A review of this book, a standard classroom text, might have been adequate under ordinary circumstances had it listed the merits and deficiencies of fact, style and format. However, this edition is marked by a rewriting of many chapters and by a change in authors. Comparison with previous editions reveals this one to be more comprehensive and more penetrating, in keeping with the rapid development in many fields of biochemistry. The general betterment is nearly matched by the introduction and able discussion of important technics; the sections on the Barcroft-Warburg apparatus, on photometry, and on antibiotics being especially noteworthy.
Certain factual details deserve emphasis. The book wisely refrains from an explanation of the mechanism of enzyme reactions, which at this time is largely a matter of speculation. The description of each photometric method is accompanied by the appropriate curve for absorption of radiant energy. Useful tables are plentiful, and include