24 BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION January Vol. 6 No. 1

H a z a r d s in the C h e m i c a l L a b o r a t o r y . 2 n d Edit ion. Edited by G. D. Muir. Published by the Chemical Society and distributed by the Chemical Society Publications Sales Office, Blackhorse Road, Letehworth, Herts, SC6 1HN, U.K. 1977. Pp 474. £7.00 or $14.00.

The major party of this book is taken up with the toxic effects and hazardous reactions of specific chemicals, providing where approp- riate threshold limit values, first aid and the disposal of spiliages. It does not claim to be exhaustive and much reference is made to the "Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards", which is a good deal more expensive (£30).

Given the present preoccupation of many educational establish- ments with safety matters, this book also provides a useful survey of the recent Act, although the vexed question of Crown Property important for medical schools - - is not mentioned. There is a welcome and informative chapter on toxicology and, for bio- chemists, the chapter on hospital biochemistry laboratories will be particularly valuable. It is brief enough for even the most indolent student and contains a list of general precautions applicable to a much wider range of life sciences laboratories.

I came to this book after reading an estimate of the amount of benzy-(a)-pyrene churned out by the CEGB's coal-fired power stations. Benzo-(a)-pyrene is not among the 400 or so chemicals lis- ted; where carcinogens are mentioned, reference is merely made to the 1968 Act. This is a surprising defect, particularly in view of the long final chapter on radiation hazards, where alternative literature and codes of practice are easier to come by.

"Hazards in the Chemical Laboratory" is exceUently produced and eminently readable. A manageable number of references is provided throughout the text. Certainly this is a book that no laboratory handling even the most routine of chemicals can be without.

J. C. Marsden Polytechnic of Central London New Cavendish Street London W1M 8JS, U,K.

I I I I

I n d e x to B i e e h e m i e a l Rev iews 1976 Compiled by Ruth E. Arnstein, Mary Harvey and H. R. V. Arnstein. Published by North-Holland, Amsterdam on behalf of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Pp. 82, paperback DM 12.50 inside Europe or U.S,$6.00 outside Europe. May be obtained from Professor S. P. Datta, Biochemistry, University College, London WC1E 6BT, England. The price includes postage, by airmail where applicable. Remittance, payable to "FEBS" m u s t be sent with order. The earlier volumes for 1971-2, 1973, 1974, and 1975 are still available and may be obtained at the same price per copy.

This is a reprint of a supplement to the July 1977 issue of FEBS letters. The format follows that of former issues which have been briefly reviewed in Biochemical Education (e.g. 1976, 4, 2, 46). The preent issue is 37% longer than the previous one but the price is unchanged. A desirable additi6n to all biochemical departmental libraries as it affords a quick and easy way into the recent review literature, especially useful for students.

This will be held in Toronto, Canada, 8--14 July, 1979. It is being hosted by the Canadian Biochemical Society and sponsored by the International Union of Biochemistry. The first circular giving details of the proposed symposia and poster sessions on 13 topics can be obtained from: R. W. Dolan, Executive Secretary, Xlth International Congress of Biochemistry, c/o National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, KIA 0R6.

Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry J.B. Hsrbome November 1977, xii + 244pp. £7.00/$13.65 0.12.324663.6

Contents The plant and its adaptation to the environ- merit. Biochemistry of plant pollination. Plant toxins and their effects on animals. Hormonal interactions between plants and animals. Insect feeding prefemnoas. Feeding preferences of vertebrates, indudiog Man. Animal pheromones end defense substances. Biochemical interactions between higher plants. Higher plant- lower plant interact- ions: phytoalexins and phytotoxins. Subject index. Index of plant names. Index of animal species.

The last decade has witnessed the growth of a new interdisciplinary subject - ecological biochemistry - concerned with the biochemistry of plant end animal interactions. This is the first textbook to be written in England on the subject and provides a synthesis of in- formation that could previously be obtained only from many scattered sources, Yet, as Dr. Miriam Rothschild stresses in her Foreword, the book is no ordinary work of reference but is an imaginative presentation "r ichly flavoured with (Jeffrey Harborne's) own original ideas and lucid interpretations. ""

The book concentrates on the interactions between organisms - between mammals, insects, plants end micro-organisms - as they occur in the natural environment. It also deals at length with the products of secondary metabolism, such as alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenoids, their toxic properties end their ecological functions. Among topics that are discussed and illustrated in the animal world are mammalian and insect pheromones, animal ~ systems and insect juvenile hormones; and in the plant world, biocbamical adaptations, pollination ecology end plant toxins. Plant-animal interactions reviewed include those between milkweed and Danald butterflies; pine trees and bark beetles; and cacti and fruit flies.

A ~ Prim London New York San Francisco A Subsicltery of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers 24-28 Oval Road. London NW1, England 111 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003, USA Australian office: PO Box 300, North Ryde, NSW 2113. Australia