s commentary makes it a creative and stimulating over-view of the field. The last chapter (118 pages, 623 references’) by D. W. Young, reviews ‘Specific synthesis of tritium labelled organic compounds using chemical and biological methods’. It is so well ordered and well written that it is a pleasure to read, while dealing with a vast amount of information. It should serve for some years as the standard reference work. The editors and authors are to be congratulated on the high quality of this volume. C. Eaborn
A. R. Katritzky
Dictionary of Microbiology by Paul Singleton andDiana Sainsbury. Pp, 481. John Wiley, Chichester. 19 78. f 17.50.
Climatic
Compiling a dictionary of any description must be a pretty daunting undertaking. When the subject is one which ramifies into many different fields, the task becomes formidable indeed. To have produced a dictionary of Microbiology at all, then, is a considerable achievement; to have produced one as good as Singleton and Sainsbury’s is a minor triumph. Microbiology is a subject which infiltrates many disciplines. This dictionary fully acknowledges the fact by methodically covering microbiological aspects of biochemistry, immunology, genetics, medicine, veterinary science, and plant pathology. Definitions are clear, concise, and accurate with extensive, helpful cross-references. The alphabetical listing includes common phrases and abbreviations, but etymological derivations are lacking-an omission which some will regret. Key topics are accorded and extended treatment, neatly summarizing current knowledge. As an added bonus, a 25. page appendix clearly sets out some of the common microbial metabolic pathways. My only serious complaint about the dictionary is that it is not as up-to-date as might be expected from the 1978 publication date. It is surprising, for example, to find carbenicillin the most recent penicillin to be mentioned, and cephaloridine the latest cephalosporin. Furthermore, while it is right to resist the temptation to include the latest fashionable jargon, some obviously important recent developments (eg, transposons, rota viruses. Legionaire’s Disease) might reasonably have found a place in this otherwise excellent David
Greenwood
Chemistry of 1,2,3-Triazines and 1,2, 4-Triazines, Tetrazines and Pentazines by H. Neunhoeffer andP. F. Wiley. Pp. 1335. John Wiley, Chichester. 19 78.
E60.00 ($120.00). The
following
classes of
heterocycle
reviewed: I, 2, 3-triazines (188 pp); I, 2, 4triazines (884 pp); I, 2, 4, 5-tetrazines (112 pp); and I, 2, 3,4 and 1, 2, 3, 5, tetrazines and pentazines (I6 pp). This comprises all the known six-membered rings containing more than two nitrogen atoms, except for I, 3, 5triazines. The book surveys the whole literature Chemical Abstracts 1974 and through attempts to list in Tables all the compounds discovered up to that date, including fully and partially reduced and condensed systems. There is a very detailed contents (25 pp) which together with the index makes location of any particular compound type quite easy, especially as a logical sequence has been used. This clearly has been an immense undertaking and it appears to have been done carefully and conscientiously, with a few typographical or other errors. The chemical discussion is critical and of high standard. All heterocyclic chemists will be grateful to the authors for providing this guide to the triazine and tetrazine literature: it will undoubtedly be of great assistance to workers in these fields.
are
Crispin Oxford.
Change and World
Affairs
Tickell. Pp. iii t 78. Pergamon 19 78. Hardback f4.40.
bv Press,
The impact of climatic change on society has received considerable publicity in recent years and interest in this topic must increase as the Earth’s resources become harder pressed and as Mankind realizes its potential for altering climate, be it inadvertently or deliberately. In this short book the author reviews current knowledge concerning climate and the causes ofclimatic change; outlines the implications for society: and suggests a number of courses of remedial action. In attempting to summarise such a vast area of study, the author inevitably must encounter criticism from specialists in the fields covered. This reviewer found the first section, on the nature and causes of climatic change, lacking in breadth and at times incorrect in detail. The overall conclusion, that current knowledge is severely limited, is however accurate and wellmade. The second section adequately describes the range of problems that society may face as climate changes, and highlights the difficult problems that may well arise if a nation is asked to forsake short-term benefit for the wellbeing of other nations. In suggesting possible courses of remedial action, the author appears to place a naive faith in the efficacy of international agencies and agreements. The problems of reaching any agreement. which may be one-sided in terms of immediate benefits and hampered by a lack of scientific consensus, are mentioned but unfortunately not expanded upon. These specific criticisms are not intended to detract from the value of the book as a whole. It is well-written and stimulating, and the criticisms stem largely from the author’s possibly misguided attempt to limit the length of the book. It cannot compare with more lengthy texts published on this topic in recent years, but it does provide a valuable introduction to this important topic. P. M. Kelly
133
Thin-layer Chromatography, 2nd edition byJustus Kirchner. Pp. 1137. John Wiley,
Chichester.
1978.
E42.50
($84.00).
The technique of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) has been responsible for the generation of a large number of research publications in the last twenty-five years. This book is essentially a distillation of the contents of those publications, and is an updated version of the first edition, which is now twelve years old. Some 6000 references are cited from an estimated 15000 to 20000, with thorough coverage of the literature to 1975, and partial coverage to 1977. The bare bones from the references are filled out from the author’s own experience on the many occasions where this is relevant. The first third of the book is devoted to a section dealing with the techniques of TLC, and gives a wealth of practical detail. The remainder gives examples of applications of TLC, sub-divided into chapters dealing with particular types of compound. There are numerous examples, tables of data, and clear illustrations. There is a good subject index, which nevertheless has its omissions, a separate compound index, but no author index in the interests of space. The type is clear, with only a few errors, and the book is a convenient size to handle. All in all it is a commendable production, and to be recommended as a reference book, probably for departmental libraries rather than individuals in view of the price. J. P Leppard
Isotopes in Organic Chemistry, Vol. 4, Tritium in Organic Chemistry by E. Buncel and C. C. Lee. Pp. 299. Elsevier, 1978. $66.75 (D fl. 150.00).
