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TrAC—Trends in analytical chemistry
Talama, Vol 40, No 6, pp 949-955, Pnntcd I” Great Bntam
1993
Pcrgamon Press Ltd
BOOK REVIEWS
TrAC--Treads in Analytical Chemistry: Reference Edition, Volume 10, 1991. Elsevler, Amsterdam, 1992 Pages 372 Dfl. 545 00. ISBN O-444-89503-5 Thn book 1s a compdation of the 10 issues of TrAC for the year 1991 and like all the ‘Trends m’ Reference Edltlons, IS arranged m order of issue pubhcation. Only the book reviews and news items are excluded The book finishes with a cumulative author and subJect index for volumes 6-10 Each issue IS&vlded into a number of subsections (meeting reports, monitor, computer comer, feature, observer, trends) that are not always dlstmgmshable from one another. Attempts have not been made to dlvlde articles up mto general areas of analytical chemistry although one issue (Nov/Dec) IS entirely devoted to environmental concerns TrAC covers all areas of analytical chemistry and fills an Important niche between speclahzed Journals and text books The art&s are mtended for a wde reader&p and are accessible to the non-speclahst whilst provldmg comprehensive references for those who need to look further TrAC IS also a qmck enJoyable way of keeping abreast wth recent developments that are penpheral to your reading hst or research interests Elsevler have not wasted any hme m pubhshing this reference edition. Coupled Hnth a well balanced choice of articles from authors at the ‘cuttmg edge’ of their fields makes tis a very useful update It 1s an invaluable source of teachmg matenal and of new ideas for research The pnce 1s apparently rather protibrtlve, but ludes the fact that for only a little more (Dfl 800 this year) your hbrary can take all issues of TrAC and mve the reference edition when it 1s published. For the mdlvldual subscriber TrAC IS very good value at Dfl 181 so there are few readers who would consider It necessary to purchase thus reference edition This book IS avadable from the Amsterdam address or m the USA/Canada from Elsevler hence. Pubhshmg Company Inc , P.0 Box 882, Madison Square Station, New York NY10159, U S A B A MCGAW
Fig. P, Version 6: BIOSOfl,
Cambndge, 1991. E280, US$499
This scientific graphics software package for IBM PC/PS2 and compatibles IS a maJor upgrade from the previous version, and IS now a very powerful tool. Almost any type of graph that a scientist nught want can be produced. The user has full control over the nature of the axes, the posltlomng of the tick marks, the choice and posltiomng of the labels, etc Graphs may be annotated ~nth text, boxes, arcles, elhpses and arrows as desired, and a smtable size and font can be chosen for each piece of text Multiple figures can be produced on the same page Figures can be produced m colour If desired Output dnvers are mcluded for many prmters and HPGL plotters, mcludmg HP PamtJet and LaserJet III Curve-fitting and statlsfical tests are also included The output quality IS extremely good, even with a mne-pm dot-matnx prmter, but especially wth a laser prmter or a Matnx slide camera The manual has 420 pages, of which 20 gve a qmck oversew, 56 @ve tutonal instruction, 280 compnse sample figures wth bnef mstruchons for their production but no data, and 68 the reference section I found the tutonal less helpful than I had expected mstead of detaded step-by-step mstruchons, it starts by gvmg a summary of the items to be entered, then goes off mto explanations of all the possibihhes, then returns to entry mstmchons Thus, a lot of reference mformatlon 1s presented m the tutonal section The reference section, too, did not have the usual format Indeed, it seemed to consist mainly of “tutorial” sectlons on the advanced topics not covered earher m the manual As a result, the best way to learn to make full use of the program seems to be to work through the mstructlons for the sample figures However, this would have been easier if the data values for the samples had been included either m the handbook or on the disc Fairly comprehensive instructions were gven on screen, urlth context-sensitive help, and I actually found rt easier to learn to use the program from tIus than from the manual In conclusion, I believe this 1s an excellent package for computer-literate scientists who wish to produce their own diagrams m a form smtable for pubhcatlon It IS less well suited for use by students or technicians, who are hkely to be bat&d by its complexlhes M. MA~XIN
Patterson’s German-EngIl& Dktionary for Chemth 1992. Pages 1111+ 890 E52.00 ISBN 0-471-66991-l
Ed.: J C. Cox and G E
CONDOYANNIS (Eds.).
