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.