BOOK REVIEWS

concepts, the maintensnee of this di- chotomy is most unfortunate and tends to distract attention from the red differ- ences among these matter or energy mani- festations, which involve mass, charge, and spin.

Of even greater consequence is the fact that the book is dated. Instruments described in some detail were outmoded a t the time the original French edition was published in 1956; many of the more recont advances in instrumentstion are omitted. For example, there is oonsider- able discussion concerning long focal length electron lenses, while the trend to short focal length lenses is not discussed. The Siemens electron microscope capable of 5 A resolution is not mentioned; stead, the 1946 resolution limit of 20 A is still cited (p. 57). The latest literature reference dates to 1954; no attempt seems to havo been made to bring the trsnslstion further up to date.

Some of the dincussions ignore important contributions. For example, in the sec- tion on the field emission microscope, na mention is made of the remarkable ex- periments by Gomer and his school. I t is, of course, unfair to expect a general descriptive volume to he all inclusive and completely up to date. Nevertheless, the writeup could have been better hal- anced by dwelling less on earlier results and concentrating more on the work of the last decade. I t is unfortunate that

these factors detract from an otherwise very readable acoount of teohniques and observations in the study of matter.

The hook contains an addendum on "Aesthetic sense and scientific research," this being an extract of a. paper read by the author before the Acild6mie des Sciences, Belles Lettres e t Art8 de Ressn- w n in 1952.

J. M. HOXIG Lincoln Laboratory, MIT

Lexington, Massachusetts

Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ancient Meropolomia

Martin Lew?~, Temple University, Phila- delphia. Elsevi~r Publishing Company, Amstordam, 1959; distributed in U.S. hy D. Van Nostrand Comprtny, Ino., Princeton, New Jersey. xi + 242 pp. 16 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $7.50.

This is a historicslsurveyof thematerials known and the utensils and chemical proc- esses cmployed in the various cultures of the region of t h ~ Tigris and Euphrates rivers from about the middle of the fourth millennium B.C. to about the middle of the f i r ~ t millennium B.C.

After x short introduction by R. J. Forhes and a preliminary general chapter largely on the sources of information, the author describes in n series of three chap- ters certain apparatus that was used, such

a s crucibles and furnaces, and certain operations that were performed, such as extraction and distillation. This is fol- lowed by a chapter on food and its teehnol- ogy and by successive chapters on special materials or clames of materials such as alum, dyes, perfumes, and oils, fats, and waxes. The last three chapters deal with the metals and their alloys. A large part of the last chapter is concerned with re- sult.~ of t,he chemical and metallographic examination of bronze objects. Unfor- tunately, the chemical rtnalyses listed are only qualitative or semiqnsntitativc.

A very valuable feature of this book is the comprehensive list of references given a t the end of each chapter. Valuable aka are the man." translations of recipes from cuneiform tahlets: The illustrations are excellent.

Although, a8 the author remarks a t the heginning of his preface, thie book was mainly written for historians of chemistry and for chemists who are interested in the connections between general culture and the origins of chemistry, this reviewer is of the opinion that it should be of con- siderable interest to chemi~ts and t,o scientific readers generally. This original, srholarl.~, and well written work deserves a place in every large chemical lihrary.

EARLE R. CALEY The Ohw State University

Colwnbm

(Continued on page A4381

A436 / Journol o f Chemical Education