Advances in petroleum chemistry and refining. Volume 5 (McKetta

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BOOK REVIEWS The Molecular Baris of Neoplasia

I'rhlishnl for. The University o f Texas 11. I). Anclraon Hospital and Tumor Instit,utr,. Univwsity of Tryas Press, A t i I rill pp. Figs. : ~ n d I 15.5 X 2:1.5cm. $10.50. This imcinating lmdc, n. publication of tlw p i l w s prrsmted a t the Fifteenth Annu:il S?mposium on Fundamental Cmeer Research (1061), consist8 of half N. doarn articles an each of the following topirs: Suclcie Acids, Nucleie Acids and Protcios, Prot,ein Conform:ttion and Scqucncc, Controlling Mechanism and Ensymr Synthrsis, Controlling Mechanisms and 13iochnnic:~lAlterations Induced lhy Vir;rl Snelric Acids, and Rihosornes and I'rotein Synthrsis, as well ws the Rertner Foundation Lwture, on the Enzyme I)t+t,ion Hypot,hcsis of C~rcinogenesis, I,y\bn P 0 t t ~ " . Although !be hook is ent,itled "The llolwulnr Hapis of Neoplasia," much a i t,hc work is so funrtnn~entalt h a t neoplssia is not r w n mmt,ionerl in many of the pnpurs. S o matter; each paper consists of n nice I d n n e r of cxperirncntnl drtnil :mtl t,heoretir:tl wfiectiona, and almost wwy p z ~ w is so well donr that i t is impossil,lv to single on1 any as t,he most interrsting or mo8t important. Thc proper apprrri:~tionof much of thc woA rrquirtv H background in hnetcrial gmrt,ics, nuclric acid structure, protein syrrt,hrsis, or physical chemistry, hut %I-

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most everyone with even a slight kilorledge of somc of thcse suhjects r i l l get much irom the book. Numerous references enhence the value of the papers. The paper and printing are meellent indeed: and typographicsl errors are almost absent,.

Advancer in Petroleum Chemistry and Refining. Volume 5

Founded by K a n e l h .,I. Kobe and .John J . MeKotla, Jr. Edited l,y .John .I. MeKetta, J I . , T7niversit.v of T e x m Austin. Interscience Publishers (a division of John Wiley) New Yark, InT,?. xiv 545 pp. Figs. and t,nblrs. I 6 X 23.5crn. %EO.

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Like other "Advances" hooks, this vrdume consists of n variety of loosely related articles that are either generrd surveys or reviews of the recent literature. The first chapter presents t,he h i s t o y of synthetic fuels (fuels produced from now petroleum sources), points out t.he mnjnr developments in the field, and summsrizes the current status. I t constitutes n good initial reference for :myone who is about t o work in t,he field oi synthetir fuels or in relilted fields. The second and third chapters itre survey articles on the uses of cornput,ers in process design and in petroleum refining. They deserihe how rornputers work and how they are applied in these two fields.

Buth chanters could he used as cornouter-

reference for anyone undertaking work in this field. The fifth ahmter is a nuditat,ive discussion of the-mechanisni of catalytic rracking, with emphasis on secondary re:~ctions. It. should he a useful referenre f r r new workersin the field. Chapter sin is a survey of the chemistry, refining, and uses of petroleum asphalt. Chapter s e w n presents a review of recent literature on the reactions of olefins, &h emphasis on those of commercial significance. I t should he useful t o anyone working in the field. The eighth r:hnpter is :t romprehensive discussion of the applications of shock tuber, plasma jets, and ballistic pistons to light hydroearlmns. I n addition to desrrihing these devices and how t.hey are used, the article summarizes the dat,u reported for t,heir use on light hydrornrbona. The ninth chapter is a qualitative discussion of recent develnpments in the mnmifart.ure of nibrogen fertilizers from petroleum mw materials, ait,h references to artirles where sperific inforrn.~tion om he found. The final chapt,er describes the development of small gas turhines. Suflicient details are given t o give t,he uninitiate a general pict,ure of how small ens turbines develr,ped, the problems of such tnrbines, and what fut.ure developments might he. (('ontinired on pagr A3221

BOOK REVIEWS

Dr. Himmelblrtu has demonstrated this

type of ability in the preparation of this text. Prognostications concerning the potential Actually, there is not much t o be of gas turbines in automobiles are, howadded to the subject of beginning calever, conspicuously absent. culations. The general principles, and For university libraries, no general even the problems, are of such a standard recommendation can be made concerning character that there can be little of this volume. Whether or not i t would be the new or the novelty in the subject useful depends upon the particular curmaterial itself. Hence, emphasis must ricula and upon the availability of other be placed on the method of presentation. sources of the information presented in In this Dr. Himmelblau has excelled. this volume. For those librmieries that A free and rather informal discourse include earlier volumes of this series, this leads t o the logical ddevelopment of reviewer recommends that the frequency illustrative problems, there being a t of their use be ascertained before a decision least one problem to demonstrate the is made concerning this volume. application of each of the principles introduced. The solution of each ilR. . I HENGSTEBECK . lustrative problem is so clearly and Ameriean Oil Company adequately presented that the average Whiting, Indiana student should be able t o solve the practice problems with a minimum of Basic Principles and Caleulmtionr in supplemental ininstruction. Chemical Engineering The text consists of six chapters and a well selected group of tables of data David M . Himmelblau, University of as a supplement. The subject matter Texas, Austin. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Encoverage of the first five chapters is glewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1962. approximately normal for the course viii 459 pp. Figs. and tables. for which the text is obviously written 15.5 X 23.5 em. $9.75. and is closely comparable to that of other texts in this field. The subjects It requires courage and conviction of introductory cdculations, material to prepare a manuscript in 8. field already xs well covered by texts as is the first balances, the phenomena related t o gas chemical engineering mathematicties course. laws, vapor pressure and phase pheIt is, therefore, a mark of outstanding nomena, energy balances, and combinaability to be able t o write a text which tions of the material and energy balances are certainly standard for a chemical will not only successfully enter the field but will unquestionably challenge the engineering course a t the beginning level. leadership of the alder texts in this area. Each subject is covered in adequate

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depth and the work is arranged in such a manner that the individual instructor can readily tailor a course to fit the time allocated in his particular curriculum to introductory chemical engineering calculations. Dr. Himmelblau's sixth chapter is one dealing with the unsteady state material and energy balances. This is something of an innovation, although a welcome one, for the work in stoiehiometry. It will be very useful providing the student using the text has had an appropriate background in mathematics. A short section near the end of each chapter, in which there is summarized the principles the student should have learned in that chapter, is an interesting addition to the text. The compilations should be thought provoking t o the student. Each chapter has alist of supplementary references. Since these references are mostly other texts, the list is repeated, without much difference, at the end of each of several chapters. These references could be improved, if they are to be added in this fashion, by citation of page or chapter. The practice problems a t the end of each chapter, a total of over four hundred, are certainlv adecluate in number. Thev are clearly and concisely presented, and they appear to be graded carefully in complexity. I n the way of recapitulation, the straightforward presentation combined with a writing style of such a nature as to promote easy reading, the well-organized

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