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Meteorites
00167037/84/s3.00 + al
Gnnhimicp n CatmochimicaAdlr Vol. 48, pp. 219-220 g -00 PIE Ltd. 1984. Printedin U.S.A.
BOOK REXIEWS
The book contains an excellent discussion of our pmsent knowledge of meteori- particularly the stones. Less space is given to the irons and stony irons but enough to maintain the balance and the coverage implied by the sub-title, ‘a petmlogic-chemical synthesis’. The main strength lies in the treatment of chemical and textural information on stony meteorites.Dataamelegantlymviewedandwhunthereiscontlict or inconsistency this is pointed out The book is weIlmferenced to 1979-80 and each chapter, there are ten, ends with a short list of sehcted references suitabie for further reading. I found very few errors in the text, all minor, but occasionally the hgmes and their captions am not on the same page which is disconcerting. These are small defects in an excellent book which I enjoyed and highly recommend to all involved, even remotely, in the offer thisbook as an “Intemational Student Edition” for about UsS30. At this price it is a bargain and even more strongly recommended.
Mate&as by Robert T. Dodd, Cambridge University Press, 1981, 368 p. US$69.50. ~ER~E~~~rnuch~~~~~~~~ understanding the chemical evolution of the solar system. In the late 1960s this was further stimulated by the return of samples from the lunar surface. The application of modem analytical techniques to the study of meteorites continued but at a lower key than work on the lunar samples. The analysis of these showed the moon to be a differentiated body and consequently the search for evidence relating to the early history of the solar system turned again to meteorites. It is opportune to review the progress made and to assess the signiiicance of those hypotheses dependent upon the study of meteorites Robert Dodd has worked on stony memo&es, particularly chondrites, for about eighteen years and is eminently suited to do this. He is a leading worker in the field ~~~n~~~rna~~~~~~~. The abundance of chemicaI data has been very successfully halanced with textural and mineralogical iaformation to produce a book which shot&l appeal to the spe&hst and scientitic non-spe&ist alike. It is however a research-oriented text suitable for the level of a higher undergraduate course but perhaps best used for post-graduate study. Indeed, for any student contemplating meteorite research it is mandatory nadink
Ad-
in Orgmk Ch+&aistry 19fll edited by M. Bjorny d al.. John Wiley & Sons, 1983, 846 pp., Z90.00.
Department of Mineralogy British Museum (Natural Histod Cromwell Road London SW7 SBD U.K.
A. L. Graham
among organic geochemists of different nationalities and ap. plicationai intemsta. In spite of its impressive sixc (and price) the 1981 Fro~~~~~~~~~~Of~C~ chemistry. More than any pnwious conference, the 10th Meeting heavily em&aired petroleum geo&m&y and oil exploration in the Bamnts and North !&s in particular. This
ONEOFTHE major editoria challenges in evahiating this book was to find an oganic geochemist who did not attend the Bergen meeting and, thus, could serve as a reviewer. This volume is composed of 93 msearch papers that were presented at the 10th Intemational Meeting on Grganic GeechcmiatryinBetgen.NoNvayduringScptrmberl4-18,1981. The contributions are grouped into the foiknviag sectionsz the complement of p&s &&tibuted by scientists working (a) Grganic Geochemistry in Exploration, (b) Migration of Hydmca&ons, (c) Environmental C@anic D, (d) DSDIVIPGD, (e) DiageneaisKatagenesis and the orgsaic Geochemistry of Coals and Rerogens, (f) Biomarkem, and (g) Miscellaneous. Ah articles are in English, reviewed and as are attempts to comprehensively assess the natural tiues well edited for smoothness and clarity, considering the high of organic materials using a wide va&ty of molecular tracers proportion of contributions from non-English speaking coun- (an exception is an excellent paper by Boon et aI. on cyanotries. The book is attractively bound and clearly printed in bac&al mats). Although this criticism hoIds somewhat for a twocolumn format. Fiire qua&y is mixed, to the discredit ~~rn~~a~n~~~t~t~ of some contributing authors. of the International Meeting toward petroleum topics is not As with previous Pmceedim the contributed papers treat in the best interests of the field as a whole or of the general new and significant topics with a minimum of material avail- applicability of the corresponding Pmceedings. able in other hteratum. Thus, the considerab~c lag time to publication does not cause an undue decmase in the value of the book. In the absence of a recent comprehensive review Department of Oceanography John I. Hedges of the field, the “*Advancea”series serves the important func- Un~~sity of Washington tion of fistic the exchange of new techniques and resuhs Seatt!e, WA 98195, U.S._4
219
Gnnhimicp n CatmochimicaAdlr Vol. 48, pp. 219-220 g -00 PIE Ltd. 1984. Printedin U.S.A.
