The Chemistry and Biology of Purines

principles of the student of general biology, who has been universally neglected in favor of the more specialized student of infectious diseases. It is designed primarily for the college senior or graduate student in biology; the references are intended to be illustrative of points requiring special emphasis rather than exhaustive in scope. The preface states: "Many controversial problems have been purposely omitted since the authors believe such discussions merely lead to confusion until the student has acquired a detailed knowledge of the entire field. Consequently the material presented here will be of little help to the advanced student or research worker in immunology except, perhaps at times, to offer a new perspective, at an elementary level, on some old problems." Although repetition by restatement is a recognized pedagogic principle, the authors occasionally carry this to somewhat excessive lengths. Thus, the numerous serological reactions are each defined in a sentence or two in the opening pages, redefined, at paragraph length, in pages 29-40, and treated more definitively in chapters 13-15. The authors state that "very little of medical immunology is discussed," which would appear to be a modest understatement for the discussions included in chapters 10 and 15. Moreover, in a few sections, such as those on haptens, or the isolation of antibodies, the authors indulge mildly in the hobby-riding to which immunologists (present company included!) are so prone and which appears out of character with the announced purpose of the book. One wishes that the space gained from a judicious pruning of these sections on technical serology, to be found in any immunological text, could have been utilized for a presentation of the broader aspects of the host-parasite relationship so admirably developed in the writings of Theobald Smith or Sir Macforlane Burnet, and which should be part of the education of all general biologists. The excellence of the book lies, of course, in its positive aspects. The materials on the population genetics of antigens, serological taxonomy, antigenic individuality, fertilization, embryonic development of antigens, immunology in relation to differentiation, and comparative immunology, are highly in accord with its purpose and fully justify the price of admission ($6.50).