number of errors of punctuation and typogra-

phy occur in the text.

E. R. Buckle

yields the products of reaction, there is usual-

ly some change in volume. A decrease in volume will be favoured by elevated pressure

with an increased rate of reaction, and vice- versa. Volumes of activation help to reveal

the mechanisms of the processes involved. Seven authors contribute, sometimes joint-

ly, eight chapters covering solvent exchange

reactions, substitution and isomerization

reactions of complexes both six-coordinate and four-coordinate, as well as electron-

transfer reactions and photochemical proces- ses, and including bio-inorganic systems.

D.C. Munro.

Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces. Edited

by W. J. feast and H. S. Munro. Pp. 257. Wiley, Chichester, 1987. f30.00.

The rapidly burgeoning interest in polymer surfaces is clearly reflected in this report of a

symposium held at Durham in 1985, under

the auspices of the Pure and Applied Macro- molecular Chemistry Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of

Chemical Industry.

The topics of the symposium illustrate ex- tremely well the wide variety of surface and interfacial aspects of polymer science - in

itself a sufficient recommendation to purch-

ase. The early part of the proceedings deals with surface analysis, with contributions on

luminescence techniques and SIMS - both very competent descriptions with excellent

background coverage. The report of direct

measurements of forces adsorbed polymer films using the techniques of Tabor and

lsraelachvile was, although brief, fascinating. Adhesion aspects of polymer interfaces

were dealt with by contributions on epoxy resin/metal bond failure, a wetting phe- nomenon literally. by the use of model com-

pounds to mimic epoxy resin behaviour. The interactions across microphases or

‘bubble’ boundaries in multiphase polymer

systems was considered in one contribution, pointing to interesting possibilities for the

extension of these ideas to the morphology of

biopolymeric systems. Factors important in surface modification

of polymers were exemplified by contribu-

tions on thin oxide coatings and plasma

modification. Only a single contribution on polymerizable Langmiur-Blodgett films could not give sufficient emphasis to the exciting

possibilities existing in this area of polymer surfaces; a greater emphasis in this region

might have been advantageous.

The final part of the symposium concerned biomedical applications of polymer surfaces, topics being surface modification for im-

proved biocompatibility, ellipsometric stu-

dies of protein adsorption, and ESCA inves- tigation of platelet absorption by polyurethane surfaces. The Editors clearly had a difficult task in reporting such a wide

ranging symposium and within that constraint they are to be congratulated on producing an interesting and coherent report. Mention should also be made of the consistently high

standard of all of the contributions, having sufficient breadth of information and good

reference sections. A book which is definitely

good value for money.

D. England

Kinetics of Nonhomogeneous Processes. Edited by G. R. Freeman. Pp. 873. Wiley,

Chichester. 1987. f95.50.

The authors have set out to produce a text on

the kinetics of ‘Nonhomogeneous’ processes which exclude either homogeneous or

hetergeneous processes, occurring in one phase and at the interface between two

phrases respectively. A nonhomogeneous process is defined as not occurring randomly

in space, having at least one component not randomly distributed, and occurring in either

a single phase or a microheterogeneous dis- persion. Slightly over half the book is devoted

to the effects of radiation on substrates in gases, liquids. metals and alloys and on living

cells. In particular. radiation tracks and their associated chemical reactions are considered.

Electron-hole transport in amorphous mate- rials and charge transport in monolayer

‘organizates‘ are reviewed. The next two

articles, covering models for reactions in micelles and vesicles and ‘Polymerisation and aggregation during gelation’. might have

been expanded to include comparisons with

earlier theories. The concluding articles were on ‘The dynamics of entangled polymer

melts’ and on ‘Chemical waves.’ The book is well-produced and well-

supplied with references, but appears rather dear for personal purchase by graduate stu-

dents. It succeeds in giving a thought- provoking ‘new classification of kinetics sys-

tems’.

R. M. Laird

Highly Dispersed Metals. By W.

Romanowski. Pp. 208. Ellis Horwood, Chichester. 1987. f47.50.

Printed in Poland. this book is a translation

and revision of the original Polish text of 1979. With the present emphasis on new

materials produced in the form of fine pow- ders a book on this subject is very timely. As

the publisher claims, it provides a concise and lucid introduction to the preparation and

properties of microscopic metal particles, and can be used as a source book by newcomers to

the field. It makes useful reference to the Polish and Russian literature, although (as

the author states) some of the sources are a little old. The translation is excellent and has

preserved the very readable narrative and

review-like style of the author. The treatment of the subject matter combines the approaches of the chemist and the solid-state

physicist. There are chapters on the investiga-

tion of bulk and surface structure using sever- al modern techniques, and on interactions of particles with substrates. The surface micros- tructure, as revealed by electron microscopy,

is given little consideration, however: there is only one micrograph of particles in the book! The final chapter considers gas adsorption,

with a summary of applications in catalysis. The quality of the printing and binding struck me as disappointing for a book of this price. A

The Art of Problem Solving in Organic Chemistry. By Miguel E. Alonso. Pp. 325. Wiley, Chichester. 1987. f29.00.

By its very nature. organic chemistry de- mands that its practitioners be inveterate

problem solvers. As with any subject. prac- tice in solving typical problems prepares one

well for real life situations. This book aims to provide that practice, and indeed succeeds

well. The reader is presented with 56 mecha- nistic problems taken from the recent litera-

ture. Largely allied to synthetic chemistry, they are based on a wide variety of reaction

types and challenge the reader with aspects of

mechanism and stereo chemistry. Possible solutions to each problem are discussed in some detail, sometimes even casting doubt

upon the original researcher’s explanation.

From the outset, the reader is exhorted to take time over each problem, and the orga- nisation of the book into easily managed

sections allows him to attempt the problems

in any order. depending on his confidence. Moreover, the many literature references

relevant to the problems indicate the high level of preparation by the author and stimu-

late the reader to become familiar with the literature.

In addition to being a useful learning tool for those of a moderately advanced (post-

graduate) level, the book provides a suitable foil against which more experienced organic

chemists may pit their skills.

M. Jones

Dynamical Systems. A Renewal of

Mechanism. Centennial of George David Birkhoff. EditedbyS. Diner, D. Fargueand

G. Lochak. Pp. 284. WorldScientific,

Singaporeand Philadelphia. Distributed by Wiley, Chichester. 1986. f33.80.

The recent renaissance of classical mechanics, stimulated by pioneering computational stu-

dies in the 1960s. and now ramifying into many fields, has evoked a renewed interest in

the work of the great exponents of thissubject in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,

PoincarC and Birkhoff. This volume stems from a meeting in 1984 celebrating Birkhoff’s

centenary. The papers divide about equally into sections on ‘chaos. turbulence, attrac-

tors, bifurcation’; ‘dynamical systems and microphysics’; ‘biological dynamical sys-

tems’; and ‘epistemology and history’. Such volumes tend to be very miscel-

laneous, their contents ranging from solid

mainstream contributions. usually published in journals by the time the proceedings get into print, to occasional pieces, essays, and

hobby-horse outings. This one is no excep- tion. and is also scrappily produced and edited. Publishers who wish to sell books to

the English-reading science community ought to remove atrocities like ‘the present hausse of interest’, or ‘one can dress the following’.

A special feature of this volume is the presence of several pieces that set out to link

219