Mirage of Health. Utopias, Progress, and Biological Change

This elementary volume of bacterial physiology should serve as a stimulating introduction to the subject. The text reads smoothly and is written in such a manner as to excite the imagination of the uninitiated reader. Coverage of the subject matter is comprehensive except for the absence of a section on feedback control mechanisms. For the most part the text has been brought up to date, and enough documentation is included to lend force to the discussion, but not so much that the reading becomes tedious. The chapter on bacterial genetics in particular is well written, adequate coverage being given to the topics of transformation, transduction, and recombination. In contrast, however, the chapter on adaptation is an unblended mixture of recent results and concepts, with older outmoded ideas and terminology. There are numerous misstatements scattered throughout the chapter which seem for the most part to be due to careless wording. The authors have a tendency to present certain hypotheses as being well established explanations for various phenomena. A flagrant example is the section concerning the mechanism of formation and action of diphtheria toxin. Recent work has pointed up the tenuous nature of the evidence supporting the presently accepted hypotheses. It is felt by the reviewer that, notwithstanding the criticisms mentioned above, this text is a worthwhile addition to the collection of the interested reader.