Wiley, &Chester,
There cannot be many of the present older generation of English-speakmg chermsts who have not at one time or another had recourse to Parterson in its 3rd edition dating from 1950 While the German chermsts of the turn of the century indulged 949
1993
Pcrgamon Press Ltd
BOOK REVIEWS
TrAC--Treads in Analytical Chemistry: Reference Edition, Volume 10, 1991. Elsevler, Amsterdam, 1992 Pages 372 Dfl. 545 00. ISBN O-444-89503-5 Thn book 1s a compdation of the 10 issues of TrAC for the year 1991 and like all the ‘Trends m’ Reference Edltlons, IS arranged m order of issue pubhcation. Only the book reviews and news items are excluded The book finishes with a cumulative author and subJect index for volumes 6-10 Each issue IS&vlded into a number of subsections (meeting reports, monitor, computer comer, feature, observer, trends) that are not always dlstmgmshable from one another. Attempts have not been made to dlvlde articles up mto general areas of analytical chemistry although one issue (Nov/Dec) IS entirely devoted to environmental concerns TrAC covers all areas of analytical chemistry and fills an Important niche between speclahzed Journals and text books The art&s are mtended for a wde reader&p and are accessible to the non-speclahst whilst provldmg comprehensive references for those who need to look further TrAC IS also a qmck enJoyable way of keeping abreast wth recent developments that are penpheral to your reading hst or research interests Elsevler have not wasted any hme m pubhshing this reference edition. Coupled Hnth a well balanced choice of articles from authors at the ‘cuttmg edge’ of their fields makes tis a very useful update It 1s an invaluable source of teachmg matenal and of new ideas for research The pnce 1s apparently rather protibrtlve, but ludes the fact that for only a little more (Dfl 800 this year) your hbrary can take all issues of TrAC and mve the reference edition when it 1s published. For the mdlvldual subscriber TrAC IS very good value at Dfl 181 so there are few readers who would consider It necessary to purchase thus reference edition This book IS avadable from the Amsterdam address or m the USA/Canada from Elsevler hence. Pubhshmg Company Inc , P.0 Box 882, Madison Square Station, New York NY10159, U S A B A MCGAW
Fig. P, Version 6: BIOSOfl,
Cambndge, 1991. E280, US$499
This scientific graphics software package for IBM PC/PS2 and compatibles IS a maJor upgrade from the previous version, and IS now a very powerful tool. Almost any type of graph that a scientist nught want can be produced. The user has full control over the nature of the axes, the posltlomng of the tick marks, the choice and posltiomng of the labels, etc Graphs may be annotated ~nth text, boxes, arcles, elhpses and arrows as desired, and a smtable size and font can be chosen for each piece of text Multiple figures can be produced on the same page Figures can be produced m colour If desired Output dnvers are mcluded for many prmters and HPGL plotters, mcludmg HP PamtJet and LaserJet III Curve-fitting and statlsfical tests are also included The output quality IS extremely good, even with a mne-pm dot-matnx prmter, but especially wth a laser prmter or a Matnx slide camera The manual has 420 pages, of which 20 gve a qmck oversew, 56 @ve tutonal instruction, 280 compnse sample figures wth bnef mstruchons for their production but no data, and 68 the reference section I found the tutonal less helpful than I had expected mstead of detaded step-by-step mstruchons, it starts by gvmg a summary of the items to be entered, then goes off mto explanations of all the possibihhes, then returns to entry mstmchons Thus, a lot of reference mformatlon 1s presented m the tutonal section The reference section, too, did not have the usual format Indeed, it seemed to consist mainly of “tutorial” sectlons on the advanced topics not covered earher m the manual As a result, the best way to learn to make full use of the program seems to be to work through the mstructlons for the sample figures However, this would have been easier if the data values for the samples had been included either m the handbook or on the disc Fairly comprehensive instructions were gven on screen, urlth context-sensitive help, and I actually found rt easier to learn to use the program from tIus than from the manual In conclusion, I believe this 1s an excellent package for computer-literate scientists who wish to produce their own diagrams m a form smtable for pubhcatlon It IS less well suited for use by students or technicians, who are hkely to be bat&d by its complexlhes M. MA~XIN
Patterson’s German-EngIl& Dktionary for Chemth 1992. Pages 1111+ 890 E52.00 ISBN 0-471-66991-l
Ed.: J C. Cox and G E
CONDOYANNIS (Eds.).
Wiley, &Chester,
There cannot be many of the present older generation of English-speakmg chermsts who have not at one time or another had recourse to Parterson in its 3rd edition dating from 1950 While the German chermsts of the turn of the century indulged 949