1732 Book Review

extreme partisans on both sides. the basic tenor of the it now exists. Those in appropriate positions in the chemical narrative material is not defensive nor for that matter industry and related fields can ill afford to be without access to strongly scientific. Its major thrust is that we in the U.S. have a copy. As for the rest of us, I strongly suspect that excessive these particular regulations, and here are the things that are use of the book may be dangerous to our mental health. necessary to comply with them. In short, the book is a highly practical guide, at least to staying on the safe side of the law as JAMES P. LODGE, JR.

Fbrtkle Sii Analysis In Estinwtlug the Sic of AMome Cumamimtfon, Technical Reports Series, No. 179, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, 1978, 233 pp., paperback. Price S18.00.

At some undesignated time in the past, an international panel was assembled under the chairmanship of T. E. Mmcer of the University of Rochester for the purpose of writing the present volume. In due time, draft chapters were written by the Chairman and one or two other participants, iterated to all the members, comments sdcitcd, and the process apparently repeated until there was reason&k consmtsus on the entire body of the report. At this point, the document apparently moved into publication.

The result appears to be a thoroughly authoritative treatment within its own chosen scope. It is also somewhat arch& in terms of what is now a rather active field. While I did not slavishly examine all bibiiographiea, a check of about half of the chapters at random failed to disclose any ref&nce more recent than 1974. The end reeult is a book that is both better and worse than might be anticipated from its intended s=W

That scope is actually quite narrow, since the word “contamination” in the title is essentially taken to mean contamination of the human lung by particulate radioactive material. In fSa, the authors have written a good and compact summary of the whole geld of pa&k size analysis. After a very brief introduction, successive chapters discuss particle size disttibutlo~ methods of linear size analysis, gravitatioud and inertirl separation, electrostatic sizing

diffusion batteries, optical sizing, autoradiography (including track etching and similar techniques), samplers matched to various de&r&ions of the reapirable size range, and calib- ration problems. Bibliographia areattached to the respective chapters, and are not alphabetical. There is no index. An annex presents a very brief tabulation of prices of major equipment for size determination, reported in 1975 dollars. A brief Foreword details the direct authorship of the chapters, and the volume closes with a list ofthe actual participants and a table ofconversion factors from assorted other units into SI.

Probably the weakeat point in the en&e book in the extent to which it is devoted to “preaching the faithful”. For example, a large number of co mm&al products are men- tioncd, usually with an evaluation of their performance, yet the manufpcturers thereofand their addreescs are never given. Similarly. I was unable to l&d theexplanation for a number of acronyms bun&d about with great abandon. The book does notappaartobeundulydurabk;thergiaewasalmadyinbad shape as a rautlt of passage through the mail before I received it.

Being already an initiate into a number of the mysteries, I expect to find this a u&l r&rence for a number of the sorts of formulas one needs oec&oaally, or for li+ings of ap pnratus and the like that one &nquSatJy needs to exhume It would have been still more us&l if1 had gotten it four years ago, shortly al& it was written, when it was a bit leas outdated. In view of its substantial antiquity, it is dif%ult to recommend it at the price.

Jam P. LODGE, JR.