Book Reviews STEROID HORMONE ANALYSIS, by Hans Carstensen, Vol. I. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York. 1967. Pp. xiii-493, illustrated. $23.50. Dr. Carstensen, as well as his dis- tinguished contributors, are to be congratulated for their efforts in pre- senting Vol. 1 of "Steroid Hormone Analysis" to the scientific commu- nity. Each of the major techniques of steroid methodology such as IR, NMR, as well as gas and paper chromatography are discussed in a precise and well-organized manner. Two chapters in particular make "Steroid Hormone Analysis" worth- while. One contains the first ex- tensive presentation (of which this reviewer is aware) of double isotope derivative methods for ultra-micro steroid determinations. A detailed discussion of the application of this technique is then given for the analysis of aldosterone, corticosteroids and estrogens. A second chapter concerns itself with the problems pre- sented by steroid conjugates in urine. Valuable discussions on the extrac- tion, purification and hydrolysis of steroid conjugates are among its highlights. 447 This volume is well referenced at the end of each chapter and helpfully illustrated throughout. It should prove quite valuable to any researcher or physician concerned with steroid analysis .--CARL FELGER--Gillette Research Institute. TRACE ELEMENTS IN BIOCHEMISTRY, by H. J. M. Bowen, Academic Press, London/New York. 1966. Pp. ix d- 241. $9.50. The title of this book is somewhat misleading as the author attempts to touch on all of the elements, natural and unnatural, that occur in the bio- sphere. In 241 pages of text this is an ambitious goal that the author has had only modest success in achieving. The first three chapters dealing with the origin of elements, terrestrial geochemistry, and composition of soil provide interesting reading. The ele- mentary composition of plants and animals is discussed next, together with a useful and extensive tabular summary of the occurrence of chemi- cal elements in plants and animals. Other chapters are concerned with a summary of the existing data dealing

448 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS with the uptake and excretion of ele- ments, their essentiality and toxicity, and the occurrence of essential ele- ments in enzymes and other biologi- cally active molecules. The text of these chapters is a somewhat shallow presentation of the subject matter. (The chapter on "The Functions of the Essential Elements" is dispatched in fourteen pages liberally sprinkled with tabulated data.) However, each of these chapters, as well as the entire book, contains a wealth of quantitative data summarized in tabular form which should be of great value to anyone working in the field of inorganic biochemistry. There are very interesting chapters on the natural radioactivity of living or- ganisms and the contribution of ele- ments to the biological kingdom from enviromnental contamination by man and his devices. The last chapter is a very special feature of this book. The author has done a commendable job of sulnlnarizing the available data on the occurrence, function and toxicity of 90 elements found in plants and animals. The reference material that this book has to offer should not be over- looked by anyone concerned with the relationship of inorganic ions to bio- chemistry and cellular physiology. C^RL FE•,OER--Gillette Research In- stitute.