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The biochemical approach to life
ARCHIVES
OF BIOCHEMISTRY
AND
BIOPHYSICS
111,
479-4&1
(I%%)
Book Reviews and
Molecular Biology-A
to him. It would be a rare person indeed who could profit from more than half of the book. It is not recommended for most biochemists and biophysicists.
Orbitals in Chemistry, Physics Tribute to R. S. Mulliken. PER-OLOV L~WDIN, Department of
Edited by Quantum Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden and Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; and Biologie Institut de BERNARD PULLMAN, Physico-Chimique, Universite de Paris, Paris, France. Academic Press, New York, 1964. xii + 578 pp. $22.00.
IGNACIO
TINOCO,
The Biochemical JEVONS, Lecturer
JR.,
Approach
in Biological versity of Manchester. Basic York, 1964. 184 pp. $4.50.
This book contains 33 contributions. The first is an eight page review of Mulliken’s work by Coulson; it is followed by a two page personal reminiscence by Slater. The rest of the book is science. About half of the articles deal with the techniques and formalism of molecular orbitals; six have “self-consistent field” or “SCF” in their title. About one quarter are concerned with the spectroscopy of small molecules such as Hz+, nitrate ion and methyl cyanide. The rest mainly discuss structure and ground state properties of molecules. Pauling has a simple discussion of methylene and methyl geometry. Binge1 uses molecular orbital calculations to explain Walsh’s rules for predicting the geometry of triatomic molecules. There are several papers on aromatic molecules; they treat geometry, base strength, chemical reactivity, thermal stability, etc. The word “Biology” in the title of the book is presumably included because of the last article. The Pullmans discuss “?r Molecular Orbitals and the Processes of Life”; it is the only article which mentions a biologically important molecule. The articles in this book are designed for a very mixed audience. Some are elementary review articles for “chemists who have had one year of elementary quantum mechanics” (p. 84); others discuss “Recent Advances in the Quantum-Mechanical Calculation of the Properties of Molecules” (p. 21). Some are original, and apparently have not been published previously; at least one is a direct reprint from a journal. One is a description of a numerical integration method developed in 1951-1952, now widely used, but never before published. This book should be of interest mainly to those working in molecular quantum mechanics. Each reader may find a few articles of interest and use
Berkeley,
California
By F. R. Chemistry, UniBooks, Inc., New to Life.
The author’s aim in writing this book has been “ . * . to provide food for thought for those who would like to apply their minds intelligently to the subject even though they may start with little specialized knowledge about it.” He has succeeded not only in presenting the fundamental facts and techniques of biochemistry, but through a historical perspective he has also expressed some of the biochemists’ attitudes toward biological explanation which has given this field its style and individuality as a discipline. The chemical discussion is at the level of general biochemistry texts, and although the text is succinct there are many extensive footnotes and figure captions explaining the details of the fundamental topics. Jevons also develops his belief that the organization of macromolecules into higher structures and organisms is a legitimate aspect of biochemistry which is yet to be developed from the molecular foundations. A partial list of topics includes purification, structure, and handling of proteins; operation and organization of enzymes; the strategies of biochemical study; vitamins and coenzymes; design of chemotherapeutic drugs; energy transactions; and biochemical genetics. The book is an enjoyable cultural introduction to biochemistry, and although experienced biochemists may read little in this book they did not already know, many will agree with F. Sanger in the foreword that it is the sort of book they would like to have written. H. H. PATTEE,
Stanford,
California
Radiotracer Methodology in Biological SciBy C. H. WANG, Professor of Chemistr.y, ence.
Oregon
State University, Corvallis, Oregon; and L. WILLIS, Assistant Professor of Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. DAVID
479
OF BIOCHEMISTRY
AND
BIOPHYSICS
111,
479-4&1
(I%%)
Book Reviews and
Molecular Biology-A
to him. It would be a rare person indeed who could profit from more than half of the book. It is not recommended for most biochemists and biophysicists.
Orbitals in Chemistry, Physics Tribute to R. S. Mulliken. PER-OLOV L~WDIN, Department of
Edited by Quantum Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden and Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; and Biologie Institut de BERNARD PULLMAN, Physico-Chimique, Universite de Paris, Paris, France. Academic Press, New York, 1964. xii + 578 pp. $22.00.
IGNACIO
TINOCO,
The Biochemical JEVONS, Lecturer
JR.,
Approach
in Biological versity of Manchester. Basic York, 1964. 184 pp. $4.50.
This book contains 33 contributions. The first is an eight page review of Mulliken’s work by Coulson; it is followed by a two page personal reminiscence by Slater. The rest of the book is science. About half of the articles deal with the techniques and formalism of molecular orbitals; six have “self-consistent field” or “SCF” in their title. About one quarter are concerned with the spectroscopy of small molecules such as Hz+, nitrate ion and methyl cyanide. The rest mainly discuss structure and ground state properties of molecules. Pauling has a simple discussion of methylene and methyl geometry. Binge1 uses molecular orbital calculations to explain Walsh’s rules for predicting the geometry of triatomic molecules. There are several papers on aromatic molecules; they treat geometry, base strength, chemical reactivity, thermal stability, etc. The word “Biology” in the title of the book is presumably included because of the last article. The Pullmans discuss “?r Molecular Orbitals and the Processes of Life”; it is the only article which mentions a biologically important molecule. The articles in this book are designed for a very mixed audience. Some are elementary review articles for “chemists who have had one year of elementary quantum mechanics” (p. 84); others discuss “Recent Advances in the Quantum-Mechanical Calculation of the Properties of Molecules” (p. 21). Some are original, and apparently have not been published previously; at least one is a direct reprint from a journal. One is a description of a numerical integration method developed in 1951-1952, now widely used, but never before published. This book should be of interest mainly to those working in molecular quantum mechanics. Each reader may find a few articles of interest and use
Berkeley,
California
By F. R. Chemistry, UniBooks, Inc., New to Life.
The author’s aim in writing this book has been “ . * . to provide food for thought for those who would like to apply their minds intelligently to the subject even though they may start with little specialized knowledge about it.” He has succeeded not only in presenting the fundamental facts and techniques of biochemistry, but through a historical perspective he has also expressed some of the biochemists’ attitudes toward biological explanation which has given this field its style and individuality as a discipline. The chemical discussion is at the level of general biochemistry texts, and although the text is succinct there are many extensive footnotes and figure captions explaining the details of the fundamental topics. Jevons also develops his belief that the organization of macromolecules into higher structures and organisms is a legitimate aspect of biochemistry which is yet to be developed from the molecular foundations. A partial list of topics includes purification, structure, and handling of proteins; operation and organization of enzymes; the strategies of biochemical study; vitamins and coenzymes; design of chemotherapeutic drugs; energy transactions; and biochemical genetics. The book is an enjoyable cultural introduction to biochemistry, and although experienced biochemists may read little in this book they did not already know, many will agree with F. Sanger in the foreword that it is the sort of book they would like to have written. H. H. PATTEE,
Stanford,
California
Radiotracer Methodology in Biological SciBy C. H. WANG, Professor of Chemistr.y, ence.
Oregon
State University, Corvallis, Oregon; and L. WILLIS, Assistant Professor of Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. DAVID
479