B O O K R E V I E W S

Progress in Organic Chemistry.] Volume 5

Edited by J . W. Cook, University Col- lege, London, England, and W. Car- ruthers, Washington Singer Labora- tories, Exeter, England. Butterworth, Inc., Washington, D. C., 1961. viii + 172 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X 25.5 cm. $9.

This is the fifth volume in this series and follows the same general pattern as the earlier volumes (J. CHEM. EDUC., 35, A 616 [19581). Short surveys of recent progress are presented for five selected topics which are of ourrent interest to organic chemists. The five topics dis- cussed in the present volume and their re- viewers are: Homolytic Oxidation Proc- esses, W. A. Waters; Developments in Hydroxylation of Phenols, J . 13. Loudon; The Chemistry of Dextran, C. R. Ricketts; The Chamistrv of the Hieher Temonoids (sic!), J. A. ~ i r l t r o ~ and k. A. J. ~ o g e r s ; and Tropylium and Related Compounds, T. Nozoe.

The first chapter on Homolytic Oxide tion Processes is distinctly the longest, 45 nitees. Dr. Waters, who has contrih- uted &ifically to this subject, has pro- vided here a well-organized account of oxidation reactions involving free radicals as intermediates. He discusses first homo- lytic oxidation involving hydrogen ahstrac- tion, then autoxidation and catalysis of

autoxidation, and finally one-electron oxi- dations by ions containing transition metals. I t is noteworthy that ahout n third of the 122 numhered literature references cited here itre dated after 1958. The next chapter may he considered as complementary to that of Dr. Waters, dealing more exhaustively with a. limited aspect of the subject. Hydroxylation of phenols is considered to include any proc- ess, direct or indirect, whereby a hydraxyl group replaces a hydrogen atom of the phenol system. This chapter is concerned primarily with preparative methods. Topics discussed include: substitution by free radicals, oxidation to quinones, Elbs and Dakin hydroxylation and ortho- hydroxylation.

The third, and shortest, chapter (23 pages) provides a survey of recent work on the chemistry and biochemistry of dex- tren, particularly since 1950. Topics dis- cussed include structure, hiosynthesis, polymer properties, and derivatives of dextran. Concerning the chapter deal- ing with the chemistry of the higher terpenoids the authors state: "The pres- ent survey makes no attempt to he exhaus- tive, the authors having chosen rather to deal with selected topics in detail." The topics selected (chiefly diterpenes) in- clude: pimaric acids, diterpene hydrocar- bons, diterpenes of unnatural stereochem- istry (e.g., darutigend, esfestol, and co- lumhin), manool and related diterpenes,

-Reviewed in this Issue

J . W . Cook and W . Carruthers, editon, Progress in Organic Chemistry. Volume 5 Jesse P . Gmenstein and M i l t a Winitz, Chemistry of the Amino Acids, 3 Volumes Herbed C . Kaujman, Handbook of Organometsllic Compounds E. Emmet Reid, Invitation to Chemical Research John Mazson Stillman, The Story of Alchemy and Early Chemistry Bemad Lewis and Guenlhw o n Elbe, Comhnstion, Flames, and Explosions of

Gases Paul Pascal, editor, Nouveau Trait6 de Chimie Minerale. Volume 13 (in 2

p a d d Lvman G. Pan-att, Probability and Experimental Errors in Science: An Elemen-

tary Survey L. Bwee Andersen and Leonard A . Wenrel, Introduction to Chemical Engineering Rawinnton Daniels. Selected Studies in Chemical Kinetics: Thirty-Fifth Annual - ~~ "~

Priestly Lectures C. P . Stewad and A. Stolman, editors, Toxicology: Merhanisms and Analytical

Methods. Volume 2 Kenneth Denbigh, The Principles of Chemical Equilibrium E. J . Crosby, Experiments in Transport Phenomena. Cyril Long, Earl J . King, and Warren M. Sperry, editors, Biochemists' Handbook Ernest Yeager, editor, Transactions of the Symposium on Electrode Processes Herbert M . He~.shensn. Ultraviolet and Visiblo Ahsorption Spectra: Index for

Prooess Control Donald E. H. Frear, editor, Pesticide Index Robert 6. Brasted. Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry. Volume 8 Sulfur,

Selenium, Tellurium, Polonium and Oxygen

miscellaneous diterpenes (about half a page listing the structures assigned to seven compounds including cassaic, palus- tric, and gibberellic acids), and terpene hiogenesis. Half of this chapter is de- voted to a review of the present state of knowledge of the processes of terpene bio- synt,hesis. The final chapter reviews the chemistry of tropolone and its related products. The topics discussed include the formation and properties of tropylium ion, syntheses of tropones and tropolonos, and some reactions of troponoid cam- pounds.

As the editors state: "The growing volume of original research publications makes it increasingly dificult for the stu- dent of organic chemistry to keep himself informed about the important develop ments which are taking place in his sub- ject." Advanced university students in- terested in organic chemistry, research workers and those whose interests are more general will 6nd these surveys, pre- pared by people who have contributed significantly to our knowledge of the suh- jects they discuss, useful, authoritative, and up-to-date.

LEO A. GOLDBLATT Westem Regional Resea~ch Laboratory

Albany, California

Chemistry of the Amino Acids, 3 volumes

Jesse P. Greenstein (deceased) and M i l t a Winitz, hoth of the National Cancer Institute, Kational Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1961. xiii + 2872 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5cm. $100.

This comprehensive and critical treatise is a major contribution to the chemical and biochemiea.l literature. Reviews of this sort are too often the edited contri- butions of many authors. Multiple authorship generally results in marked variations in style, overemphasis of some andneglect of other areas, and a t best, only limited correlation between sections. These defects are absent in this work which is outstanding in its continuity and corre- lation between sections.

Many otherwise excellent reviews are de- ficient in historical perspective. Green- stein and Winits have included a critical summary of classical papers in their dis- cussions. Historical introductions to the isolation and characterization of individual amino acids make fascinating reading. The quality and insight of the work of such investigators as Ritthausen and Sehult~e are often overlooked. It is in- teresting to discover, for example, that Fischer and Curtius debated the question of priority in the synthesis of peptides, and that Liebig snd Strecker hoth de- scribed methods for the oxidative decar- boxyletion of amino aeids in the mid- nineteenth century.

The three volumes comprising this series are divided into seven parts containing 52 chapters. Since i t would he impossible even to list sllof the subjects discussed, our comments are limited to the over-all out- line and the main sections.

Volume 39, Number 4, April 1962 / A217