BOOK REXIEWS
The book contains an excellent discussion of our pmsent knowledge of meteori- particularly the stones. Less space is given to the irons and stony irons but enough to maintain the balance and the coverage implied by the sub-title, ‘a petmlogic-chemical synthesis’. The main strength lies in the treatment of chemical and textural information on stony meteorites.Dataamelegantlymviewedandwhunthereiscontlict or inconsistency this is pointed out The book is weIlmferenced to 1979-80 and each chapter, there are ten, ends with a short list of sehcted references suitabie for further reading. I found very few errors in the text, all minor, but occasionally the hgmes and their captions am not on the same page which is disconcerting. These are small defects in an excellent book which I enjoyed and highly recommend to all involved, even remotely, in the offer thisbook as an “Intemational Student Edition” for about UsS30. At this price it is a bargain and even more strongly recommended.
Mate&as by Robert T. Dodd, Cambridge University Press, 1981, 368 p. US$69.50. ~ER~E~~~rnuch~~~~~~~~ understanding the chemical evolution of the solar system. In the late 1960s this was further stimulated by the return of samples from the lunar surface. The application of modem analytical techniques to the study of meteorites continued but at a lower key than work on the lunar samples. The analysis of these showed the moon to be a differentiated body and consequently the search for evidence relating to the early history of the solar system turned again to meteorites. It is opportune to review the progress made and to assess the signiiicance of those hypotheses dependent upon the study of meteorites Robert Dodd has worked on stony memo&es, particularly chondrites, for about eighteen years and is eminently suited to do this. He is a leading worker in the field ~~~n~~~rna~~~~~~~. The abundance of chemicaI data has been very successfully halanced with textural and mineralogical iaformation to produce a book which shot&l appeal to the spe&hst and scientitic non-spe&ist alike. It is however a research-oriented text suitable for the level of a higher undergraduate course but perhaps best used for post-graduate study. Indeed, for any student contemplating meteorite research it is mandatory nadink
Ad-
in Orgmk Ch+&aistry 19fll edited by M. Bjorny d al.. John Wiley & Sons, 1983, 846 pp., Z90.00.
Department of Mineralogy British Museum (Natural Histod Cromwell Road London SW7 SBD U.K.
A. L. Graham
among organic geochemists of different nationalities and ap. plicationai intemsta. In spite of its impressive sixc (and price) the 1981 Fro~~~~~~~~~~Of~C~ chemistry. More than any pnwious conference, the 10th Meeting heavily em&aired petroleum geo&m&y and oil exploration in the Bamnts and North !&s in particular. This
ONEOFTHE major editoria challenges in evahiating this book was to find an oganic geochemist who did not attend the Bergen meeting and, thus, could serve as a reviewer. This volume is composed of 93 msearch papers that were presented at the 10th Intemational Meeting on Grganic GeechcmiatryinBetgen.NoNvayduringScptrmberl4-18,1981. The contributions are grouped into the foiknviag sectionsz the complement of p&s &&tibuted by scientists working (a) Grganic Geochemistry in Exploration, (b) Migration of Hydmca&ons, (c) Environmental C@anic D, (d) DSDIVIPGD, (e) DiageneaisKatagenesis and the orgsaic Geochemistry of Coals and Rerogens, (f) Biomarkem, and (g) Miscellaneous. Ah articles are in English, reviewed and as are attempts to comprehensively assess the natural tiues well edited for smoothness and clarity, considering the high of organic materials using a wide va&ty of molecular tracers proportion of contributions from non-English speaking coun- (an exception is an excellent paper by Boon et aI. on cyanotries. The book is attractively bound and clearly printed in bac&al mats). Although this criticism hoIds somewhat for a twocolumn format. Fiire qua&y is mixed, to the discredit ~~rn~~a~n~~~t~t~ of some contributing authors. of the International Meeting toward petroleum topics is not As with previous Pmceedim the contributed papers treat in the best interests of the field as a whole or of the general new and significant topics with a minimum of material avail- applicability of the corresponding Pmceedings. able in other hteratum. Thus, the considerab~c lag time to publication does not cause an undue decmase in the value of the book. In the absence of a recent comprehensive review Department of Oceanography John I. Hedges of the field, the “*Advancea”series serves the important func- Un~~sity of Washington tion of fistic the exchange of new techniques and resuhs Seatt!e, WA 98195, U.S._4
219