JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Book Review MICROBIOLOGY OF HUMAN SKIN, by W. C. Noble. Lloyd-Luke (Medical Books) Ltd., London, 1981. 433 pages. Price $50.00. The author has adequately covered the subject matter so this book should be of great interest to Microbiologists specifi- cally and Cosmetic Scientists in general. This 3rd edition is an updated and modi- fied version of the 1974 (2nd Edition) publication. The content and organiza- tion of the text is the same as the earlier edition. The textbook presents a good update and clarification of the Coryne- form Bacteria in Chapter 4, including a revised taxonomy. The organization of the material is presented well, utilizing the format of.' 1. Skin as a Habitat. II. Microbial Inhabitants of the Skin (arranged by specific groups ie. Coryneform, Micrococcus, Strep- tococci, Fungi, etc.). lll. Ecology of the Skin. The textbook provides an excellent updated reference text and provides a good basic understanding of skin diseases from a Microbiological viewpoint. Minor improvements which could be recom- mended are: expansion of Chapter 11 on Fungi, and expansion of Chapters 17 and 18, which are light in content (although appropriate references are given for the reader who should require more knowl- edge). This book will be useful for students and Cosmetic Scientists and has a good deal of value for those interested in the subject.--O. J. LORENZETTI, PH.D.-- Owen Laboratories.