Amsterdam.
This book would more correctly by titled ‘Some Aspects of Tritium in Organic Chemistry’; it contains four chapters on specialized topics, all by active workers in the fields concerned. A chapter (49 pages, 65 references) by J. A. Elvidge, J. R. Jones, V.M.A. Chambers, and E. A. Evans presents a timely and authoritative account of ‘Tritium nuclear resonance spectroscopy’, by the pioneers in the field.
Those contemplating use of the technique could not hope for a better guide. W. J. Spillane offers a thorough survey (34 pages, 54 references) of‘The use of tritium and deuterium in photochemical electrophilic aromatic substitution’. This very good account shows that few firm generalizations can yet be made. The chapter (94 pages, 292 references) by Y-N. Chang deals with ‘Reactions of energetic tritium atoms with organic compounds’, and the quality of the author’s commentary makes it a creative and stimulating over-view of the field. The last chapter (118 pages, 623 references’) by D. W. Young, reviews ‘Specific synthesis of tritium labelled organic compounds using chemical and biological methods’. It is so well ordered and well written that it is a pleasure to read, while dealing with a vast amount of information. It should serve for some years as the standard reference work. The editors and authors are to be congratulated on the high quality of this volume. C. Eaborn
A. R. Katritzky
Dictionary of Microbiology by Paul Singleton andDiana Sainsbury. Pp, 481. John Wiley, Chichester. 19 78. f 17.50.
Climatic
Compiling a dictionary of any description must be a pretty daunting undertaking. When the subject is one which ramifies into many different fields, the task becomes formidable indeed. To have produced a dictionary of Microbiology at all, then, is a considerable achievement; to have produced one as good as Singleton and Sainsbury’s is a minor triumph. Microbiology is a subject which infiltrates many disciplines. This dictionary fully acknowledges the fact by methodically covering microbiological aspects of biochemistry, immunology, genetics, medicine, veterinary science, and plant pathology. Definitions are clear, concise, and accurate with extensive, helpful cross-references. The alphabetical listing includes common phrases and abbreviations, but etymological derivations are lacking-an omission which some will regret. Key topics are accorded and extended treatment, neatly summarizing current knowledge. As an added bonus, a 25. page appendix clearly sets out some of the common microbial metabolic pathways. My only serious complaint about the dictionary is that it is not as up-to-date as might be expected from the 1978 publication date. It is surprising, for example, to find carbenicillin the most recent penicillin to be mentioned, and cephaloridine the latest cephalosporin. Furthermore, while it is right to resist the temptation to include the latest fashionable jargon, some obviously important recent developments (eg, transposons, rota viruses. Legionaire’s Disease) might reasonably have found a place in this otherwise excellent David
Greenwood
Chemistry of 1,2,3-Triazines and 1,2, 4-Triazines, Tetrazines and Pentazines by H. Neunhoeffer andP. F. Wiley. Pp. 1335. John Wiley, Chichester. 19 78.
E60.00 ($120.00). The
following
classes of
heterocycle
reviewed: I, 2, 3-triazines (188 pp); I, 2, 4triazines (884 pp); I, 2, 4, 5-tetrazines (112 pp); and I, 2, 3,4 and 1, 2, 3, 5, tetrazines and pentazines (I6 pp). This comprises all the known six-membered rings containing more than two nitrogen atoms, except for I, 3, 5triazines. The book surveys the whole literature Chemical Abstracts 1974 and through attempts to list in Tables all the compounds discovered up to that date, including fully and partially reduced and condensed systems. There is a very detailed contents (25 pp) which together with the index makes location of any particular compound type quite easy, especially as a logical sequence has been used. This clearly has been an immense undertaking and it appears to have been done carefully and conscientiously, with a few typographical or other errors. The chemical discussion is critical and of high standard. All heterocyclic chemists will be grateful to the authors for providing this guide to the triazine and tetrazine literature: it will undoubtedly be of great assistance to workers in these fields.
are
Crispin Oxford.
Change and World
Affairs
Tickell. Pp. iii t 78. Pergamon 19 78. Hardback f4.40.
bv Press,
The impact of climatic change on society has received considerable publicity in recent years and interest in this topic must increase as the Earth’s resources become harder pressed and as Mankind realizes its potential for altering climate, be it inadvertently or deliberately. In this short book the author reviews current knowledge concerning climate and the causes ofclimatic change; outlines the implications for society: and suggests a number of courses of remedial action. In attempting to summarise such a vast area of study, the author inevitably must encounter criticism from specialists in the fields covered. This reviewer found the first section, on the nature and causes of climatic change, lacking in breadth and at times incorrect in detail. The overall conclusion, that current knowledge is severely limited, is however accurate and wellmade. The second section adequately describes the range of problems that society may face as climate changes, and highlights the difficult problems that may well arise if a nation is asked to forsake short-term benefit for the wellbeing of other nations. In suggesting possible courses of remedial action, the author appears to place a naive faith in the efficacy of international agencies and agreements. The problems of reaching any agreement. which may be one-sided in terms of immediate benefits and hampered by a lack of scientific consensus, are mentioned but unfortunately not expanded upon. These specific criticisms are not intended to detract from the value of the book as a whole. It is well-written and stimulating, and the criticisms stem largely from the author’s possibly misguided attempt to limit the length of the book. It cannot compare with more lengthy texts published on this topic in recent years, but it does provide a valuable introduction to this important topic. P. M. Kelly
133