BOOK REVIEWS MICROWAVE SPECTROSCOPY, by Benjamin P. Dailey and fifteen authors. Volume 55, Article 5 of Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2 East 63rd Street, New York 21, N.Y. Paper, 222 pages, illustrated. 1952. Price $3.00. This monograph consists of 16 papers, each of which deals with the present status of an aspect of this comparatively new and rapidly growing subject. Each chapter is written by a qualified author. The book is in no sense a text or an in- troduction to the subject, and will be of far greater value to one al- ready acquainted with the field than it will be to a beginner. Most of the book is devoted to theoretical and technical considerations, with many indications of the course of future developments. Microwave spectroscopy has been, and for some time will continue to be, of greatest usefulness in elucidating molecular and nuclear structure. However, it is uniquely suited to rapid, highly specific, qualitative analysis of ex- tremely small amounts of certain substances. It is capable also of quantitative work with the same materials, but the difficulties in- volved in this are considerable and are likely to impose strict limitations on this application. One chapter is devoted to qualitative and quanti- tative analysis with the microwave spectrograph. There are few er- rors in the book, and there is sur- prising little repetition in the vari- ous chapters.--A. K. PRESUELL, The Andrew Jergens Co. THE LIPIDS, by Harry J. Duel, Jr., Volume I, 982 pages, 6 X 9 inches, indexed, illustrated. Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York 1, N.Y. 1951. Price I/ 18.50. The first of two volumes deal with the chemistry of the lipids. It at- tempts to correlate the available in- formation on the subject. The author has a logical sequence in his division of the subject matter which makes it easy to follow him. Thus the general characteristics of the fats are first considered, followed by the chemistry of the fatty acids, then the chemistry of neutral fats, waxes, phosphatides, carotenoids and finally the distribution and properties of the vitamins of the A, D, E, and K groups. Tables are clearly conceived and generously used throughout. The presence of squalene in hu- man sebum and the U.S. P. rec- ognition of tocopherols as antioxi- dants for mineral oil are not men- tioned, although the 23 pages de- voted to the treatment of antioxi- dants and fat and oil rancidity is a good condensate. It is obviously impossible to read all of the nearly thousand pages, but in a thorough perusal of the book, no errors were noted. One awaits with interest the second volume that will complete this series. The present one is an excellent collection of data from many sources, often especially adapted for this text. Each page is truely packed with information. 131

132 JOURNAL OF TIlE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS While the price may seem high, it really is not for a book of this type. Two cents a page for a well-printed and hard cover, bound book in to- day's market is nominal. This book can almost take the place of several ordinary books on subjects covered by the author. You will want it, and its partner, when published, in your library.. M. G. DENAVARRE, Cosmetic Lab- oratories, Inc. PROPERTIES OF THE PRINCIPAL FATS, FATTY OILS, WAXES, FATTY ACIDS AND THEIR SALTS, by M.P. Doss, 244 pages, indexed, size 81/4 X 11 inches. Texas Com- pany, New York, N.Y., 1952. Price $5.00. The first thing one notices about this book is its unusual size and shape, which makes it awkward to keep on a library shelf. On the other hand, the blank spaces left in the tables, for data that one can fill in as it becomes known, is most useful. The book is a series of tables that give the formula, structure, name, reference, melting point, boiling point, specific gravity, refractive index, solubility in water and other solvents, and properties of deriva- tives. Each series of tables starts with the simplest compound in that series, as formic acid, acetic acid, and in that order. Salts of over 30 metals and their properties are included. While many of the oil, fat, wax, and fatty acid data may be a repeti- tion of data found in other texts, it is useful to have it all available in simple tabular form. The work appears to have been one used within the Texas Company itself, and the world is the richer for having published it. No errors were noted. is well printed and bound. overpriced.--M. G. DEN. The book It is not LABORATORY DESIGN, edited by H. S. Coleman, 393 pages, size 9 X 12 inches, illustrated and indexed. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York 36, N.Y. Price $15.00. This reviewer finds as his first objection, the size of the book. It is difficult to fit into library shelves, books of an awkward size as this one. However, the page size enables the authors to use larger illustrations, thus making for greater clarity. In addition, more time and space should have been devoted to the layout of smaller laboratories in which from 2 to 4 people may be employed. But it may be possible to utilize the facts given for the larger units, and reduce them to one's own requirements. Here is scads of valuable infor- mation for any research director or chief chemist who has the job of designing a new laboratory or re- vamping an old one. One idea from this book will pay for itself many times over. The editor has brought under one cover the floor plan and actual pic- tures of many of the finest industrial and university laboratories in this country. The book tells little about labora- tory equipment outside of labora- tory tables, fume hoods, electricity, plumbing, lighting, shelves, and similar basic needs. That is left up to the requirements of an individual laboratory. No fixed recommenda- tions are made by any of the contrib- utors, but a lot of valuable sug- gestions are given. Every laboratory should have this book if not for immediate use, then for a future need.--M. G. DEN.