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Meteorite research
QeocNmica etCosmocNmlca Acta.1870.Vol. 34, p. 427. PergamonPress. Printed in NorthernIreland
BOOK REVIEW
PETER M. MILLMAN (editor): rosearch held in Vienna, 941 pp. $48.00.
Meteorite Research. Proceedings of a symposium on meteorite Austrie, 7-13 August, 1968. D. Reidol, Dordrccht-Holland, 1969.
I USUWY regard a book of this type (proceedings of a symposium) with mixed feelings: the volume usually contains a multitude of data and ideas, but long delays in publication frequently cause many of the included papers to become outdated and the costs of such volumes have lately escalated out of practical reach of many individual users. Metwrite Research is a notable exception in one mejor aspect; this volume appeared about nine months aftcr the actual symposiuma publication time comparing favorably with many scientific journals. In this regard the editor and the publishers are to be commended. There are 73 papers in this book and nearly every aspect of research on meteorites currently in progross is reprcsentcd, geographically with respect to investigators as well as scientifically with rospoct to typos of investigation (of the 73 papers, 4 are in Russian and 3 are in French The organization of this volume follows tho but thcsc seven papers have English abstracts). order of presentation at the symposium: Session I-Early history of meteorites (6 papers); Sessions II, III, VI, VIII, and IX-Composition and structure (36 papers); Sessions lV, V and Session VII--Orbits (7 papers). and X-Isotope studios and chronology (24 papers); Following the last paper of each session is a presentation of the comments and replies pertaining to all the papers of that session. Although the comments and replies are identified as to the papcr concerned, I would have found it more convenient if the comments had been presented immediately after their respective papers. As one might cxpoct, the quality and scope of individual papers is quite variable. The papers rango from thoso presonting now theories or analytical approaches, through those that are progross reports or rcviow papers, to those that contain a hard core of permanently useful data. One general comment that can be applied to most papers in this volume is that they lack sufficient detail to become standard reference works in the field of meteorites; this results from length restrictions (approximately 5000 words) imposed by tho organizers of the symposium. In fact, several papers do not contain much more information than is contained in the abstract. Such a situation may be useful to the active researcher in meteorites, since he is able to grasp the significance of important papers and recognize those of lesser importance without tho aid of extensive elaboration of techniques or ideas. However, to someone who is unfamiliar with meteorites in goneral or is unfamiliar with certain specialized areas of meteorite research, this volumo may be of little more use than as a source book to “who’s doing what” in meteorite research. Because of its rapid publication, this volume will probably be referred to frequently by many researchers in meteorites for the next couple of years. After that time however, those ideas methods, or data that are of durable quality will probably be available, updated and in greater detail, in subsequent journal articles and review papers. Thus, I expect that many readers will be content to refer to library copies rather than invest $48 in a book that may be of limitod use in a relatively short time. Jlepartment of Qeology Unive&ty of Kansas Laurence, Kansas 66044
W.
427
R.
VAX
SCHMUS
BOOK REVIEW
PETER M. MILLMAN (editor): rosearch held in Vienna, 941 pp. $48.00.
Meteorite Research. Proceedings of a symposium on meteorite Austrie, 7-13 August, 1968. D. Reidol, Dordrccht-Holland, 1969.
I USUWY regard a book of this type (proceedings of a symposium) with mixed feelings: the volume usually contains a multitude of data and ideas, but long delays in publication frequently cause many of the included papers to become outdated and the costs of such volumes have lately escalated out of practical reach of many individual users. Metwrite Research is a notable exception in one mejor aspect; this volume appeared about nine months aftcr the actual symposiuma publication time comparing favorably with many scientific journals. In this regard the editor and the publishers are to be commended. There are 73 papers in this book and nearly every aspect of research on meteorites currently in progross is reprcsentcd, geographically with respect to investigators as well as scientifically with rospoct to typos of investigation (of the 73 papers, 4 are in Russian and 3 are in French The organization of this volume follows tho but thcsc seven papers have English abstracts). order of presentation at the symposium: Session I-Early history of meteorites (6 papers); Sessions II, III, VI, VIII, and IX-Composition and structure (36 papers); Sessions lV, V and Session VII--Orbits (7 papers). and X-Isotope studios and chronology (24 papers); Following the last paper of each session is a presentation of the comments and replies pertaining to all the papers of that session. Although the comments and replies are identified as to the papcr concerned, I would have found it more convenient if the comments had been presented immediately after their respective papers. As one might cxpoct, the quality and scope of individual papers is quite variable. The papers rango from thoso presonting now theories or analytical approaches, through those that are progross reports or rcviow papers, to those that contain a hard core of permanently useful data. One general comment that can be applied to most papers in this volume is that they lack sufficient detail to become standard reference works in the field of meteorites; this results from length restrictions (approximately 5000 words) imposed by tho organizers of the symposium. In fact, several papers do not contain much more information than is contained in the abstract. Such a situation may be useful to the active researcher in meteorites, since he is able to grasp the significance of important papers and recognize those of lesser importance without tho aid of extensive elaboration of techniques or ideas. However, to someone who is unfamiliar with meteorites in goneral or is unfamiliar with certain specialized areas of meteorite research, this volumo may be of little more use than as a source book to “who’s doing what” in meteorite research. Because of its rapid publication, this volume will probably be referred to frequently by many researchers in meteorites for the next couple of years. After that time however, those ideas methods, or data that are of durable quality will probably be available, updated and in greater detail, in subsequent journal articles and review papers. Thus, I expect that many readers will be content to refer to library copies rather than invest $48 in a book that may be of limitod use in a relatively short time. Jlepartment of Qeology Unive&ty of Kansas Laurence, Kansas 66044
W.
427
R.
VAX
SCHMUS